Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-17
Deliver FIRST CAR
FOR L AT "A. M.
SIS Feet Long, 9Ia Feet Wide,
I, It Barely Clears obstruc-
y tions on Trip
SENT ON SURFACE TRACKS

The first Frankford Elevated car
40 5O3. was delivered at 4 o'clock this
oorning at the Bridge street shop oi
Che philadelphia Rapid Transit Com
many. Frankford avenue and Bridge
q, G. Kahler, superintendent Of the
7 q. Brill Company. made the delivery
% r. Brown, superintendent of utili-
tes for the transit company.
Tho car left the Brill car shops
s;yty second street and Woodland ave.
nue at 1 80. was towed over the sur
face tracks to Frankford under the
snpervision Of Mr.. Kahlcr and Mr.
Brown. -
necessary in making the trip, because
of the unusual size of the car, which
js fifty. five feet long and nine and one
half feet wide.
Barely Clears Distractions
Early morning was selected as the
timc for the delivery in order to avoid
traffic congestion. ... .....
Hauled by a transit company service
trolley. the car travelled slowly down
woodland avenue, across the Grays
Ferry bridge. down Spruce street and
over Third street to Germantown ave-
nue. Thence up Front street to Oxford
street and up Kensington and Frankford
avenues to tho. Bridge street shops.
In turning into the Grays Ferry
bridge from Woodland avenue 1t was
feared that the car would not clear a
mole, but It was found there, was a
clearance of a fraction Of an inch. At
Kensington avenue and Norris street,
where there Is considerable street.
crossing elevation, the roof Of the car
barely passed under the elevated struc-
ture.
Progress at the turns was made cau-
tiously, and several mechanics con-
stantly watched the trucks andS the
clearance of the car in passing switches,
poles and elevated girders.
Calculations Made Carefully
"The average person, said Mr..
Brown. "docs not realize the extreme
care and delicate calculations necessary
10 make a delivery of this kind. The
route was carefully planned several
DAYS ago and every precaution was
taken against mishap.'
Along the route, early pedestrian,
followed the car for short distances to
admire its brightly lighted interior and
wonder at its size.
AS the car approached the Bridge
street shops, a group gathered on the
steps of the waiting room at Bridge
street welcomed it with cheers.
There was some difficulty in getting
the car into the new barn, as there are
TO overhead wires or third rails within
thirty feet 1t was necessary to run
n 'Gsh wire" from the nearest power
line, and by switching back and for
ward No. SOB was finally lodged in the
barn at about 5 o'clock.
Mr.. Kahler said the car is of the
newest and best equipped type. closely
resembling those used in the subway in
New York. The exterior of the car is
green. and the inside white enameled,
with vertical and lateral seating ar-
rangements. The car has seating
capacity of about seventy persons.
4 New Safety Appliances
There are no openings at the ends of
the car except for the trainmen, three
doors for taking and discharging passen-
gers being located on each side about ten
feet apart. The doors are controlled by
the trainman at the front of the car,
and are equipped with safety appli-
ancc which eliminates all possibility of
passengers being caught between the
door and the side of the car. If, in
closing, the door strikes an obstruction,
the power controlling the door is immc-
diatey released and the door automati-
Cally reOpens.
Another feature of the car is q new
coupling scheme which makes it possible
70 couple and uncouple the cars without
man going between them. Coupling is
controlled by a valve at the front which
couples the cars automatically by i'm
pact. Cars can be uncoupled with the
same valve.
In general appearance the car some
what rescm bles those now in use on the
transit surface lines, but vastly longer
and wider, being longer by five feet than
the Market street elevated cars and more
fhnn Ii foot ,rilor