New-York tribune., 1900-05-06
PRESSED STEEL CARS.
THEIR ADVANTAGES RESULT IN GREAT
INCREASE IN THEIR USE


Pittsburg region. The cars attracted attention
and within a year 3,216 were sold; last year
the output was seventeen thousand cars. The
number of hands employed in the industry has
increased from few hundred to eleven thou
sand and according to accounts rendered By
the concern more than hundred thousand per.
sons are dependent for a livelihood on ths
pressed steel industry.
The first steps in the direction of a steel car
were taken by Charles T. SchOen, the inventor
now the president and the engineering head Of
the company, whose works are at Pittsburg.
Penn. and Joliet, H. with offices in Pittsburg
NewYork. Chicago. Philadelphia and St Louis.
In speaking Of the work done by the concern
which is managed by Mr. Schoen a well In
formed manufacturer said:
Railroad officials are always Conservative
and as rule properly slow TO break away
from any practice long established; and so il
was that Mr.. Schoen found great difficulty In
getting his first order for pressed steel cars
The cars were delivered in due course and
placed in use and from the time that they were
placed in use the one great problem that Mr.
Schoen's company has had to solve has been
how to keep reasonably near the demand for its
cars as well as the trucks. holsters and rnisceI-
laneOus parts manufactured for wooden cara
The capacity Of the company has grown from
a few cars a day in 1897 to one hundred
finished cars day at the present time and fts
demand for steel plate has grown in proportion.
AT this time the company consumes about ff
teen hundred tons Of steel plate a dav In its
four great plants at McKee's Rocks. ALLEGHENY
Pittsburg and Joliet. most Of which is SUM-
piled by the Carnegie and Federal Steel COM
panies."
Some months ago Mr.. schoen's company con-
tons Of steel plate month for ten years. total
of 100000 tons. or 1.20OOOOOOO pounds. The
great consumption of structural steel by the
Steel Car Company is one reason for the scarcity
Of building material. Mr.. Schoen in speaking ON
this subject said:
The latest figures ObtainabIe show that last
year 121ocO tons Of structural steel were used
in erecting buildings in New-York, thus demon
strating that the annual quantity Of steel
100000 tOns) that goes into steel cars would
furnish more than three years supply Of steel
building material for New-York, at last years
rate of construction 1t is not to be wondered
at then. that building material has lately been
scarce"
In an article on the subject OF pressed steel
cars, the writer says:
1T is the experience OF American railroads
that train mile earnings are practically doubled
oy tiic employ illSIit OF the SChOen and
also their experience that the car is practically
beyond destruction 1t is true that the probable
life of the car cannot be determined bv Ameri-
can precedent. for steel cars have been in use
in this country only three years; but in Europa
steel cars have been in use for more than thirty
years and il has been the rule there thar the
ordinary life of a wooden car which is from
twelve to fifteen years. has been more than
doubled.
Al hrst the company's output was confined
TO self-clearing hopper gondOIa cars but the
steel car has found such favor among railroads
that demand has been created for fat cars
sondolas, cokecars and bOxcars. in addition 70
many types for special purposes. both narrox
and broad sauge. There is now hardly a trunk
line in the East that has not in use or On
order, more than thousand cars and soma
great railroads. like the Pennsylvania and RaI
timore and Ohio. have ordered several Thousand
each.
Not only is the company's reputation for Hs
product most enviabe, but also its reputation
for broad gauge. liberal treatment Of the thou-
sands Of men in its employ. The highest wages
are paid and the whole attitude of the eor-
pany toward all it's employees reflects credit upon
itself and is a factor III the present Industrial
prosperity of Pittsburg
The secret of the success of the pressad steel
,ar lies in its longevity its conparativeIv liz
lie danger III wreck experiences. and the great
net earnings which its carrying capacity per-
llts. The Schoen coaicar. with its capacity