[PRCo] Re: Much ado about nothing

Dwight Long dwightlong at verizon.net
Sun Sep 5 11:05:09 EDT 2010


Fred

Not only are double points the norm there, but often the arrangement provides for what is in essence about a car length of gauntlet track, whereby after the points there is a section of parallel tangent track before the curve begins.  

I noticed that when the Canal Street line in NOLA was rebuilt, they used a mix of double and single point switches!

I think most if not all new-build tram lines in the USA use double point switches.

Dwight

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Fred Schneider 
  To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org 
  Sent: Sunday, 05 September, 2010 10:12
  Subject: [PRCo] Re: Much ado about nothing


  That is probably the case, Dwight.   But you and I are probably the only ones on this list who would have picked up on that because you and I have seen double-point switches in city streets.    If the following car threw it erroneously, the rear truck would have gone into Gist Street.  That is why Baltimore's rule book said you had stop right before each non-interlocked switch.   

  I guess I much prefer the European scheme with double point switches in city streets.   Of course they had many more years to perfect the craft while we were abandoning operations.   


  On Sep 5, 2010, at 1:58 AM, Dwight Long wrote:

  > Fred
  > Good ole single point switches!
  > 
  > Dwight
  > 
  >  ----- Original Message ----- 
  >  From: Fred Schneider 
  >  To: Pittsburgh-Railways at Dementia.Org ; Ed Lybarger ; Matthew R Barry 
  >  Sent: Saturday, 04 September, 2010 19:46
  >  Subject: [PRCo] Much ado about nothing
  > 
  > 
  >  http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wsEbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ck8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4766%2C4535318
  > 
  > 
  >  Pittsburgh Press, August 29, 1963, page 2 (digital), page
  > 
  > 
  > 
  >  Trolley Jolt Injures Eight
  > 
  >  No. 67 Car Splits Switch,
  > 
  >  Shakes Up 30 Riders in Soho
  > 
  > 
  > 
  >     Thirty passengers aboard a No. 67 [Swissvale-] Braddock-Rankin trolley were shaken up today when the car split a switch in the Soho district.
  > 
  >      Eight persons thrown to the floor in the jarring accident were taken to Mercy Hospital for treatment.
  > 
  >      The injured included two Mercy employes on their way to work and a woman taking her first trolley ride to town in three years.
  > 
  >      Mrs. Josephine Wolney, 56, of 114 S. 15th St., South Side, and Mrs. Paulina Iwanoukiw. 55. Of 106 S. 15th St., both reported to their laundry room jobs at the hospital before asking for treatment.
  > 
  >      "I thought for sure it (the trolley) was going to fall over" Mrs. Wony said.  "I got to work okay but then I got to feeling shaky and I couldn't raise my arm." 
  > 
  >      A spokesman for Pittsburgh Railways said the accident occurred at 7:05 am. When the front end of the trolley turned into Gist Street while the rear continued on Forbes Avenue.
  > 
  >      Mrs. Gertrude McConnel, 64, of 5329 Beeler St., Squirrel Hill, said "I don't feel like dancing but I'm just shook up."  She was headed for the bus station to see her granddaughter off on a trip to visit relatives in Clearwater, Fla.      "It wasn't the driver's fault."  Mrs. McConnell said.  "We weren't going any faster than usual."   She said it was her first morning trolley trip to the Downtown in three years.
  > 
  >      The other injured passengers, all released after treatment were:     Edward Palmer, 60, of 45 Lawn St., Oakland; Mrs. Margaret McCormick, 59, of 31 Lawn St., Oakland; Mrs. Anna Durkoske, 52, of 1301 Gobel St., North Side; Ray Steifvater, 20, of 3421 Bates St., Oakland; and Mrs. Stella Lytwyn, 54, of 19 Enon Way, South Side.
  > 
  >      Pittsburgh Railways identified the operator as Jean Briar, of 113 Williams St., Perrysville.   She was uninjured.
  > 
  >      The trolley continued its trip into town after emergency crews replaced it on the rails.  
  > 
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  > 
  > 
  > 







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