[PRCo] Definitions/Classifications/Semantics, etc.

[Ken and Tracie]

Herb, this reminds me of a comment George Krambles once made. He referred to 
the Skokie Swift as being "the start of the light rail movement in the 
United States", though that may not be the exact wording. But he did call it 
"light rail."

So if one takes a truncated section of heavy interurban line and operates 
it, using  lightweight heavy rail equipment, what is it?

I.M.O., it is heavy rail, as the first five miles of the Skokie Valley Route 
was used by rapid Transit trains from 1925 until 1948, and then again, 
starting in April, 1964.

Funny how technology can blur definitions. But traction has always been like 
that.

K.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Herb Brannon" <hrbran at cavtel.net>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 5:40 AM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: The Rest of the World -Electric Rails - Britain


>I was actually shocked and somewhat embarrassed (for the training
> instructor) during my light-rail/heavy-rail  training at Greater Cleveland
> Regional Transit Authority (CGRTA). One morning, while my training group 
> was
> preparing a "light rail" Breda car to go out of the yard the instructor, 
> out
> of the clear blue, said, "...I don't know why they call these (Breda) cars
> light rail, they actually weigh more than the Red Line (heavy rail) cars." 
> I
> knew then that this was going to be an "interesting" training day. As far 
> as
> I know she is still a permanent part of the Rail Instruction Department at
> GCRTA.