Pittsburgh Commuter Service

[Statkowski]

Circa 1957, what ran where?

[ExCon90]

The March 1959 Official Guide shows the following (in each direction, Mon-Fri except as shown):
Derry -- 4, incl. 1 Sat., plus 4 to North Trafford, plus 1 eastbound to Braddock, no wb counterpart (one of the Derrys was nonstop Irwin to E. LIberty in the am, E. Lib. to Larimer in the pm) Included in the North Traffords were 2 wb in the am and 1 eb in the pm.
Kiskiminetas Jct. via Allegheny Valley -- 1
Kiski Jct. via Conemaugh -- 1
Beaver Falls -- 2, incl. 1 Sat
Burgettstown -- 2, incl. 1 Sat
Elrama -- 1
I lived in Pgh. in 1962, and that was all still running then, except perhaps some of the North Traffords.

[Statkowski]

Thanks. For the Pittsburgh Division, not quite to Kittanning, on both sides of the river, not quite to Blairsville, and not at all to Saltsburg.

They could probably use something like that today, but the tax base isn't there to support it.

[ExCon90]

I don't know whether the political will is there. Also, I'm enough out of touch nowadays not to know whether the employment base downtown is there either, considering all the fallen-flag corporate headquarters that were there in the -50s and -60s. When I worked there, U. S. Steel was widely referred to as "The Corporation," and nobody had to ask what corporation? even though there were a few other biggies. I have read of some talk of reviving a commuter service on the Allegheny Valley, but I haven't heard of any progress.

[2nd trick op]

The Pittsburgh of the present day is much more a "city of offices" than was the case back in the days of Big Steel. And it's worth remembering that while the mills had large payrolls, the work force in those mills often lived nearby.

Hence, the Pittsburgh "commuter" service was geared much more toward people making occasional day-trips into and out of the city than regular Monday-Friday commutes.

[Otto Vondrak]

I just picked up a PRR schedule from 1964, from what I believe was the last year of service? You can view it here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ottomatic77/4941362173/

-otto-

[jaygee]

Thanks for posting that PGH. passenger timetable. Not sure, but I can't ever remember seeing one before.
Pretty neat stuff, if you ask me!

[ExCon90]

I just picked up a PRR schedule from 1964, from what I believe was the last year of service? You can view it here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ottomatic77/4941362173/

-otto-

According to the chronology on the PRRT&HS website, a termination date for the Pittsburgh commuter service was announced on Aug. 8, 1964 but was made subject to a last-minute extension, and all commuter service finally ended on Nov. 27, 1964. It seems likely that Otto's timetable was the last one ever issued.