The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-05
RAILROAD NEWS.
Developments in Street Car
Construction of Today.
Arch Roof Type and Pay-as- You
Enter Features.
NO REAR PLATFORM
Both Entrance and Exit From
Front OF the Car.
Other Items of General Interest
in Traffic World.
NO REAR PLATFORM

The two prominent developments in
recent street railway car design are
the arch type of roof, and the pay-as-
you-enter feature, says the Railway
Review. The latter is perhaps as much
system of operation as 1t is a feature
OF car design, and yet the success of
this innovation has been so marked
that the prospect is for its general ac-
ceptance as the future standard of
street railway car arrangement for
lines of heavy traAlic. The arch type
of roof, which is displacing the monitor
or clere story type of construction that
has ruled in car framing so long, has
been many years in coming, but it has
been gaining in favor very fast of late,
and now a good proportion of the or
Gers for up-to-date equipment are built
to this design.
These two late ideas in car design,
and other ideas that are not so well
tested out, are combined in a new car
built for the International railway, of
Buffalo, N. 7. In service this car will
makes its stops at the near side of
street intersections. The entrance and
exit are both from the front platform:
IN TACT, there is no rear platform, and
no means of egress there except an
emergency exit that ordinarily is
closed. The rear of the car is rounded.
after the manner which is now famili9r
IN railway motor cars, and the space
thus brought into the car from what
would otherwise be platform, is utilized
as seating space The conductor is sta
toned at the front end in a space ad-
Jacent to that rallied off for the motor
man.
He stands on the opposite side of the
platform from the door, and passengers
In entering pass him and pay their
rare From his position the conductor
has good view of the car steps, but
the motorman is also in full view of
passengers boarding or alighting, and
is thus enabled to operate the car
without signals from the conductor
The steps are guarded by sliding doors
operated from a lever under control of
the motorman; and by this means pas
sengerS are prevented from leaving or
entering the car While it is in motion.
One of the minor features incident to
this arrangement is that the conductor
from his position faces the passengers
and is able to give the best of attention,
and to make his calling Of the streets
more distinct. This car, it is obvious
is intended for SINGLE end operation,
and would not be suitable for lines
where the cars do not pass around
loop. However, a controller is provid ed
at each end so that it may be run in
the reverse direction if necessary in an
emergency.
On account of the single direction
running, the seats are not made to re-
verse, and this gives some additional
width of seats and of aisles. Another
feature is a grab handle encircling the
front platform at a convenient aight,
which a person struck by the car may
grasp, to keep from falling under the
wheels, if the speed of the car is check
ed sufficiently to allow such a thing
The International Railway expects %
have So of these cars in operation nv
the fall of this year