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

[John Swindler]

I checked some of the Pittsburgh digital history maps, and yes, the curves are NOT there south to west at Smithfield and Carson.  Very strange.
 
Can I go back to the beginning of this discussion?  What was the source for 23 operating out of Tunnel??  The route card???  And what exactly does it say concerning car barn assignments??
 
 
 
 

 

> Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 05:17:33 -0800
> From: pcc_sr at yahoo.com
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Making sense of the PRC assignments....
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementix.org
> 
> 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
> 
>