Pittsburgh Railways

[daveklepper]

Schoenville Shuttle, 1947

 

 

 

[daveklepper]

Edward H. Lybarger	Tue, Nov 16, 7:31 PM (18 hours ago)

There was only one car on PRC Route 24 Schoenville, and it was 4344.  The line was disconnected from the rest of the system and when 24 was abandoned the car was scrapped in place.

 

[rcdrye]

There was a pit at one end of the line for motor maintenance.  The photo was taken at Nichols and Ohio St in Schoenville.  The thing across the track is a wheel stop as the line ends at the bottom border of the picture.

https://historicpittsburgh.org/islandora/object/pitt:401-4344-02-13 

[daveklepper]

Thanks.  More information from Ed:

 

Schoenville was a shuttle route beginning in August 1905 and ending May 24, 1952.  That it was labeled Route 24 did not mean it went Downtown.  Originally it connected with Routes 25 and 26 at the McKees Rocks line over a structure known as O’Donovan’s Bridge, but that viaduct had many structural issues and according to the company route card was closed to all traffic beginning January 26, 1920.  It reopened October 14, 1921 without rails or overhead wires.  The route was isolated until its abandonment, though PRC dragged cars across the P&LE RR tracks to get them on/off line on a couple occasions.

 

 

 

 

 

The 88 sign reads Frankstown (Short).  Originally Frankstown cars ran to Swissvale and Franklin in Wilkinsburg, with alternate “short” cars turning at Tioga Loop.  On November 30, 1928, the Wilkinsburg service was discontinued and the regular cars ran to Tioga Loop, with “short” cars turning back at Homewood Car House.   (from Ed)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1255 is at Sewickley Loop  (from Ed)

 

[daveklepper]

I visited the website rc posted.  Frank Fairbanks passed on about twelve years ago.  We kept up correspondence after my move to Israel.  He lived in a suburb near Pittsburgh.  He was one year ahead of me at MIT.  We did a lot of railfanning together.  We were members of MIT's Railroad Club, and poassibly he was in the Tech Model RR Club as well.

He also was in ROTC.

[Overmod]

daveklepper

Schoenville Shuttle, 1947

What is that thing he's carrying?  Upright vacuum for car-cleaning?  Golf bag, with periscope for finding balls in water hazards or saxophone?  Portable oxygen assist for smoggy days?

[mvlandsw]

Golf bag with umbrella?

[daveklepper]

Same conclusion.

3765, June 1947,  is probasbly on its way from Homewood Shops to its regular route via the Mt. Washington Tunnel, not usually scene at 11th and Liberty, near the PRR Station.  Anyone able to tell me what synagogue or yeshava is  or was nearby, with the near and far groups of men on the right apparently wearing yarmulkas?

:

 

[daveklepper]

Fine View Line     Photo locations chosen by John Stern                   

 

 

 

[pennytrains]

I think I've seen a film of that line.

[daveklepper]

Was not the film laterm with PCCs and not deck-roofs?

My photos were from June, 1949, when the last 1700-series PCCs were still being delivered.

[daveklepper]

And one more:

[pennytrains]

If it's the one I'm thinking of, it was in an episode of Modern Marvels on streetcars.  The film showed one car following another up a twisty line.

[rcdrye]

21 Fineview was one way up hill with a short section of 12.24% grade on Henderson St., cars sharing track with 8 Perryville to go back downtown once the uphill run was done.  Pittsburgh Rys. had a series of PCCs (part of the 1600 series) with special gearing and brakes for 21 Fineview.  Needless to say, it was not directly replaced by a bus route when it was discontinued in 1965.

[daveklepper]

Of the latest group of city PCCs.  Rich Allman contributed to this photo's restoration:

[daveklepper]

More Pittsburgh

 

[rcdrye]

The 99 car is a short-turn Evans Ave car on part of the 98 Glassport on the southwest edge of McKeesport.  The 8 Perryville car is at the Keating car house on the North Side.

[daveklepper]

Thanks, RC

[daveklepper]

1600 was Pittsbrgh's first standee-windows car, but the rest of the 1600s had the pre WWII body dedihm.

1600 was the sample standee-wtdow car. unlike the uther 1600s:

 

 

[rcdrye]

1600 was also all-electric (by Westinghouse), the first PCC car of the type.  The rest of the 1600 series were air-electric, 1601-1674 equipped by Westinghouse, 1675-1699 by GE. The 1700 series were also all-electric, same 75-25 split on electrical equipment.

[MidlandMike]

Does air-electric vs. all-electric refer to the type of brake system?

[daveklepper]

brakes and door-motors.   All-electrics had (have) extended dynamic-braking range, down to four miles-per-hour, below which speed the same mechanical brake as the parking brake effected the final stop.   All-electrics  did not have (do not have) air-compressors.  But like air-electrics, they also have magnetic track-brakes.

The all-electric concept in North America was probably pioneered  by the West Penn center-door interurban cars, with magnetic track-brakes, regenerative braking, and hand-brakes.

I believe all currently operating San Francisco and Kenosha PCCs are all-electric.  Any thst were air-electric were modernized to all-electric in Brookfield's rebuilding.

But I think Boston's Mattapan - Ashmont fleet remain air-electric, as original.

Richard Allmen assisted in the 1600 photo's corrections.

[mvlandsw]

How do the electric brakes work if the pole comes off of the overhead wire?

[rcdrye]

Both air-electric and all-electric PCCs have batteries.  There's a motor-generator to charge them.  Air-electrics use dyamic braking just like all-electric PCCs down to 4 MPH, but use air for the final brake application.

Pittsburgh's 1600 series (except 1600 itself) were the last production air-electric PCCs.  Boston special-ordered a series of air-electric cars (after receiving one series of all-electric PCCs) because air-electric and all-electric cars can't operate in MU, even if both have couplers. Both types operated in trains in Boston.  The all-electric ones were retired as soon as the Boeing LRVs were in service, as they were "orphans."

[daveklepper]

Boston's 25 all-electrics were delivered without MU, intended for City Point - North Station vua Subway and City Point - Dudley (mainly off-peak there) which very rarely had any train operation.  The opening of the Riverside Line created a system-wide need for MU PCCs and the conversion of the City Point lines to all-surface diesel-bus resulted in all-electric MU technology being applied to these 25 all-electric standee-window cars.

[daveklepper]

Two photos at the Northside Pittsburgh Carhousr, Jine, 1949:

[daveklepper]

And back at South Hills Junction: