[PRCo] West Carson Street curves

[George W. Gula]

Ingram at one time was the scrapping location of choice and Tunnel car house
offered a lot of storage room for cars awaiting the scrapper's torch. Since
Pittsburgh Railways moved shop cars to and from Homewood using a tow car, it
is possible that they would also move cars to the scrap pile via the same
way. And if that was the case, they would want to keep a two-car train,
including an inoperable car, out of downtown altogether away from traffic
and from the possibility of an accident tying up paying service. The tow-car
was a picked union job and I doubt that PRCo or the operators would violate
it by running a group of cars to Ingram together and ferrying the operators
back. Even if they had, I doubt that PRCo would want this parade going
through downtown. 
By 1949, PRCo would have known of the rebuilding of East Ohio Street, which
sealed the fate of the Millvale and Etna lines, and in its bankruptcy would
have been contemplating cost reductions. The as now, the closing of the
smaller car houses would have been a distinct discussion topic. These
closures would have required the relocation of cars and the scrapping of
others. The construction of new curves gave the PRCo additional flexibility
while keeping non-revenue moves in downtown to a minimum.
At that time downtown was an extremely congested area and the city would
have frowned at all but essential non-revenue moves there. That was always a
sore spot with the city when I worked in PAT's Operations and Schedules
Departments and still is today with the regular service.

George Gula