Low Floor Cars

[John Swindler]

Jim Holland wrote

>
>	While this experiment was performed on A217 in 1912, the trailers were
>mostly ordered 1910-1917.  The first *real motorized* low-floor cars
>were 4000-4149 built 1909-1911 with a total of 200 hp. to be used to
>pull the trailers.  All the rest of the regular low floor cars were 150
>hp total unless they were upgraded lafter delivery.
>

Cars 4000-4149 were what we would call high floor cars, a few of which we 
remember primarily as the M450 series scrappers. Higher horsepower = larger 
motor = greater truck clearance required = larger wheels = car floor rides 
higher off the ground = slower passenger loading.


>	Was the center door only design something that was limited to only the
>trailers or did some regular motor cars have it as well.
>

Don't know.  Never saw any reference to center-door motor cars like Boston's 
6000 series.  For PRC, there were center door trailers, but the early low 
floor motor cars were delivered with single front door (in addition to 
double center doors).  Don't have the roster details handy.


>	Some of the regular low-floor cars came with a single front door and
>double center doors while others had the standard double front and
>double center doors.  Did any of the single-front door cars get
>converted to double front door?
>

Yes, but again, don't have roster details handy.  Believe most of those cars 
delivered with single front door later converted to double front door, with 
conversion to one-man operation being the reason.  PRC car roster might also 
show some center door trailers converted to motor cars.

John S.

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