[PRCo] PRC Interurban Service early 1950s

Thu Sep 4 12:45:39 EDT 2014

Here is the story of Simmons Loop and its opening to service.  The loop WAS constructed prior to the end of service on Rt. C early Sunday morning 28 June 1953.  It was built such that the curve out of the loop leading to the northbound main line was laid UNDER the southbound main track.  Just a few hours were needed later that Sunday for crews to cut the southbound main and put the loop into use.

As to the question of when Rt. 37 became rush hour only,  the reference I was seeking is in ERA Electric Railroads No. 20, published in July 1952, which was authored by John Baxter.  He states:  “A local service sharing the trackage out of Pittsburgh with the interurbans began operation to Fair Haven (Frederick Street) in 1916, extended later to Shannon, then to Library in 1924.  Restrictions in riding interurbans locally in this area became effective from time to time from 1916 to the fall of 1951 when Route 37-Shannon service was eliminated during the off peak hours.”  After that rush hour interurbans carried a small sign in the front window stating something like “first stop Frederick Street” (I don’t recall the exact wording).  Operators were supposed to use the roll signs for the route WITHOUT the Shannon prefix, i.e. “Charleroi” instead of “Shannon-Charleroi,”  but human nature being what it is I have no idea how often this nicety was observed.  More reliance, I assume, was placed upon the normals’ knowing the drill and staying off the interurbans in rush hours if they were destined to points short of Frederick Street.

The same reference confirms that the diversionary route for the interurbans was indeed Rt. 38 on West Liberty Avenue and not through Beechview on Rt. 42 as I had remembered.  Chalk it up to lapse in old age memory—I was wrong.

The date of the last run on the W line was the night of 29 August 1953.  It was run with an operator named Brill but with a car (1711, now at Arden) built by St. Louis!  The “farewell” trip operated by PERC was on 23 August 1953.  Is there anyone else but me on this list who partook?

So there you have it.

Dwight

From: Dwight Long 
Sent: Thursday, 04 September, 2014 00:08
To: Western PA Trolley discussion 
Subject: Re: [PRCo] Fwd: Re: Why was the Drake Loop Built?

My recollection is that Simmons was already built when Charleroi Crumped, and that PRC forces were out there the next day cutting off the main line and cutting in the loop.  I believe this is recorded somewhere--probably in ERA Headlights.

Dwight
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: D Brashear 
  To: Western PA Trolley discussion 
  Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2014 11:12 PM
  Subject: [PRCo] Fwd: Re: Why was the Drake Loop Built?

  Note also this pic from the archive:
  http://lists.dementix.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/03-Track%20Drake%20Loop%20Construct%201953xxxx%2001.jpg

  ---------- Forwarded message ----------
  From: Edward H. Lybarger <trams2 at comcast.net>
  Date: Thu, Dec 14, 2006 at 7:44 PM
  Subject: [PRCo] Re: Why was the Drake Loop Built?
  To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org

  Walther Wye opened April 20, 1953.  Simmons Loop opened June 29, 1953 (so
  for nine days all cars turned at (West) Library.  Drake Loop was placed in
  service September 25, 1953.

  -----Original Message-----
  From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
  [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of Fred
  Schneider
  Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2006 5:13 PM
  To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
  Subject: [PRCo] Re: Why was the Drake Loop Built?

  I'm not sure if you understand the sequence here Dennis.   PRC built
  a wye at Walther stop in March of 1953 and in April they reduced
  service beyond that wye to every hour.   Service was provided as far
  as Walther (Drake Wye) every 30 minutes.     (At the same schedule
  change, Charleroi cars went to half hourly to West Library Loop at
  hourly beyond West Library.)    Then the loop was constructed under
  the viaduct at Drake stop.   Ed might have the exact date that the
  loop opened but I think it might have been shortly after the August
  29, 1953 abandonment of the Washington service ... perhaps all cars
  turned back at Drake Wye for a brief period.

  I'm also not clear when Simmons loop opened.   I know Charleroi
  service ended in June 1953 and I have a color slide of a Library car
  in the Simmons loop on August 29, 1953. Therefore, if there was a
  period when all cars turned at West Library, it was not for longer
  than two months.

  Write me personally and tell me about that first semester.....

  On Dec 14, 2006, at 4:48 PM, DF Cramer wrote:

  > Does it also not make sense that the company could build a loop and
  > keep
  > other service going at the same time?When it was time to cutback
  > service,
  > the loop was already in place and ready to be utilized.
  >
  > Yes, I am home and the first semester of school is complete.
  >
  > Dennis F. Cramer
  > Teacher-Trombonist-Historian-Conductor
  > http://www.geocities.com/df_cramer
  >
  >
  >

  -- 
  Daria

  -------------- next part --------------
  An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
  URL: http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20140903/e3f862c8/attachment.html 
  _______________________________________________
  Pittsburgh-railways mailing list
  Pittsburgh-railways at mailman.dementix.org
  https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20140904/64c35701/attachment.html 
_______________________________________________
Pittsburgh-railways mailing list
Pittsburgh-railways at mailman.dementix.org
https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20140904/f76516ec/attachment.html 