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Pittsburgh Railways OnLine |
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Post-War WondersDistinctive cosmetic improvements included, 30 degree sloped windshields, redesigned side windows, supplementary standee windows* and a gracefully domed ceiling Improved ventilation was provided by three high-capacity fans concealed beneath a large roof duct, which also provided forced ventilitation of the traction motors. This feature also was tested on air-car 1630, but was subsequently removed. Aside from the fan duct, the Queen Mary bore a strong resemblance to the 1947 PCCs operated by the Johnstown Traction Company, 65 miles to the east.
Queen Mary was remarkable not for its aesthetic qualities, however, but for its evolved technical design which replaced air-electric components with all-electric operation. The 1600 was equipped with dynamic electric brakes, and a beefed-up Westinghouse accelerator in which circuit breakers replaced old-style fuses. Its force-ventilated Westinghouse 1432J motors were mounted on the ubiquitous Clark B-2 trucks. The carbody superstructure was stronger than earlier models, with additional cushioning to minimize body jerk.
The Queen Mary's design characteristics were widely adopted in forthcoming post-war orders, though its forced-air roof ventilation system impressed few buyers. PRCo apparently was pleased with the experiment, and all-electric cars 1700-1799 came equipped with the new body style and the overhead fan system. Unlike 1600, the 1700s came with sealed passenger windows, which were thought to maximize performance of the fans. This arrangement--no match for Pittsburgh's hot, humid summers--remained a part of the cars right to the end, to the chagrin of riders and operators alike.
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| All-electric PCC 1766 grinds uphill on Route 85 Bedford. This car is one of 75 configured for city operation. R.H. photo; Ken Josephson Collection. |
Complementary interurban modifications were roof-mounted headlights, large railway-style pilots, emergency kits and air whistles. The cars also featured a catenary-borne FM communication system known as trolleyphone. This and the emergency kits were discontinued in 1953 when PRCo's two interurbans were cut back to the Allegheny County line. The heavy steel pilots and roof lights remained on some trams (including 4000 series rebuilds) until their last days.
The Queen Mary, said to be erratic and trouble-plagued, was lost in the Homewood Shops fire of 1955. The 1700 series, pride of the fleet, served Pittsburghers long and well. The last un-rebuilt member of the class left Pittsburgh rails in 1998, while the last 4000 series rebuilds (constructed in the 1980s with parts from 1700s) operated until 1999 and remained in storage on PAT rails as this was written in Summer 2000.
