Detouring rail cars on the Pittsburgh Allentown T line.

Sebi's Random Tech
Sebi's Random Tech
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2020-01-08に共有
A previous video I filmed riding ON this line:    • Riding the Pittsburgh T Allentown Lin...  
Riding the outbound side:    • Riding the Pittsburgh T Allentown Lin...  
Another video of the Silver Line - Library route:    • Riding the Pittsburgh T Silver Line -...  

Took advantage of Port Authority temporarily detouring inbound rail vehicles on the Allentown line to get some videos of this otherwise unused line. It's a direct descendant of the vast streetcar network that used to branch out of Pittsburgh, and this particular line represents one of the last remnants of that network, running through the Allentown neighborhood. It's the only line that mostly runs on city streets, the Red Line has a street-running section in Beechview but the current "T" network is otherwise entirely on dedicated rights-of-way. It also has some very tight curves and steep sections (as much as a 10% grade) that combined with jointed-rail track makes for a bit of a ride.

Unfortunately the line has not had regular use since 2011 when rail service was cut and replaced with buses, and it is now only maintained as a "backup" in the event that the tunnel the trains normally go through has to be shut down for whatever reason. In this case they were dealing with complications from a landslide near the tunnel, and had inbound traffic using the old Allentown line. Nevertheless, it is still fun to see the line being used, however sporadic that use may be, since it's a fun throwback to the streetcar era with street-running trolleys. I also show a few remnants of the old streetcar network, such as maintenance sheds and unused track, that remain in place at South Hills Junction, where the other T lines converge and the Allentown line splits to go over Mount Washington.

As always thanks for watching, and stay tuned for more ThinkPad/tech videos coming soon!
コメント (16)
  • @PC10.8
    Awesome! I wish they used that line more often, very scenic
  • @dosman01302
    I rode the T from 98 to 2000 when I went to school at Penn tech for electronics. I try to ride it once a year just for the memories.. Thank you for the video!
  • @k.b.tidwell
    Oh My God That's not me being dramatic...it's being totally blindsided at the timing of me finding this video. But lemme' 'splain. A little background... About seven years ago or so, an elderly gentleman who worked with me passed away. He was in his early '80's. Joe Bryan. Born around 1930. Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Ol' Joe loved to tell stories and I loved hearing them because each one was like stepping back in time. Seems that Joe's family wasn't that prosperous. Good, hardworking Irish dad, steel worker, but Joe never had a whole lot of the kind of stuff kids enjoy. So Joe wasn't above checking the trash cans outside the rich folks homes on his way to and from school and the store, etc. He and I found out that we both really liked trains, so when we had opportunity we'd talk about our favorites. Joe told me once that one Christmas he found a complete train set put out in the garbage at one of these houses. There were a couple pieces of broken track, but otherwise it was solid. Probably the boy in the household got a new one for Christmas, so why even think about refurbishing an old trainset? (Too bad you weren't around back them to show them the way, huh, Sebi?) Joe took that train set home, and that began a lifetime of train collecting. Before he died I went over to his place and really enjoyed seeing all the stuff in his man cave, an old farmhouse on the property he had bought. (He had built his home next door to it.) It was basically a smallish one room house, but in the center of it was this huge train set layout (HO or N scale I can't remember which but it was the little ones about 5 or 6 inches long.) But here's where your video ties in for me...he used to tell me his love of trains began with the Pittsburgh trolleys. Now think about this...Joe would go hop on a trolley. He'd pay the fare, the princely sum of 10 CENTS, and when the trolley would make its full circuit he'd just stay on there and ride all day long on a dime because he just loved the rails. I don't know if you could ride like that today, but he did it as often as he could. Born in the thirties, so this is in the forties. Probably during World War II. Even while a crazy man half a world away was trying to take over the whole world, he could forget all about that riding those trolleys. When I heard about that, it really planted this feeling of kid adventure in me, just like we all got into when we were kids and roaming the neighborhood or the woods or wherever. A whole big world out there and we're making our own way. I'm by no means a kid now, but ol' Joe reminded me what it's like to keep thinking like one even when the world is pushing hard at my mind. Ya'll feel me out there? Sweet bonus: One time I had come across a big book about trains showing cutaway diagrams and giving a lot of history on the different models...you've seen the type before. It made me think of Joe, so I bought it and gave it to him. A few months before Joe's passing he came to work one day and handed me a VCR tape. I thought about all this when I noticed (in some previous video) that Sebi, you are in Pittsburgh. I thought about it again when I saw a video or three on you finding old VCR's at the thrift store or flea market. That VCR was all footage taken back in (IIRC) the '70's or '80's the exact same way you took the footage in this video. No matter how old we are, we're never too old or too young to appreciate the "comfort memories"...all the nostalgic moments that have made us what we are. It's universal amongst us humans. I feel like I've been given a nice pat on the back to be able to link about four generations worth of good times here. Live long and enjoy your life! No refunds or do-overs! Sebi, Joe woulda' loved ya'! -- K.B. TL:Quit yer whinin' and go back and read it anyway.
  • @klwthe3rd
    Do you live there? Or just going to college in Pittsburgh?
  • @jamesrobinson8768
    Great video! Too bad. Port Authority won't outfit segments of there routes with ADA street ramps like in other cities at light rail stops especially, if there is a closure with one of their routes. If ever Port Authority retire those LRV's. I guess the steps are going to have the same design. Instead of having high/low mechanical steps for all doors for both station and street level boarding on LRV systems like in Buffalo, NY, San Francisco, CA, and Stuttgart, Germany. Ex - Pittsburgh PCC's 4008 and 4009 still sits in storage in San Francisco. Muni can't use them because? The track gauge is not the standard 4 ft 8 ⁄2 in's. Pittsburgh T Authority are not interested in acquiring those cars back from Muni for restoration for use as heritage streetcars to run on their lines like in other cities that still run PCC's today.
  • @LGB120
    I love going threw Allentown Love the video
  • @zachz96
    Couldn't they convert all the high-platform stations to street-level and use low floor trams? ADA compliant curb cuts can be added to the existing street-level platforms where needed.
  • @wavemaker10111
    Can someone explain to me the difference between the old and new overbrook line? I know PAT rebuilt the line between ‘93 and ‘04, but this is the second time I’ve seen a reference to the “old” Overbrook line. Does the rebuilt line follow the same alignment as the old one? How much of the old line remains out of use? Just curious, thanks :)
  • @jackwilliams1476
    Hey can you make a video of riding the Pittsburgh light rail T to north shore? It looks nice there