Brill Interurbans 3700--3714

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

	Bob - you seem to have some excellent sources of information and
material!  Could you share other interesting information you find in
that report?
	That predates the St. Louis 3800--3814 series but do you have anything
that might have details on these cars?
	Did the 3700--3714 series have the original seating changed to bucket
seats?
	Wonder what that 0.4375" of paint added to the weight?

Bob Schmidt wrote:

> The 8'-3 7/16" width "included" the paint, and quite a few mils of it I
> might add! Are we permittted some humor here?

> A dimension of 8'-3" is given for the width at the Belt Rail & Eaves,
> and a height of 11' 5" given based on "rail over the trolley board",
> according to an inter-office 38-page manual entitled:
> "Rolling Stock/Passenger Cars", Mechanical & Electrical Engineer,
> Pittsburgh Railways Co., October 27, l924.

> All the other dimensional data agrees. Just thought I'd have some fun
> with Brill's .4375" of additional paint.

> Bob S.

>     ---------------------------------------------------------------

> Subject: Re: Brill Interurbans 3700--3714
> Date: Wed, 03 May 2000 19:45:15 -0400
> From: "Fred W. Schneider III" <fschnei at supernet.com>
> Reply-To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> References: <39108547.7108 at pacbell.net>

> Note Jim that the electrical equipment excludes motors.  They were in with the
> truck weight.  I have no weight data for the GE 247 motor, which was used on the
> Pittsburgh 3700-3714 group.  I guess I'm a tad surprised that four motors and
> gears weigh 9,140 lbs. while four of the comparable Westinghouse 514 machines
> with gears and gear cases weighed about one ton less!
> 
> The Pittsburgh Railways car cards for the 3700s show the same 52'-8" length, but
> the height over the roof was given as 11'-5".  Over trolley boards would have to
> be even more.  If you want the width of the body .... 8'-3 7/16" .... they
> concocted that very precise number; I didn't.  I'm not sure if it is with or
> without paint.  Truck centers or body bolsters ... 27'6"
> 
> You might be interest to know that three surviving car cards (3700, 3707, 3712)
> all show PR control, meaning Pittsburgh Railways, or more specifically the
> Westinghouse contractor group form of P. N. Jones control.  There is no
> reference on the cards to the replacement of that control with anything else.
> There was a note, however, that safety car control was added in July 1930 when
> cars were converted to one man operation.  The Peter Smith hot water heaters
> appear to have been replaced with electric resistance heaters at the same time.
> The M-18 brake valves on those three cars were all replaced with M-20AS valves,
> but I don't know when.

> There was no mention of a toilet, but since the 3750s had them, there might also
> have been one in the 3700s ... it requires greater exploration.  Anyone want to
> go to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and have interior prints made?

> Jim Holland wrote:

> > Greetings!

> >         A friend just sent me this information claiming it comes from Brill
> > literature.  This information is very hard to come by and I hope it is
> > accurate.

> >         These 15-Brill interurbans (3700--3714) were 52-feet 8-inches long,
> > 11-feet 3-3/8-inches high over the trolley boards, and weighed a total
> > of 49,270-pounds.  This weight includes:

> >         1)--Car Body only  --  25,000-pounds
> >         2)--Electrical equipment  --  3,500-pounds
> >         3)--Air Brake equipment  --  2,300-pounds
> >         4)--Trucks  --  9,330-pounds
> >         5)--Motors  --  9,140-pounds

> >         Apparently the floor ramped down between the trucks to allow for one
> > less step into the car - center entrance - which allows for smooth
> > traffic flow.  These cars were apparently identified as "center entrance
> > and *smoking* (I wonder if that refers to their speed!::>>]]) interurban
> > cars."  He said that the back of the car was the main passenger
> > compartment and that the *ladies* do not have to pass thru the smoking
> > compartment so I assume that was near the front end - keeping the
> > motor-person hazy!

> >         The back seats faced the rear to form an observation platform!  The
> > motorman had his own compartment, and there was a biffy on board!

James B. Holland

        Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  (PRCo),   1940  --  1950
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