[PRCo] Re: Cleveland

Wed May 23 19:13:09 EDT 2012

More or less. PATransit did use the tracks every so often for charters, but
those trips were far and few between.
On Wed, May 23, 2012 at 6:18 PM, Dwight Long <dwightlong at verizon.net> wrote:

>
> Herb
>
> Sorta like a franchise run, eh?
>
> Dwight
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Herb Brannon" <hrbran at cavtel.net>
> To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementix.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 5:40 PM
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Cleveland
>
>
> > Nothing, except that PATransit exercised it's right to operate over
> tracks
> > which it owned at the expense of the County Commissioners. There was
> > really
> > no need to keep those tracks.
> > On Wed, May 23, 2012 at 5:02 PM, Dwight Long <dwightlong at verizon.net>
> > wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> Herb
> >>
> >> What was the perceived advantage of that somewhat circuitous rerouting
> of
> >> 49?
> >>
> >> Dwight
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Herb Brannon" <hrbran at cavtel.net>
> >> To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementix.org>
> >> Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 2:16 PM
> >> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Cleveland
> >>
> >>
> >> >I worked in the Service, Rates & Planning Dept (SRP) as a Planning
> >> > Assistant. SRP is the planning and testing arm of the Operations
> >> Division.
> >> > The main planning area was called Long Range Planning and Development
> >> > and
> >> > was part of the Executive Management. Working in SRP was an
> interesting
> >> > and
> >> > fun job. Not as much fun as operating the buses and cars but
> >> > nonetheless
> >> > not bad at all.
> >> > One of the fun things I did was "vehicle to route testing".  When new
> >> > routes or methods of operation were proposed it was the job of SRP to
> >> > check
> >> > out the routing and the type vehicle selected to operate on the new
> >> > route
> >> > or service to make sure all clearances were OK, streets could be
> >> navigated
> >> > without too much trouble, passenger pick-up areas were safe, etc. This
> >> > testing also set the actual running times as opposed to the proposed
> >> > running times given in the original written proposal.  When a routing
> >> > was
> >> > to be tested we would call the division which would be operating the
> >> > service to set a date to begin testing. Local 85 of the ATU would be
> >> > notified as would the Instruction Department. The date would be set
> and
> >> > myself representing Service, Rates & Planning along with a Training
> >> > Instructor from the Instruction Dept, a representative of the
> >> > Amalgamated
> >> > Transit Union, and the operator of the vehicle would start the
> proposed
> >> > route from one end to the other then back again. We would all note
> >> > safety
> >> > concerns, traffic bottlenecks, parking problems, passenger
> >> > boarding/alighting  concerns,  proposed bus/car stops and any thing
> >> > else
> >> > we
> >> > saw. Over the next few days the same group would "time" the route
> >> > during
> >> > AM
> >> > Peak, Base Day, and PM Peak periods. Everyone then met, discussed the
> >> > items
> >> > and decided if the proposal was a yes or a no.
> >> >
> >> > Another thing I did was go to citizens groups to answer questions on
> >> > new
> >> > or
> >> > existing service. These were mostly church groups and they complained
> a
> >> > lot. A much better audience I confronted were  the students at the
> >> > Boyce
> >> > Campus of Allegheny County Community College. Myself and another guy,
> >> > (Arthur Carter) who began working in SRP when I did, went to ACC on
> >> > several
> >> > occasions to talk with students on the new services PATransit was
> >> > instituting to that campus.
> >> >
> >> > I worked on one streetcar routing change. That was sending the
> >> > 49-Arlington
> >> > Warrington on a new Sunday/Holiday downtown loop. The normal 49 loop
> >> > was
> >> > Ft. Pitt, Grant, Liberty, Wood, Ft. Pitt. We tested and, for a short
> >> time,
> >> > put into service Smithfield, 4th, Ross, Forbes, Grant, Liberty, Wood,
> >> > Ft.
> >> > Pitt. It lasted a few months until bus drivers coming inbound on
> Forbes
> >> > claimed the streetcar sitting on Forbes near Grant caused a safety
> >> problem
> >> > since they had to squeeze by between the curb and the trolley.
> >> >
> >> > There was lots and lots of  not so glamorous work such as checking new
> >> > timetable master sheets for accuracy, checking maps for accuracy,
> being
> >> > a
> >> > "go-fer", running things back and forth between SRP and the operating
> >> > divisions, etc.
> >> >
> >> > Like I said it was fun but not near as much fun as pressing down on
> the
> >> > power pedal of a 1700 series PCC and feeling the car pick up speed on
> >> > the
> >> > right of way.
> >> >
> >> > On Tue, May 22, 2012 at 10:45 AM, Phillip Clark Campbell
> >> > <pcc_sr at yahoo.com>wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> Mr.Brashear,
> >> >> I should have written "Cleveland and CVSR are growing."
> >> >> It is very impressive; considering the times and the
> >> >> economy, it is even much more impressive.  Mr.Brannon's
> >> >> enthusiasm is subtle but very clear.  It is nice to take part
> >> >> in positive growth.  I wish Cleveland, CVSR and you
> >> >> continued success Mr.Brannon.
> >> >>
> >> >> I was reading through old list emails.  You wrote you worked in the
> >> >> Planning department of Pat.  Could you please detail some of
> >> >> your experiences and the challenges you faced and how they
> >> >> were resolved?
> >> >>
> >> >> Your writing recently is riveting, very well organized with very good
> >> >> information.  You seem to have many good resources and use
> >> >> them well.  Thank you for your efforts.  You seemed very quiet
> >> >> when I was reading the
> >> >>  archives.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Phil
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> My apologies Mr.Brashear.  Yahoo extends the quote area below;
> >> >> I am not able to respond below your comment to follow your example.
> >> >> There isa way to trick the computer but I forget what it is at this
> >> >> moment.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> >________________________________
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 11:44 AM, Phillip Clark Campbell
> >> >> ><pcc_sr at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >> >> >> This is a very impressive resume of the CVSR Mr.Brannon.  It is
> >> >> >> very much in line with the current Cleveland transit system.  They
> >> >> >> seem
> >> >> >> to not only counter trends in other cities where massive cutbacks
> >> >> >> are
> >> >> >> the rule but Cleveland and Ohio are growing.  They seem to be
> >> >> >> systems to emulate.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >From: Derrick Brashear <shadow at gmail.com>
> >> >> >To: pittsburgh-railways at dementix.org
> >> >> >Sent: Monday, May 21, 2012 10:48 AM
> >> >> >Subject: [PRCo] Re: East Broad Top Railroad won't run this summer |
> >> News
> >> >> | CentreDaily.com
> >> >> >
> >> >> >Cleveland, yes. Ohio? Well, it seems like transit in Ohio is all the
> >> >> >3
> >> >> >Cs (basically, the places I'd be willing to live)
> >> >> >and the rest of it is "hey, can we put another road to some new
> >> >> >suburban development?"
> >> >> >
> >> >> >--
> >> >> >Derrick
> >> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > Herb Brannon
> >> > In Cuyahoga Valley National Park
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > Herb Brannon
> > In Cuyahoga Valley National Park
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>

-- 
Herb Brannon
In Cuyahoga Valley National Park