Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-07-21
GREAT INCREASE
IN STEEL CARS
FlREPRoOF EQUIPMENT NOW
GENERALLY USED ON
NINETEEN LINES.
GROWTH OF 100 PER CENT.
DURING THE PAST FEW
YEARS.

Rapid progress has been made in
the last year or two III The develop
ment of all steel railway equipment
In 1908 a complete report or steel pas
seng4s euuiDment built previous to
that time showed only 27o alIsteel
cars then in service, after ellmlnat-
ing those for the strictly electric sub
urban and city service. This llsJ
showed eleven different railroad sys-
tens with steel passenger equipment
either in use or under order, without
counting the Pullman steel sieepers
or any of the electric transportation
systems in the larger cities.
The increase in number OF ran
roads using steel cars is, therefore,
nearly 100 per cent larger than two
years ago, and list complied from
The car journals shows that approx
nately $500 steel cars for passenger
service have been purchased Or built
during the last twelve months. The
list includes coaches. diners, obser-
Walton cars, baggage cars, Duftet
smokers, cafe cars, sleepers and com
bination cars of almost every variety
The largest number has been pur-
chased by the Pennsylvania system
for it's tunnel service in New York
The Hartman system is probably the
next greatest buyer.
On many of the western roads there
has been a slight reaction from tho
all-steel car some preferring a wood
interior finish. but otherwise complete
steel construction. Headlining is gen.
orally freproofed artificial board,
with the exception of one Or two
roads which use ALUMINIUM or light
steel sheets
Some progress has been made IN in
sulation, but the ideal material for an
insulated steel coach is not cCnsld-
cred AS yet perfected. The subject OF
heating is much better understood and
she severe test of last winters
weather provided little or no COM
paint om account Of cold cars.
In a number of severe accidents to
trains equipped with steel coaches
1he results have. proved eminently
satisfactory. No passengers have been,
severely injured and the cars them
selves have stood the test beyond eX-
pectatiCn The great reduction in the
cost of maintenance has been fully
demonstrated, and steel cars are
found to be very popular with the
passengers.
At the present rate of increase the
next twelve months will bring nearly
every prominent system, it is expect
ed, into the list OF steel coach users
For mail cars steel equipment has
met with great favor in the United
States mail service.
Whereas two years ago the car !
building companies, with the excep. ,
ton of the American Car and Foun. 4
dry company, were not equipped to +
turn out steel coaches in any quality 8
all the larger companies now are
ready to build steel passenger equip
ment in large numbers. The Ameri-
cam Car and Foundry company has
equipped four of its plants for this
work. The other principal builders
are the Pullman company, the Barney
e Smith Car company, the Standard 5
Steel Car company and the Pressed
Steel Car company. The Pennsylva-I /
MIA Railroad company builds q few in
its Altoona shops, but the greater
part of it's equipment has been built
by the car companies.