The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-02-19
A6OLISHING CAR STEPS.
It Has Been Done by a Leading Railroad
with Complete Success.

with Complete Success.
The cars used on the Illinois Central
railroad for carrying passengers be-
tween the worlds fair and Chicago
had side exits and no steps, the depot
platforms being built on a level with
the car floors. After the close of the
fair it was decided to inaugurate a
through express suburban service on
the tracks over which the worlds fair
trains were run, and to use the regu-
lar suburban cars for the purpose.
Before these carr could be used. how
ever. either the car or depot platforms
had to he changed. and it was decided
TO remove the steps from the cars and
extend the end platforms, without
making any changes in the depot plat
fOrmS. The cars SO changed have
been running in the service mentioned
all winter. and give such excellent sat
iSfaction that it has been determines
TO make a similar change in all the
cars used in the regular suburban SER
vice.
There are some excellent reasons for
aboliphing steps from suburban cars
Probably the most important is the
time saved. Suburban passengers are
always in a hurry. and an unnecessary
delay to a suburban train of one min
ute will always call forth impatient
exclamations from the passengers. In
g heavy suburban traffic the greatest
cause of delay to trains Is in loading
and unloading. and it is surprising
how much quicker a crowd will pass
into or out of Il car having no steps
than one 50 equipped.
To a certain extent these remarks
apply to all passenger cars as we'll as
70 suburban ears. but there is another
reason which applies equally to all
cars. based on the question Of expense.
Platform and steps. as usel at present,
are expensive both in construction and
maintenance. being merely attach
mentS tackled to and not a part Of the
ear body. 1t is difficult to make this
attachment with sufficient strength TO
stand up to the work ii must do. Il
must carry a part at least OF the weight
of the coupling and buffing apparatus.
and is bound to receive many rackiEg
strains. In fact. there is no part of 4
passenger car exposed to more severe
etINl't dliil lll'lt w lSCIiHF ilh'NANI
usage than tine platforms. \ compar.
~ativciv light blow from Il collision will
usually result in the platform being
knocked off and completely wrecked.
If the steps were one away with. all
the SillS OF the car could nc extended
u form the platform. and allowing
that a platform Is Il necessary append
age. it would be as strong as any pnr-
ton Of the car. These timbers would
have ample strength for carrying ali
the wcirht ever placed on them. and
there would not be 50 many sagging
platforms rs at present. With such a
framing the end stills would be in the
proncr place for receiving the draft
appliances and buffing arrangements.
and these attachments could be much
lighter. more simple and consequently
cheaper.
In designing the modern veStihules
the opening in the platform for the
step has been one of the most annoying
obstacles in the way of making Il salts
factory construction. and the designs
of all of them could be greatly improved
by the removal of the steps. The latest
design of Pullman ve,tibule, which is
the b~est-lOoking n yet brought out,
is married by the presence of Il trap
door on the inside. which must be lift
ed in order to gain access to the steps.
OF course, this trap-dOor dOes not mar
the appearance of the veStibule. but it
is an unmechanical arrangement. and
reminds one too much of in outsid,
cellar door to be a part OF Il sleeping
car with all its elaborate finishings.
One of the most serious features. Eow-
ever. of the steps. where v~eStibuleS are
used. Is the manner in which they
weaken construction. The platforms
are in themselves usually too weak to
carr their own weights. and when the
wei~ht of a veStiaule Is added this
weakness is even more apparent. If
the side Sills could be extended for the
full length of the platform they would
furnish an ample and firm footing for
the veStibule and give sufficient
strength for carrying it.
The convenience Of passengers must
always Ice considered in all matters of
passenger car construction. and in this
one it * safe to say that the great ma
/ jUritr would unquc~tionably prefer to
h. sc the steps Observation-Disclosures
Record.