[PRCo] Re: PRC 3761 Southbound at Allenport Siding, July 27, 1952

[Bob Rathke]

Ed, 



I agree completely with your last sentence. 



Bob 



----- Original Message -----


From: "Edward H. Lybarger" <trams2 at comcast.net> 
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementix.org 
Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2011 7:50:04 AM 
Subject: [PRCo] Re: PRC 3761 Southbound at Allenport Siding, July 27, 1952 

"Distractions" is used tongue in cheek. Â Being retired and without a 
regimented schedule, everything I do is a distraction, especially a noontime 
excursion to Allenport! Â Since Janis is still working, there's no schedule 
conflict. 

But as I've said on numerous occasions, being retired means that I don't 
know when I ever had time to work. Â I simply don't understand folks who 
retire and complain about being bored. 

-----Original Message----- 
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementix.org 
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementix.org] On Behalf Of Phillip 
Clark Campbell 
Sent: Friday, December 09, 2011 4:12 PM 
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementix.org 
Subject: [PRCo] Re: PRC 3761 Southbound at Allenport Siding, July 27, 1952 

Incredibly nice work, Mr.Lybarger; where do I write a letter of commendation 
and recommendation for promotion? 
  
Phil 


ps - can you share her name--your distraction?  Please give her "Thanks" for 
allowing this mission on your lunch hour. 


________________________________ 
 From: Edward H. Lybarger <trams2 at comcast.net> 
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementix.org 
Sent: Friday, December 9, 2011 3:29 PM 
Subject: [PRCo] PRC 3761 Southbound at Allenport Siding, July 27, 1952 
  
Content-Type: text/plain; 
    charset="us-ascii" 
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A couple days ago I said that I been troubled for several years that 
something obvious was being overlooked in trying to positively identify this 
photo location.  It's a nice day in suburban Pittsburgh, so I put my 
distractions aside and spent my lunch hour visiting Allenport.  En route I 
stopped at the PTM Library to recover my ledger book full of interurban 
track sketches that I had copied years ago. 

Last evening I had assembled two basic documents on the subject:Â  1) Tom 
Phillips's drawing of Allenport, showing a long passing siding in the middle 
of Main Street and the track on an old highway alignment, labeled "circa 
1940," and 2) a PRC abandonment route map that showed the alignment through 
Allenport as being solely on Main Street.  Needless to say, these were in 
conflict with one another, and neither one supported my argument for the 
location. 

I believe that Tom's map has been circulated to the group.  The PRC map is 
unwieldy and shows nothing I didn't describe. 

The track sketches, however were most revealing, and I immediately 
understood what was being overlooked.  It also reminded me that I had failed 
to observe Rule #1:  Test Everything.  The passing siding shown on Tom's map 
"circa 1940" had been removed in 1934.  To compound the problem, we have all 
been thinking that the siding was at the north end of town.  Once sketch 
34-029 disabused me of that notion, I drove directly to the spot that today 
allows the same long view as the 1952 photo.  The PCC photo that Phil posted 
was helpful...it gave an indication of something other than weeds on a 
hillside at the left.  That in fact is PA 88; the road dead ahead is the 
entrance to the Wheeling-Pittsburgh steel mill, from whence I took today's 
pictures. 

The following attachments clearly identify the location: 

"Track Sketch 25-084" shows the siding in the center of Main Street. 

"Track Sketch 34-029" shows the revision made in 1934, with the siding 
clearly at the SOUTH end of town. 

Photo "South Main Street, Allenport" shows the same view, including a brick 
house with a double window at the roof peak 

Photo "1852 Main Street, Allenport" shows that house and that window.  It's 
at the southeast corner of Main and Washington Streets. 

Case closed. 

Ed 

P.S.  Tom's map shows the car line on the old highway alignment; PRC's map 
doesn't.  Tom was right about this...the grade is still very evident. 

P.P.S.  The fifth attachment is the view north at Mapleview, clearly 
demonstrating why it couldn't be the location. 

http://lists.dementix.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/Track%20Sketch%2025-084. 
jpg 

http://lists.dementix.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/Track%20Sketch%2034-029. 
jpg 

http://lists.dementix.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/S%20Main%20St%20Allenpor 
t%2012-9-11.jpg 

http://lists.dementix.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/1852%20Main%20St%20Allen 
port%2012-9-11.jpg 

http://lists.dementix.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/View%20N%20Mapleview%201 
2-9-11.jpg