Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-16
RAILWAY MOTOR
CAR IS SPEEDY
TRIAL TRIP ON SANTA FE is
SATISFACTORY
ON RUN BETWEEN LOS ANGELES
AND REDLANDs
Special Journey Made Over Lines by
Officials with Newspaper Men
as Their Special
Guests

That the substitution of gasoline
motor cars in place of the more ex-
pensively operated trains of steam To-
comotion on runs of fifty miles or
. more is practical from railroadlng
viewpoint was conclusively demon
strated yesterday by the local officials
of the Santa Fe, who ran one of their
new type cars to Redlands and return
on a trial trip.
That it would be feasible to operate
q motor car system to San Diego and
to other points at like distance was
admitted by Assistant Passenger Traf-
fic Manager John J. Byrne OF the
Santa Fe, who was picked up at Red
lands when the car arrived at that city
shortly after 10 o'clock. Whether or
not such a system will be put into OPP
Grafton will depend entirely on the
success of the Santa Fe's new service
to Redlands, which will be put into OPP
Grafton within week or ten days.
Makes Two Trips
The motor car made two runs to and
from Redlands yesterday by the way
of San Bernardino. The time for the
runs was selected between the hours
specified on the schedule for regular
trains. 1t proved more than success
/
side track either the regular freight or
passenger trains.
The car will seat seventy-fve pas
sengers and is amply large, it is be-
lieyed, to accommodate all who wish
to take advantage of the extra sched-
ule.
of the car is the improved manner in
which the 200-horsepower engine is in
stalled. The engine does not touch any
portion of the car proper, but rests on
the front trucks. 1t would be possible
to lift the entire car away from the
engine without touching screw or
bolt. BY excluding the engine from
the bed of the car it is possible to OPP
crate without the usual swaying and
Jerking noticeable on the electric cars.
The car is built of steel, the interior
being fitted in mahogany. The seats
are wide enough to hold three pas
sengers and a special front compart-
ment has been provided for those de-
string to smoke The doors of the car
open on the side in the center of the
coach. The car is lighted by side
, lamps fed by acetylene
Heated by Hot Water
It is heated by hot water circulated
holstered in leather and have excep-
tionally comfortable padded backs. the
car weighs $4,000 pounds and cost $20.-
OOO 1t is fifty-seven feet long. The
engine is a six-cylinder gasoline de-
sign. water cooled. The gasoline sup
ply amounts to 125 gallons, which Is
transferred from storage to service by
air pressure. 1t is possible for the car
to be run for three miles on gallon
of gasoline without difficulty. The car
was brought from Omaha, where 1t
was built, TO Los Angeles in eighty
three hours. The distance covered was
1855 miles. ]. C. Taylor, representa-
tive of the McKeen Motor Car com
pany of Omaha, the manufacturers,
brought the car west and accompanied
1t on yesterdays trial trip.
On the run between Upland and san
Bernardino the car attained speed
of sixty-two miles an hour for short
distance. The car has been run at
speed of seventy-four miles an hour
No attempt was made yesterday to
lower any records, the principal object
being to determine whether or not the
prepared schedule would work out
satisfactorily. The car left the Santa
Fe depot at 1880 o'clock yesterday
morning and made each station on the
time specified by the schedule. 1t was
greeted by large crowds, and at each
station newspapermen were taken
aboard.