Weakly Reporting

  Port Authority Transit Differential Dump car M551 emerges from the PTM Shop     January 22 was the date of the big switch-aroo that brought M551 to the Founders building track 11 far rear and moved the Rio open car 1758 to the shop for installation of the 2 GE 247D motors, rebuilt by Artie Ellis and the removal of the other 2 motors.  Dave Moffett did the hosteling work using GE 25 tonner 89.  M551 is currently inoperable, hope that changes before we start the Founders’ Barn insulation project, which the board approved on the 22nd.  The car has 2 motors that aren’t working and Fred is currently puzzling over it.  I was there taking photos because Denny had come to town for the meeting and wanted to discuss the work by the electrician before he arrived to review things with us.   I will be there for the work to get equipment moved for the work and hope that there isn’t a dead car that requires towin...

Going Downtown for Hometown HiQ   Car laying over at Shannon on the 42/38 line Saturday 1-11 we went downtown to KDKA to support Sarah and her team at the taping of Hometown HiQ television program.  The show will air on Saturday February 15.  We got on the Library car at Simmons Loop aroiund 8:30 and arrived downtown around 9:30.  We had time to get some McDs stuff near Gateway Station before walking over to KDKA in Gateway Center.  Along the way we traveled over the top via Warrington and Arlington Avenues.  I shot some photos out the window.   Airport Flyer bus unloads after coming through the Ft. Pitt Tunnel We rode outbound on the 42/38 to Shannon and then walked the crooked path and new ramp to the Willow Station where we caught the car back to Library.  We invested $14 in the Port Authority at the beginning of our journey.  I bought a couple of day passes as they no longer accept Medicare cards...

Inspecting M551  and the body of C132 C145 was parked out behind the Junction Admin Building South Hills Junction Admin M551 loaded and ready to depart for Arden  C132 loaded and ready for the trip south

 When Sarah was a tiny baby we plunked her in the baby seat and drove our Rabbit diesel to the South Hills because we heard that Port Authority was ferrying dead cars from the Tunnel Car House to the new facility at South Hills Village.  The processing date on the back of these photos is February 1984.  This is just before the Museum acquired dump car M551 currently being renewed in the PTM shop.  I have photos of that too in this album so look for those photos in upcoming posts.   What you see in this group are dead cars (1780), the only of the 3 "double end" car to remain with it's original PCC front end.  1781 met an ugly fate at the Brookside #2 trestle as shown and 1779 also ended up wrecked?  I know 1976 went to Buckeye Lake in Ohio, I don't think 1779 is there though. This photo is one of a group I got from an anonymous source.  There are several, none much clearer than this one.    ...

December 31  I took the above photo showing the steel poles after they were set by Kevin, Jeff, Michael and Larry.   January 2 the gang was back with the addition of George G.  They placed the concrete in the holes that will help keep the poles in place.