Albuquerque evening citizen., 1906-08-11


~oD4p,..., is now building the first all
steel slepper ever constructed. 1t
will be inspected by the Pennsylvania
officials at a very early date.
Railroad officials and travellers gen.
orally have been keenly interested in
the result of the Pennsylvania eX-
preiment with a new car. Other So
called steel coaches have been built
notably for the New York Subway
but they have been only partly of
steel. The first car to be built any
where wherein the main object has
been to secure the elimination OF
every particle of non -combustible ma
terial is No. 1861, the reports on
which are just now in shape to make
it possible to base definite future ac-
tion upon them.
The new car weighs 103, $50 pounds,
against $4,000 for the standard wood
en- coach, but it is found that the
added weight very greatly reduces the
vibration and adds to the comfort of
the passengers. No inconsiderable
part of the additional weight is due
TO the great burden involved in carry
ing storage batteries and battery box
es. All the new cars are TO be lighted
by electricity, and the Pennsylvania
will carry no gas Illuminated cars of
any kind into its New York tunnel.
The electric wires in the new cars
are all thoroughly insulated in heavy
metal conduits, thus adding to the
safety.
Motive power officials believe that
the weight of the present car can be
still further reduced. although it will
l1. 1. he on
coach. Coach No. 1851 has a small
quantity of combustible material, and
in the effort to remove this absolutely
it may be necessary TO add weight in
slight particulars.
The new car is absolutely col
lapsible. II could stand any load or
any collision. Its hidden frame is like
cantileyer bridge, suspended on the
trucks as piers. This safety against
telescoping is secured 10y the use of
enormous steel girders, the principal
feature in the body of the car being
a central box girder "A inches wide by
10 inches deep, extending throughout
the length of the coach.
In the past railroads have found that
when trains collided and the body of
one car rose above the body Of the
next, there was a tendency for the
underframe of the first car 10 sweep
the superstructure of the second car
off its underframe. In the new equip
ment this is prevented by the extra
ordinary strength in the door and yes
thule end posts, which are, OF course.
of very heavy rolled steel.
To show something of the effort
made 10 make this car absolutely fire.
proof, it is only necessary TO state
that the flooring throughout the car
and platform consists Of an imitation
of stone spread while in a plastic
state over the steel plates Of the car.
The framing above the windows is
composed of steel plates pressed into
a shape resembling the wooden doors
used in other cars, and filled with
cork to deaden the sound The rooi
is constructed of composite boards
covered with copper sheathine The
inside lining consists of composite
boards covered with fireproof paint.
Nearly all the small amount of wood
used in this experimental car is pro-
tected bv metal. In the tuTe even
the greater part of this wood viii De
eliminated. The seats are Of steel
frame covered with freDru0f plush.
The foolrosts are also NJ steel For
The present the aruresf are of wood