New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-26
A PHOTOGRAPHIC CAR.
THE LATEST INNOVATION IN RAIL
ROADING-A COMBINATION OF
ART AND BUSINESS

ana WeI-apIointed palace car or HloucTH ud9 -
willing to say that the limit has almost been
reached. Experiments in new cars continue,
however. ard rot a day passes that railroad men
do no. try some theory or listen to a scheme
proposed ~ some enthusiastic inventor. There
are drawing room cars. sIceping-cars. dining
cars compartment cars. official cars for register
ing track defects and speed, and other kinds OF
cars; but the latest innovation comes IN the
shape of deliberately equipped Photographic
establishment on wheels. The Baltimore ana
OHIO Railroad is the patron OF this class OF
photography. This car is in the charge Of an
expert photographer and OF a keen student OF
commercial possibilities. Tic idea is TO run the
car over various roads in the country, the
photographer taking photographs OF the scenery
MON, The route and the other securing and pre-
nayiug for study complete report OF the bl@!-
ness possibilities Of the sections traversed when
report viii be Illuminated and made clear by
photographs.
This uuioue and interesting car is what Is
Technically termed a combination car 1t IS
ka,f naggage and half passenger 1t was nm
Ished at the baltimore and Ohio SHOPS AZ Modh'
Clare and tie necessary equipment i"' th' ii7"-
est and most artistic class OF Photographic IT,
production was introduced. 1t WAS matter Oh
no small ingenuity to install within the space u
the car. which is 10 feet broad ana Oo leet io"s'
the necessary dark room, printing rooms WAGER
tanks. plate shelves. racks and the oo'hP'eN
,hotographic rcsalia requisite, and lastly |" ea'e
oo,o for the workers 10 eat and sleep within the
car. The car IS not cramped for quarters as d
modern war vessel, bat one has to move arouha
carefully on account of the delicate aSSoitihcH'
of materials placed about the car in various
positions.
The dark room. which is directly in the centre
Of the car was the result Of much study ana
care IL is - feet long and 10 feet wide, niide
with double tongue groove and buIkhead P@''i
titions and narrow doors. having lex pd''cHS
which exclude every ray or ISht, anu al 'i'"'
breaks the Egyptian blackness Is me du' go"
from the red lamp. tho entire interior SuriH'c'
shelves and all, having been painted Il deeP' iu'
treless black Overhead in this inky niue roo"''
hung from the ceiling 10y steel bands u " wafer
tank containing a supply OF 80 gallons or a ton
and half of dead weight 1t was on account o'
this essential water supply that the dark room
was built I'M the centre of the car. ior' III an!
other position than exactly balanced as 1t is the
dead weight would have ntcriered with the
smooth running of the car, If not cndangcrinS
rs actual stability on the track while moving at
a high rate Of speed. Underneath the tank. ana
at one side OF the room. is what * known aS an
automatic rocker or developing table TINS l.
nothing more than 4 large fiat Tabletop huhs on
.runnions and yWuug to and fro by heavy pen
dulurn weights This enables the ARTISTS To de-
yclop rlcturos even while running AT iu.l speed,
as the rocking OF the table is uniform under All
conditions Upon the opposite side IS BIZ
wooden sink which extends the entire length OF
the room, and in it are to be found small and
large fixing box $, water faucets ard washing
boxes connected by rubber hose with the tank
abovc Almost the entire dark room Is lined
with shelvings din idei into littlr pockets and
compartments. drypia;e cases AMI platinum pa
Der boxes for everything must be held riSid to
prevent catastrophcs and brcakage in transit
Tho living compartreu, forward has been de-
voted to tables sleeping hcrths and seats though
here any great amount Of comfort had To yield
nrc,cdcncc 10 the strictly unitarian demand FOR
space and the tables are used alternately for
printing trimming and clerical purposes and
eating In the rear end Of the all the chcml- !
cal preparations ana solutions are weighed and
prepared on . long table almost g.rlling the
room This table has dep compartment shelly |
ings. and in this room all printing and rrcpara-
tons Of meals take place. Above swings huge
stcpladdcr which. when let down. leads up To a
trapdoor in the roof and admits the carrying OF
the big camera to the top Of the car. from which
views can be taken.
Altogether the car H. a unique ana up-to- datc
innovation, in marked contrast TO the Old time |
way Of doing things The most startling use
outlined for this is its proposed availability |
for taking pictures 10 be printed in great metro
poltan newspapers. 1t is asserted that this car
could take pictures anywhere. say Washington.
and then. attached to one OF the limited trains.
could whiri on to New-York as the artist de-