The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-05
new CARS HERE.
Five for the Vinewood Line
Have Arrived.
They Are Large and Thorough
~ Up-tO- Date.


Harvey Worral may now prepare a
bucketful of lavendar water. dandruf
cure or whatever it is he uses for chris
tening new street cars and get himself
ready for the business of annointing the
five new additions to the street railway
equipment which arrived in town last
night. Each reposing securely on a nat
car five brand new street cars rolled
into Topeka Monday night from the
factory OF the Jewett Car company al
Newark Ohio. They are Nos. POI, 203,
eos 207 and 209 and were bought for the
NinewoOd line.
Reposing magnihcently on its fiat car
each of the new street cars looks, as
a juvenile critic remarked. like bal
loon" beside the old street car to whose
place it is to succeed But because
there IS no track IN town on which the
new cars can yet be used the five Will
be stored somewhere and will not be put
in active service for month Just now
they are being unloaded, a task of con-
siderable difficulty and requiring time
A gang of men under the direction OF
superintendent Ward worked all the
morning on a trestle and temporary
track from the first Hatcar to the near
est street railway track.
When the cars reached town last
night they came in from the east on
the Santa Fe. This morning they We're
SAlTCDeQ over TO Tue IhOCf 1SAcltlA sums
on Jackson street along side the Topeka
Iron foundry at Second street. There the
temporary track was built UP to the
first car the other END reaching to the
Oakland track. A capstan fixed IN the
street little further up is to dray tho
cars from the flats down onto the
tracks along which they will be drawn
uptoWn probably to be stored IN the
yard at Tenth and Jackson streets
One OF the best features of the new
ar
cerned, is the air brake Beneath the
body of the car on one side Is a souaS aSe
box-like object It is the compressor
Occupying a corresponding position on
the other side Is the ar tank ohqer
one OF the front seats inside is an auto
matte controller. When the air pressure
gets down to so pounds this controller
sets the pumps in the compressor 70
work and the tank fills again When
the pressure is high again the compress
sor is automatically stopped.
Each Of the new electric cars was
braced and b0lted in its place on the
fiat cars with security that required
considerable labor to loosen. Several
huge iron stay bolts were hooked over
the iron trucks and fastened securely
through the bottom of the fiat car.
Blocks and tinbers gave the wheels TO
leeWav. and the big cars were fastened
as if they were a part of the low flae
cars beneath them. The trolleys were
cleated down to the fat car. but other
wise the new cars are ready for service
as soon as they can he unloaded.
The new cars are entirely unlike any
thing that has been seen in Topeka.
Being As feet from end to end they are
fully one-half larger than the cars in
use by the city railway. They are single
end cars with cow catcher fender
in front. A compartment about five
feet in length is at the front end. In
this the mOtOrman stands with half
dozen brakes to watch. One of these
ie similar fn those IN,
use on the new cars of the city rail-
way. Then there is the air brake, ana
on either side crank to open and shut
the iron gates that guard the entrances
to the car at the rear In the front END
also is a gauge showing the pressure or
air in the tank underneath. The air
tube is connected with whistle on the
front and.
on either side Of the front eompart-
ment are short lateral seats. so the lit
tie room can be used as smoking COM
partment. An electric heater on either
side is to keep up the temperature.
part by sliding doors Nine seats on
either side fill the main car. No straps
are provided for people who have 10
stand. they may support themselves by
the brass griDs on the ends of the
transverse seats. Even the car Window
are UP to date and look as though the.
could really be opened and shut In it,
general appearance the interior of the
used by tire city railway.
-Four fifty horse power motors stu
ated on the trucks beneath the car
floor furnished power A noticeable
thing about the new cars is the height
of the trucks from the track. This APP
parent difference from ~the old cars is
due to the fact that the motors are not
built into the floor Each set of trucks
is fixed upon a swivel and shoulder 50
that it can take compare lively short
curves. The gates closing the rear en-
trance can be opened only by the mo-
torneer from the front and passengers
could not jump off OF on if they want
ed to The cars are built for speed and
viii make twenty-five miles an hour on
the Ninewood track In the city they
Will be compelled to reduce speed to
about ten miles an hour
Manager F. G. Kelly of the TfneWood
park line said this morning
4 don't believe we can use these cars
anywhere in town just now and viii
have to store them somewhere until the
Ninewood park line is ready We will
keep work moving fast on that though
and hope to have it in operation by the
first of June. I doubt if the tracks Of
using them"
The Oakland line is the only line on
which the new cars could be used be-
cause it IS the only one with q loop ter
minai. and the Oakland track is about
the worse piece of track in town. It
peka isn't likely to see much Of the new
cars until the VineWoOd track Is opened
throughout its length.
Early this morning some enterprising
youngster got into one of the cars
where it stood on the siding and scrfo-
inside. It viii wash OF though.