The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-02-25
ABOLlSHiN0 CAR STEPS.
Is Has Been Done by n Lending Railroad
with Complete Success.

~ hrs Been Done ny Leading Rniirooa
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 nc steps. the depot
platforms being built on "A level with
the car floors. After tho close of the
fair il was decided to inaugura.e .
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 ca~1 could be used. how
ever, either the car or depot platforms
had 10 be changed, and it was decided
20 remove the steps from the ears and
extend the end platforms, without
making any changes in the depot plat.
forms. The ears so changed nave
been running in the service mentioned
ali winter, and give such excellent sat
isfaction that il has been dcte rmincd
to make "A similar change in all the
cars used in the regular suburban Ser
vice.
Their are some excellent reasons for
abolishing steps from suburban cars.
Probably the most important is the
time saved. Suburban passengers arc
always in a hurry, and an unnecessary
delay to a suburban train of one min
ute will always call forth impatient
ordinations from the passengers. In
q 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 "A car having NJ steps
than one so equipped.
To ascertain extent these remarks
apply to all passenger cars as well as
20 suburban cars. but there is another
reason which applies equally 10 all
cars. based on the question Of expense.
Platform and steps. as usei at present,
are expensive both in construction and
maintenance, being merely attach
ments tackled to AMI not a part of the
car body. 1t is difficult to make this
attachment with sufficient strength to
stand up to the work it must do. X
must carry n partial least of the weight
of the coupling and bufiing apparatus.
and is bound To receive many racking
strains. In fact. there is no part OF 4
passenger car exposed To more severe
service and liable to receive harder
usage than the platforms. A compar.
atively light blow from a collision will
usually result IN the platform being
r nckel CO a~l completely wrecked.
Ii The steps .cre done away with, all
the stills OF the ear could be extended
70 form the platform, and. allowing
that q platform is a necessary append
age. il would be as strong as N por-
ton of the ear. These timbers would
have ample strength for carrying all
the weight ever placed on them. and
there would not be so many sagging
platforms as AZ present. With such a
framing the end stills would be in the
proper place FOR receiving the draf.
appliances and bufiing arrangements.
ard these attachments could be much
lighter, more simple and consequently
cheaper.
In designing the modern vestibules
the opening in the platform for the
step has been one of the most annoying
obstacles in the way Of making a salts
factory construction. and the designs
of all of them could be greatly improved
by the removal of thesteps The latest
design of Pullman vestibule. which is
the ~best-looking one yet brought out.
is married by the presence of n 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 il
is an unmechanical arrangement. and
reminds one too much of an outsil.
cellar door TO be "A part of a sleeping
car with all its elaborate finishings.
One of the most serious features, how
ever. OF the steps. where vestibales 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
weight Of a vestibule is added this
weakne ss is even more apparent. IL
the side sills could be extended for the
full length CT the platform they would
furnish an ample and firm footing for
the vestibule and give sufficient
strength for carrying il.
The convenience Of passengers must
always be considered in all matters of
passenger car construction. and in this
one II is safe to say that the great ma
jority would unquestionably prefer to
he We the steps abolished. -Philadelphis
Record.