Back in the heyday of trolleys believe it or not in the community of
Carrick Pa. which became part of the city of Pittsburgh and is now its
29th ward and where I grew up before moving out of the city . It was the
law for trolley operators to stop and pick up a fireman along his
route if he was standing there in his fire gear and take him
intermediately to the closet stop where the fire was located.
Now
remember this was back in the early 1900's not everyone had a vehicle
and in fact horses where still being used for delivering milk etc.
So
it only made sense that this was and back then trolleys went everywhere
. You could board a trolley in Pittsburgh and by switching to various
trolly lines at one time be able to go all the way to Cleveland ,
Detroit even Chicago by trolley and rail line. Some trolley lines even
carried freight and even had special ambulance cars which got people to
hospitals.
Several other community's which had trolleys also are suppose to have had this law on there books as well.
You
can view more carrick trolley pictures and even read articles I wrote
on them as part of my Eagle scout project on history of carrick at
following link.
Because
this was the fastest way to get to a fire scene it was also the fastest
way to get away from a crime as well. and in City of Pittsburgh in
1960's an individual became famously known as the Commuter Bandit as he
would rob a bank then hop on a trolley to make his escape even back
then trolleys often had there own rights of way to get thru areas fast.
He was even charged with Robbing a bank in Carrick as well. Ironically a
friend of ,my dads who he worked with at J&L steel. His wife
Deloris worked at the grocery store where the commuter bandit was the
owner it turned out.
This
was a fascinating era now gone and only a hand full of towns still
have trolleys or street cars in use. most modernized and there are a
handful of museums like near Washington Pa. where you can still ride one
of these great old relics.
But
Pittsburgh Railways which ran the big net work of trolleys before it
was taken over by Allegheny county Transit authority known as PAT
Port authority transit. Still exists and was a one time big player in
the Alarm Business . They are still known today as Pittway that's right
the people who bought and expanded ADEMCO Alarm systems till they sold
out to Honeywell.
http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Pittway-Corporation-company-History.h
An Investigation and Inquiry into Unsolved Crimes, Mystery's , The Bizarre ,Macabre,Unusual and just strange events and unique properties and buildings which played a part in or that have occurred in Tri State Area
A most unusual work shop in a tunnel formed when railroad trestles where buried in slag in North Bessemer to protect them from Nazi sabotage ?
Yes hard to believe but during WWII many railroad trestles where buried in slag and such all the way up to the tracks to protect them from Nazi Saboteurs but we seem
We have a classic example near where I live where a double set of trestles was buried and the Plum Creek Railroad which ran underneath the trestles track section was made into a tunnel to allow it to keep operating out to the coal mines in Renton.
The twin trestles which where curved can be seen covered in slag in above picture and where of vital importance during WWII as they belonged to Andrew Carnegie's Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad which hauled Iron Ore down from ships which hauled it from iron ore mines in Minnesota as well as limestone and coal and other commodity needed to make steel from many locations along the line as it snaked north to Erie.
Seeing how impossible it would be to post guards everywhere along these tracks which had many trestles along them it was decided to bury them so Nazi saboteurs could not place explosives on them and knock them down which could take months to replace instead of a couple days when you just blew up tracks . While another explanation is the trestle where buried to strengthen the trestles to carry heavier loads but if this was the case why was the Allegheny river bridge not reinforced as well as other areas along route . Approach Trestles where also buried about a mile up from these near where a magnificent steel bridge goes over the Allegheny river in Harmarville as a way to help when the new bridge was built . and this bridge was guarded during WWII
Possibly the open sections under a concrete aqueduct which took the B&LE thru East Pittsburgh where also possibly filled in for same reason as where many smaller areas all along the route.
Thou the Steel mill activity in Pittsburgh has greatly decreased the B&LE is still an active railroad now owned by Canadian National Rail
Some additional pictures of trestle and burying of it
We have a classic example near where I live where a double set of trestles was buried and the Plum Creek Railroad which ran underneath the trestles track section was made into a tunnel to allow it to keep operating out to the coal mines in Renton.
Before trestle was buried |
After trestle was buried |
Seeing how impossible it would be to post guards everywhere along these tracks which had many trestles along them it was decided to bury them so Nazi saboteurs could not place explosives on them and knock them down which could take months to replace instead of a couple days when you just blew up tracks . While another explanation is the trestle where buried to strengthen the trestles to carry heavier loads but if this was the case why was the Allegheny river bridge not reinforced as well as other areas along route . Approach Trestles where also buried about a mile up from these near where a magnificent steel bridge goes over the Allegheny river in Harmarville as a way to help when the new bridge was built . and this bridge was guarded during WWII
Possibly the open sections under a concrete aqueduct which took the B&LE thru East Pittsburgh where also possibly filled in for same reason as where many smaller areas all along the route.
East Pittsburgh trestle you can see where openings where |
Thou the Steel mill activity in Pittsburgh has greatly decreased the B&LE is still an active railroad now owned by Canadian National Rail
However the Plum Creek branch stopped service service in early 60's and the abandoned railroad tunnel has now become the workshop for an older gentleman who runs several small oil wells in the area.
Now a 2nd man goes missing from the South Side of Pittsburgh Joesph Kamon 52 from Shaler Twp.
Its bad enough one young man missing from the south side area now a 2nd man 52 year old Joesph Kamon has disappeared
Photo credit WPXI web site |
Again just gone they found his truck in the south side near where he works.
This makes the 2nd man to disapear in south side and 3rd time in 2 years men in 40's and 50''s who have just disappeared and there trucks found .
Something very very wrong is going on over 20 some individual in past 3-4 years just up and totally vanished for no reason all over Western Pa.
Just what is going on a serial killer ? kidnappings ? or are they just not wanting to be found and have started new lives.
No wonder there has been an increase in number of people applying for gun permits.
All I can say is stay safe and be aware of your situation at all times. as Police try and figure out what is going on. and if you hav a tip call local police or 911.
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