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Pittsburgh Railways
OnLine

History - Page 4

A Trolley Car Tragedy
After three years of litigation, county-operated Port Authority Transit acquired the anemic Pittsburgh Railways Company (PRC) in 1964 for $14.2 million and 5 percent interest. Charged with a mandate to unify and rationalize public transit services in the region, PAT was empowered by Pennsylvania state legislation to acquire those transit operators earning a minimum 80 percent of their revenues within Allegheny County.

Two operators pose with their PCCs on Route 73, somewhere above Fifth Avenue. The Highland cars would be supplanted by buses in January 1967, one of PAT's fell swoop of East End abandonments. R.H. Photo, Ken Josephson Collection.

PRC was the key piece of the puzzle, but PAT also spent $12 million buying out the region's 30 independent bus companies and two incline companies. The plan succeeded insofar as an integrated, comprehensive bus system was created. Services previously provided by 38 carhouses, shops and garages were consolidated into six divisions. Thirty-three separate fare structures were merged to form PAT's new zone fare system.

Trolleys were to have a greatly diminished role under PAT ownership. In fact, some PAT officials made it perfectly clear that they would gladly be rid of streetcars altogether. In truth, the process of retrenchment had actually begun under PRC, however. PRC's all-time fleet of 666 PCC cars had been reduced to 606 cars by 1959 through route and car abandonments pursued by PRC officials.

1960
DATE
94 AspinwallNov. 12
95 Butler StreetNov. 12
96 E. Liberty-62ndSt.Nov. 12
1961
DATE
7 Charles StreetSept. 1
18 Woods RunNov. 11
19 Western Ave.Nov. 11
1962
DATE
62 E. Pgh.-TraffordMay 2
1963
DATE
38 Mt. LebanonMay 25
98 Glassport-Pirl St.Aug. 3
56 McKeesport via 2nd Ave.Aug. 31
56a Lincoln Place via 2nd Ave.Aug. 31

1769 pauses along Forbes Avenue below Craig. R.H. Photo, Ken Josephson Collection.

When PAT took over in 1964, only 399 cars remained, of which PAT selectively acquired only 283. But PAT seemed determined to finish the deed. The years 1964-1967 witnessed mass abadonments of cars and routes. Pittsburgh's vast network of street-running routes was all but dead after January 27, 1967, when the East End lines were abandoned.

1964
DATE
22 CrosstownJuly 4
55 E. Pgh. via HomesteadJuly 4
55a Munhall via HomesteadJuly 4
57 GlenwoodJuly 4
58 GreenfieldJuly 4
1965
DATE
8 Perrysville Ave.Sept. 4
10 West View-BellevueSept. 4
11 East St.Sept. 4
15 Bellevue-West ViewSept. 4
65 Munhall-Lincoln PlaceSept. 4
77/54 North Side-Carrick via BloomfieldSept. 4
1966
DATE
85 BedfordJan. 26
50 Carson St.Feb. 26
6 Brighton RoadApr. 30
21 FineviewApr. 30
14 AvalonApr. 30
39 BrooklineSept. 3
40 Mount WashingtonSept. 3
13 EmsworthDec. 30
1967
DATE
64 East Pgh.Jan. 27
66 Wilkinsburg via Forbes Ave.Jan. 27
67 BraddockJan. 27
71 NegleyJan. 27
73 HighlandJan. 27
75 Wilkinsburg via E. LibertyJan. 27
76 Wilkinsburg (Jane St.)Jan. 27
82 LincolnJan. 27
87 ArdmoreJan. 27
88 FrankstownJan. 27
Air PCC 1455 and an unidentified sister, in PAT gray, meet their fate. Roger DuPuis Collection; photographer unknown.

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