[PRCo] PCC 1207 south tunnel portal cross over

[Phillip Clark Campbell]

Mr.Dietrich;  Thank you for your comments on dating.  From
reading emails in the archives and your website I know you
are familiar with the building.  I couldn't remember the details;
you clarified this nicely as well as rule out a late date.

Included is a photo of 1207 emerging from the tunnel;  look
closely and one can easily see the crossover.  Overhead
wire for same is very much intact.  Compare with the photo
taken from inside the tunnel and the match is striking, down
to the plank walkway across the tracks and the walkway
adjacent to the IB 44-line.  Time frame with a 1200 has to
be 1940 and later.

Please note that the plank walkway does not appear in other
photos prior to nor post-1940.  Mr.Lybarger suggests this
track layout allowed shutting down the outbound track for
maintenance.  This all fits.  Outbound cars taking the
crossover back to the outbound track can't activate the
track switch thus a switchman is needed to set the point.
The jct is extremely busy to allow walking the tracks to and
from the shanty so the walkway was built.  Once the work
was finished the crossover and walkway were removed.


The special work at the junction itself looks in very good
condition.  Some time later, 'maybe' coincident with the
tunnel work, this special work was converted to all 'street
girder' type;  note it is all open T-rail here.  The last photo
shows the special work diamonds from the latter 1950s
forward, possibly earlier.


Phil




________________________________
From: Phillip Clark Campbell <pcc_sr at yahoo.com>
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Sent: Sat, February 12, 2011 11:46:54 AM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Tunnel Picture

Mr.Schneider,
I wondered similarly but there are a number of items which
seem to contradict aren't there.  The crossover looks well 
beaten, not like one recently installed for temporary work.
Note the appearance of a wood plank walkway adjacent to
the inbound 44 tracks;  planks form a sidewalk to cross the
track as well.  Additionally, the inbound 44 tracks were
already removed and the switch was replaced with regular
rail.  Part if not all of the tunnel was already paved; this is
quite clearly open T-rail.  The mouth of the tunnel was rebuilt
as rectangular as well.  Here is a photo showing some
construction:
http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?14294
Car 1616 was redone as 1776 several years before 1976.
Here is a photo dated 1977 which suggest construction is finished:
http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?40050
That massive entrance for ventilation was in place in 1976 or 1975;
it drastically alters the appearance here and would certainly alter
the outline in a picture from within.  Here is another photo which
shows that construction well:
http://www.davesrailpix.com/pitts/htm/pitt124.htm

Car 3776 was painted like new for the 1976 celebrations; it
would seem to show better in a photo although the quality of
this photo is not the best.

I have seen other photos which confirm the wood plank walkway;
I am trying to find those.  These are taken from outside the tunnel.

Additionally this photo was discussed here before; included is a
larger photo which I saved from the Url attached to that email.  
The photo is in the archives for this list but I can't find it;
I changed the file name to suit the photo.  The discussion at the
time indicated this was the 1940s.

I doubt someone would 'concoct' or forge such a photo; what purpose
would it serve?


Phil



________________________________

________________________________

    * To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
    * Subject: [PRCo] Re: Tunnel Picture
    * From: Fred Schneider <fwschneider at comcast.net>
    * Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:08:28 -0500

Car 3756 was borrowed from the museum and operated for
perhaps a week downtown in the 1970s.    The tunnel was
single tracked for paving for the busway in April 1975
but the pictures I took show outbound cars on the inbound
track crossing back over to the normal outbound track
outside the mouth of the tunnel.   The link shows a
crossover inside the portal of the tunnel.  

Wonder if it is concocted?  



On Feb 10, 2011, at 11:33 PM, Ray wrote:

> Hello. I found this on webshots.  Can anyone elaborate on the
> possible year this is and what looks like a crossover before entering
> the tunnel?
> Thanks
> 
> Ray

________________________________

________________________________

http://lists.dementia.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/Inside-S-PortalSHJJones-1940s.jpg


      


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