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Reply to "Random Photos of Trolley Cars"

jim pastorius posted:

I see a "Flying Fraction" PCC car crossing the Smithfield st. bridge in Pgh. Rode that a few times !!

Hi Jim:

I believe that route 77/54 Northside-Carrick via Bloomfield was the original “Flying Fraction” made famous by KDKA radio personality Rege Cordic back in the 1950’s.  See the attached pdf file.  That route didn’t cross the Smithfield Street Bridge as it crossed the Mon on the 22nd Street Bridge on its way from Carrick to Oakland and then also crossed the Allegheny on the 16th Street Bridge on its way from Oakland to the North Side.  As a kid living in Carrick I rode that route many times to baseball games at Forbes Field and to go to the Carnegie Museum or other attractions in Oakland.  This route was discontinued in 1965. 

However, Bobby’s photo you are referring to above is a car on route 42/38 Mt. Lebanon/Beechview.  This route was a much “newer” route created by combining parts of the former 42 Dormont and 38 Mt. Lebanon routes.  This was one of the last surviving PAT streetcar routes and likely the only one that remained which had a fractional route number so I can see why it may have been considered a later version “Flying Fraction”.

Bill

Member, Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

 

Attachments

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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