The San Francisco call., 1907-06-09
LONG BREAkS COr1r1ENCtNrC
IN BASE OF RAIL. AND
EXTENDING DfACONALIT
TO TIE EEAD

lent TO 100000 pounds compression.
The new steel cars are of two types,
designed for the through trains and
suburban traffic. For the through
trains a long car of especially heavy
construction will be used, which is ca
pable of withstanding the strain Incl
dent TO coupling, buffing and pulling
long trains. In this class there will be
mail, baggage, sleeping, dining and
day cars. The cars for the suburban
service will be shorter, OF lighter con,
struction and suited to frequent short
runs. The frames, which in both cases
will be entirely of steel, follow the
general lines of wooden cars in their
construction, but, in addition, are so
braced and riveted together in every
part that it will be impossible to tele-
scope them. All parts of the cars are
proportioned on this assumption. Even
the ends of the cars are so constructed
that in case OF collision one can not
sweep off the superstructure of an
other. A complete frame about the end
of the cars. fastened both TO the under
frame and the roof, is proportioned
with this end in view.
The development of the steel passen-
ger car has been the work of but a few
years. When steel cars were proposed
for the New York subway not a single
car builder in the country was in po-
sition TO furnish them. One of the
earliest of these cars was a 5s foot
passenger coach with steel frame and
a steel outside sheathing as high as
tho roof. The roof was made of wood
covered with copper. A single car of
this type contained 1900 pounds of
wood The next car, completed in No
vember, 1906, contained practically no
wood. Designs are now being prepared
for a 20 foot dining car which Will con-
tain but 800 pounds of wood, the car
being constructed of steel and compos-
ite board. An all steel sleeping car has
recently been completed and is now on
exhibition at the Jamestown exposition.
1t closely resembles the standard
wooden car except in the finishing Of
its interior, which is delicate pearl
gray in color instead of the usual high
ly polished natural wood.
An entirely new form of truck is re-
Quired for the new steel cars. 1t is
based upon new principles and may be
used either for motor cars or those
drawn by locomotives. The trucks are
Of two forms; those of four and six
wheels are made entirely of steel. The
new construction, it is believed, will
lend an easier motion to the cars and
they will be less likely to Jump thu
track or break down under pressure.
The arrangement OF brakes on these
trucks will serve to bring the cars un-
der more immediate control.
ahe heating. lighting and ventilating
OF the new cars marks still another I'm
portant advance in such construction
The steel cars will be lighted entirely
by electricity, the current being sup
piled by storage batteries or train gen.
orators, as desired. Incandescent lamps
will be used for the side lights and In
the toilet rooms. The problem Of ven-
tilation, always a serious one where SO
many people are crowded together In
so small space. has received special
attention The new system, even with
all doors and windows closed, will sup
ply each passenger with 1000 cubic feet