The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-10-23
SLEEPING CAR
Unique Build Of Vehicle Design
ed For Night and Day Use.

Unique Build Of Vehicle Design
ed For Night and Day Use.
EASILY TURNED INTO PARL0R CAR
Head Of a Boston Railway Syndicate
Believes That Two Years Will See
Service Between the Hui nnd New
York-The Run Will BE Made In
About Ten Hours.
a, through electric service between
New York and Boston, in parlor, din
ing and sleeping cars. will be in opera
ton within two years. This is the con-
1dent prediction Of james II. Shaw,
president of the Boston and Worcester
Electric railway, says the New York
Herald.
Tracks on land owned by a railway
corporation are now being built from
Worcester to Hartford, a distance Of
sixty miles. From Hartford this line
will be continued to New Haven, forty
miles farther. From City Hall square,
Ia New York, a four track line is to
run to Port Chester. The line between
Port Chester and New Haven will COM
plete the system that will give Boston
through service to Gotham.
With the completion Of this line it is
stated that residents Of New York and
Boston will be able to take the trip
between the two cities in only twice
the running time Of the present steam
railroads at half the expense and in
modern sleeping and parlor cars.
Finishing touches have already been
put by a Boston syndicate on the first
two trolley sleepers ever built, which
are to make their first trips during the
present month between Indianapolis,
Ind, and Columbus, o. Twenty-four
more Of these cars are in process of
construction.
Over the Boston and New York line
will run magnificent cars not unlike
those that are to be put in operation
In the west. The cars are being built
by a car company In Indiana which
will own and operate these just as the
Pullman company owns and operates
its cars over the steam roads.
The smallest Of the sleeping cars will
contain twenty berths. The compart-
ments for each pair Of berths are made
by dropping mahogany shutters similar
to those used in roll top desks. These
and dovetail into each other when up,
making a perfectly rigid and firm wall
with a doorway. The upper berth Is
let down from the ceiling on the same
principle as is used in the Pullman.
Comfortable upholstered chairs, used
in the day parlor car, will be combined
to make the lower berth bed. Two Of
these chairs are put face to face. By
pressing a spring the arms spread out,
the chairs then becoming n box
spring mattress bed, four feet wide
and seven feet long. Every modern
-ec2venience Is to be provided for the
4 passengers, even electric hair curriers'
for women and electric cigar lighters
for men. Each compartment will be
ventilated separately, and windows
will be raised and lowered by pressing
a button. =
When the nights ride is over the
aN 1xulQS WOIh VI tAS NOAoPAAt Was
be rolled into the walls and into the
floor, the beds will be folded into
chairs, and the car will be transformed
into a vestibuled coach within half ar
hour.
The combination sleeping and dining
cars will have a ten foot apartment
added between the berths and the real
dressing room. Temporary tables viii
be placed between chairs. 1t is claim
ed for the sleepers that the sleeping
c~onveniences will be superior to those
used in the ordinary Pullman. Thu
cost Of riding will be far less than thu
rates charged in the others. During {
nights run from Boston to New Yorl
1t will be possible to obtain an entire
compartment for $2.. Single berth'
will cost So, but two travellers occu
plying the same compartment can &c
It for 81.
Owing to the fact that there will b.
no cinders and dust will be obviated
the car windows Of the sleeper may b
left open all night. Over the Boston
and New York electric line the car
will be run at about half the speed at
tained by the steam roads.
Each car will be fifty to sixty-fv'
feet long and will cost $4,000. 1t will
be about two-thirds as heavy as tn
regulation Pullman sleeper. The powe
under these sleepers will be four me
tors, one to each axle, generating GU
horse power and capable of an ordi
nary rate of sixty miles an hour.
This new development Of the trolle,
IL only a natural step in the wonderful
progress Of electric transportation, and
in fact, has been foreshadowed by ez
periments in both this country an
abroad. Few persons realize that ]
10 only sixteen years since the frs
shroomstick car was given q trial.