The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-12-18
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OF the history of this car, the designer himself says
The McKeen Gasoline Car designed for branch line and
neurban railroad service also being success
an adjunct to steam service out of main terminals.
Our first Motor Car competed in March, 1906
recon OF w. K Mckeen G then Superintendent OF Motive
of the Union Pacific Railroad Co., built for that road AT
that time certain broad principles of were clearly
nzed essential to the rail these prnc
pies have not only been thoroughly demonstrated have been
adhered to in all subsequent designs
The conception Of the idea of the Gasoline Motor Cars
origin in the desrab of light at the same time
reliable of transportation for branch lines feeders and inter
urban steam roads belonging to the Union Pacific Railroad
Ihe successful performance of these excited general
teres and has attracted the attention and favorable
ana nterurban railroad throughout the country.
nterurbn railroad builders contemplating the ecr
cation OF their Ines with its attendant equipment
marked reduction in the initial investment and great saving in the
of operation of the epopeed gasoline car Inquiries there
nsn that necessary establish separate corporation
the manufacture and sale of Railway Motor Car equipment
have been put into successful operation the
Continuing the designer gives the following general description of
the
somewhat similar inverted boat the having wedgesaped
front end and emcircua end with semiepc roof and
round windows which resemble port holes The ale
structure fourwheel trucks The roof about
than ordinary coach notwithstanding which much
better ventilation The in maroon
striped in gold while the olive The side
entrance is also distinguishing feature.
The standard fyve long which the engine room
and operators compartment occupies twelve feet the front end thus
leaving about owo feet with seating capacity seventy
FIVE The have bu-up frames,
hoered in leather and will accommodate three persons each The
cua seat at the rear end OF the car has seating capacity of
ten persons The interior of the beautifully finished nad
Cuban Mahogany.
The 55oot design the majority of the cars
are built equipped with 6cynder 2oohorse power gason
which readily develops 25ohor power four hundred
tons minute brake The engine
front truck independent of the body which relieves
of vibration
The weight of this design, working ORDER sixty thousand
pounds
The following special features given:
The line OF design followed McKeen Motor SINH
lar racing yacht inverted the front end being wdgeshaped By
numerous has been proved that the
the rounded end
therefore costs In fact by
test shown that 1t takes cent gasoline
with blunt front end at high speeds
I'm drifting test made with Motor Car No. 49, 6e gradient
and where all conditions the with the
end started the the hill speed of forty miles
and at the bottom of the hill had developed of fifty
hour making the trip minutes The with the blunt
started the top of the hill the speed but
to clutch in the engine and 8 miles from the station
lit took thirteen minutes to make the distance.
Additional features the steady riding qualities
wedgesaped front end the strength
structure and the fact that there of floor space the
CINE operators compartment.
he McKeen Motor Car round window that ar-ght
waegh and duproof three features heretofore attained
in single window The window is made of aluminium hinged
the top and when be swung giving full
window opening This particularly pleasant in the
for this car with all the windows opens just comfortable
lar
"he chief advantage the round windows is the enormous gain
in strength and safety of the framing for permits utilization
of the side combination plate and trued girder
"The view from the inside through all the
particularly pleasing to the being almost uninterrupted great
improvement the oldfashioned square window.
"Th side innovation structure
materially to the comfort of the travelling public
n end collision the side opens escape
aids handling of for it allows them distribute