[PRCo] PRC Route Abandonment Table

[Dwight Long]

Herb

I’ve reviewed the table you attached to your email on this subject against information I have in file, which is based on contemporaneous data from John Baxter.  My file only goes up to August of 1963, however, so without further research I cannot comment on the routes that PAAC axed after that date. Also, it does not start until 1942, so I cannot verify most of the earlier abandonment dates.

The table you provided is mostly accurate.  There are a few minor differences, which I list below, showing the dates in my records:

D Donora Local line—1953-05-16
W-4 East and West—1953-05-02 west end abandoned.  Your date is correct for east end.
12 Evergreen—1953-12-05
23 Sewickley—1952-06-21 cut back to Graham Loop on Neville Island.  Your date is correct for balance of route
24 Schoenville—1952-05-08 (obviously a typo—yours or mine?)
38A Castle Shannon-Mt.Lebanon—1953-01-02 was the end date for this as a separately operated route.  Rt 38 and 42/38 had certain trips extended over 38A after this date, and cars feeding on or off route for W, C, L and Dr continued to use the route as required
77/54—North Side-Carrick via Bloomfield—the date you show must be for the last remnant of the line’s abandonment, as the Carrick portion ended on 1963-07-08 with the line’s cutback to Seneca Street in Oakland.

A further comment:  While it is true that neither the Black Diamond-Donora Shuttle nor the Mon City (actually Riverview)-Donora lines operated into the Triangle, there was a period when through cars to Donora DID operate to and from the Triangle.  This service was operated with 3750 series cars at its end, which turned on the wye at the Donora station, rather than going to the south end of the Donora line. This service was terminated on 1925-02-22

In like manner, Trafford cars at one time operated into the Triangle. This route was  called Trafford Express or Trafford City Express;  it commenced 1911-12-26, and may have used the route number 63 (some PRC route numbers were recycled!). The through route was a Depression casualty, ending in 1931 (I don’t have exact date). I believe Rt 29 Thornburg also at one time operated through cars into the Triangle. Until 1952-01-13 Rt 21 Fineview cars did not operate into the Triangle, and until 1947-04-28 Rt 28 Heidelburg did not operate into the Triangle, being a DE shuttle from Carnegie.

At the opposite pole, Rt 24 Schoenville, at least after the demise of the O’Donovan Bridge in 1920, not only did not operate into the Triangle but also was completely isolated from the rest of the system.  A single car provided service, and was maintained at a pit at the east end of the line, adjacent to the P&LE Seven Day Bridge.

Rt 47 only lost its destination sign on 1968-03-29.  It then became signed as 53-Carrick and that route ceased to operate down South 18th Street and over the Tenth Street Bridge in favor of the Rt 47 route.

Hope this is helpful.

Best holiday wishes to all!

Dwight