[PRCo] Re: Murray Avenue - Greenfield 1913

[Herb Brannon]

Probably not. The problem with PRCo streetcars in that era continued to be a
problem with PATransit buses after conversion and continues to this day.
That problem, of course, is the extreme automobile traffic on Murray Avenue
between Forbes Avenue and Forward Avenue. Even getting across Murray Avenue
can be a time consuming feat. Driving the Squirrel Hill through bus
(crossing Murray at Beacon Street) or the Homewood/Squirrel Hill bus
(crossing Murray at Forward Avenue) was, during heavy traffic periods,
was guaranteed to make you from 10 to 30 minutes late at the end of either
line. Those streetcar line operating on Murray Avenue were doomed to super
slow running from 1950 onward. Even today, buses have a hard time getting
along Murray Avenue.


 Oct 19, 2010 at 17:16, Barry, Matthew R <mrb190 at pitt.edu> wrote:

> Thanks very much for doing that research, Ed!
>
> One wonders if any difference in the longevity of the Murray Avenue lines
> would have occurred had there been PRW between Morrowfield and Hazelwood
> Avenues.   We'll never know, now.
>
> Matt
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org [mailto:
> pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of Edward H.
> Lybarger
>   Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 5:11 PM
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Murray Avenue - Greenfield 1913
>
> I did a little research this morning on the Murray Avenue work.  PRCo
> construction order 905 covered the entire distance between Forward and
> Hazelwood Avenues, with work done in three segments:
>
> Between March 24 and October 3, 1913, new double track was installed
> between
> Flemington Street and Hazlewood Avenue.
>
> Largely concurrently, between August 1 and November 1, 1913, double track
> was relaid between Forward and Morrowfield Avenues.
>
> Then the following year, the replacement bridge was railed between June 9
> and August 6, 1914 with new double track.  The company paved the track area
> on the bridge; the city paved the remainder of the roadway and the walks.
> Those 1914 dates are a little close together for building an entire new
> bridge; they represent only the time PRCo spent working on their part of
> the
> project.
>
> And also remember that the dates shown are the dates the projects were open
> on the company's books, not necessarily the dates the actual work was
> performed.  The May 1913 photo of Murray Avenue under construction
> demonstrates that point quite nicely.
>
> Great photos, Matt!
>
> Ed
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
> [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of Edward
> H. Lybarger
> Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 12:11 PM
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Murray Avenue - Greenfield 1913
>
> That overhead structure looks awfully permanent.  My guess is that the car
> line was the original and that it was moved onto the street later in this
> project.  Probably double-tracked, too.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
> [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of Barry,
> Matthew R
> Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 12:01 PM
> To: 'pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org'
> Subject: [PRCo] Murray Avenue - Greenfield 1913
>
> Interesting that the car line ran below this construction of Murray Avenue
> through Greenfield, looking south, toward the intersection with Hazelwood.
> Not sure if it was a temporary track, or if it what we're looking at in the
> photo was the original track, which appears to be exclusively a trolley
> roadbed, and located where there is now residential homes, I think.
> Title: Murray Avenue Construction
> Date: May 5, 1913
> Creator: Pittsburgh City Photographer
> Description: View of construction along Murray Avenue, looking south from
> Flemington Avenue.
>
>
> -- Attached file removed by Ecartis and put at URL below --
> -- Type: image/jpeg
> -- Desc: MURRAYAVE_MAY1913.jpg
> -- Size: 124k (127067 bytes)
> -- URL :
> http://lists.dementia.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/MURRAYAVE_MAY1913.jpg
>
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-- 
Herb Brannon
In Cuyahoga Valley National Park