The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-20
Santa Fe Plans to Give Protec-
ton to Postal Clerks.
Thirty-nine Steel Underframe
Cars Now Being Built.
CARS ARE DESCRIBED.
Will Be Used to Replace All
Wood Cars Now in Use.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe is
building some steel underframe stand
ard 60 foot postal cars. There viii be
SO cars in the lot, intended to supersede
the present atwood cars, which will be
converted into baggage cars. The plans
for the new postal cars have been APP
proved by government officials
There are two center and two side
sills, all four being fish-belIy Orders.
The center sills are q inches deep at the
middle and Is inches at the ends, and
the side sills are % inches at the mid
die and 1913 inches at the ends. A
steel cover plate 4 inch by "a inches by
So feet 8 inches is riveted to the tops
of the center sills. The four sills are
tied transNersely by pressed steel dia-
phragnls a inch thick and 11sz inches
deep, riveted to the sills. These cross
ties are stiffened at the bottom by
A-lnch by 6-inch plate feet Il inches
long, which passes through OPENINGS cut
in the webs Of the center sflls, and is
riveted to the bottom of the diaphragms
by 5s-lnch riYetS. There are. eight Of
these cross-ties. Midway between the
center and side sills and parallel to
them are sections of 5-inch, 65b pound
channel riveted to the cross-tie, dia-
phi agms. They run the length of the
car, furnishing continuous inter-
mediate support for the floor
The webs and top fianges of the cen
ter SillS are cut away at the ends to a
depth Of inches and distance back
such that 6-inch, 1912 pound channel
secured across the ends of the longi-
tudinal siils, fanges in, has its back II
inches from the end of the center sill.
The end sill is made up of this member
and bent 6-inch, 8-pound channel with
the middle or parallel part feet 10
inches long and Z inches from the first
with four diaphragns between, two of
which are in line with the center sill
webs Both channels are under, and
are riveted to, the center sill steel COW
er plate. The ends of the outer chan
mel bend back to meet those of the in
ner channel at the side sills. To the
front of the end sill is secured a heavy
cast-steel buffer beam of special form.
The construction is such that the buffing
shocks come directly on the center sills.
framing is secured to a 21z-inch by 212-
inch by 3-1O-inch angle riveted across
the tops of the longitudinal Sills back of
the end sill
The body bolster is formed of two sets
of pressed steel diaphragms Is inch
thick. They are riveted to the side and
center sillS, with f1anges outward, the
distance between them, back to back,
being 8 feet inches. Each set is
strengthened at the bottom similarly to
the cross-ties, except that the plates
widen out at the middle to inches,
where they are riVeted to the center
sills. The top of the bolster is a cover
plate Il inch by feet 3 inches by
feet liz inches, riveted to the tops Of
the diaphra gins and the center and side
silsl by A-inch rivets. The cast-steel
center plate is riveted to the center sills
with 1s Inch rivets. Each side-bearing
is hardened steel plate riveted to the
bottom flange of finch, 90 pound
channel and the bottom leg of a 3-inch
by 3-inch by A-inch angle riveted to
the back of the channel; the channel
extending between the diaphragns
forming the two sides of the bolster, and
riveted to the latter and the cover plate
The portion of the underframe not
occupied by cover plates is covered with
1s-inch steel plate, riveted to the sills,
cross ties, etc. and forming a sub-f1oOr
Transverse wooden mailing strips, "a
inches by "a inches, are bolted to the
sub-fioor by 12-inch carriage bolts, the
ends of which are riveted over the nuts
Yellow pine flooring, q inch thick, is
nailed to these, and the space between
it and sub-floor is packed with mineral
wool.
The end framing involves the princi-
pal features of difference from standard
Santa F'e practice for atwood cars
composite framing is used, the posts be-
ing plated in a manner similar to the
practice of the Vanderbilt lines. There
are two plate in the end frame post,
and one each in the end stud and cor
ner post. The latter is further rein
forced by a 4-inch by 3-inch by 5-1O-
inch angle Tie Vestibule frame is rein
forced BY a finch deck beam on each
side. The side and end framing is fit
ted with sectional blocking throughout
The estimated weight Of a car is
about 105 900 pounds, fully equipped;
They. are mounted on Santa Fe standard
six-wheel trucks with 5-inch by 9-1nch
Journals, and are equipped with Miner
draft rigging and National couplers.