[PRCo] Re: Making sense of the PRC assignments....

[Phillip Clark Campbell]

Mr.Long,


I beg to differ.  The 2-turns from Tunnel to and from W.Carson were
not added until some time after WW2 so the cars had to go into
downtown first didn't they.  These tracks came very late in the game;
not long after they were added the need for the 3750s diminished
significantly because all PCCs were delivered.  PCCs did not have
the left door obviously; what Prc thought about the need for this is
not known is it.  Here is a photo:
http://www.davesrailpix.com/pitts/htm/bvp013.htm


I thought the turns were added by 1947 but I have some photos in
June-1947 revealing this is not the case.  The 2-turns may have been
installed as late as 1948.  I have seen ridership statistics which
reveal a peak in 1947; it seems foresight of the day thought these
2-turns would be valuable.  Almost as soon as they were installed
they became obsolete didn't they.  Here is the crossover where the
32-line changed ends to and from route; this is not possible with the
3750s is it:
http://www.davesrailpix.com/pitts/htm/bvp003.htm



Mr.Swindler has already mentioned this aspect we have overlooked.
Ingram was not a large facility; in these days many of the cars were
scrapped by burning at Ingram weren't they.  Pictures are available
of many low-floor
 cars, Interurbans, even 3556 at Ingram under
the torch. 
 Storage space for equipment might not be sufficient for
all needs until after scrapping ceased here.  By that time, even PCCs
were excess to needs.  I have seen some photos showing the cars
burning; these do not:
http://www.davesrailpix.com/pitts/htm/bvp126.htm

http://www.davesrailpix.com/pitts/htm/bvp127.htm




W.Carson tracks remained until closure of West End didn't they.


 
Phil



________________________________
 From: Dwight Long <dwightlong at verizon.net>
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementix.org 
Sent: Saturday, February 18, 2012 4:46 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Making sense of the PRC assignments....
 
Phil

See my earlier response on this issue.  
Stem times from Tunnel to Rt. 23 were either favorable as opposed to 
Ingram or about the same with better operating characteristics.  
Until the tracks on Rt. 32 were torn up, it was NOT circuitous to 
feed cars on and off Rt. 23 from Tunnel.  By the time the 
West Carson Street tracks were removed (after Rt. 32 ended),
 Rt. 23 was already gone.

At any rate, 3750s were not needed on Rt. 23
by the time frame under consideration.

Dwight

From: Phillip Clark Campbell 
Sent: Saturday, 18 February, 2012 11:29
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementix.org 
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Making sense of the PRC assignments....
My apologies, Mr.Swindler, I hit the reply too
 soon. 
 Yes!  Low-
3750s had the door; this is already identified.
The 3750s could be used as
 trippers to the Neville Island Loop
couldn't they; many other lines had short turn trippers for rush
hour service.  The 13 had the 14, 42 had 43, 56 had the 56A,
88 had the 'short.'  Apparently some cars "turned" using the
cross-over where the loop was constructed for the 25-line.

I too have often wondered about the 3750s being based at SHJ.
How did the cars get to and from route?  That would be circuitous
and add much off-route trackage and even more time as it all
occurs in downtown.

It is also interesting to note that the 2-turns from the tunnel to
W.Carson Street were added after the war, presumably for the
Neville Island route which also helped the 32-line.  Ridership
reached its peak in 1947, well after the war, and a down trend
could not be identified until consecutive years show less
patronage.  We have the "advantage" of hind sight don't we;
Prc did
 not.



Phil