West Penn 700s Interior

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

> >Jim Holland commented:

> >       Looking at the photos in the West Penn publications by PTM and CERA, it
> >would appear that the ceiling inside is an ivory.  Does this sound correct?

> >       Some of the photos seem to indicate rather dark interior sides (photos
> >pg.71 of CERA book) and the same on page 21 of PTM book.  Kind of looks
> >chocolate brown - but this isn't Hershey!  Does anyone know the color?

> John Swindler wrote:

> Hershey cars were not brown.  They were green with white trim.

	Didn't say they were - we are on different wavelengths *choke-wise!* 
In reference to the apparent very dark color of the interior as shown in
photos, it appeared *brown* to me  --  *Chocolate [Hershey] brown.*  The
reference to Hershey was simply the appearance of the interior bulkhead
color of WP--700s.

	So what were the interior colors?  Someone else suggested possibly
shellaced / varnished wood.

> >       I guess we all know the exterior is orange, NO?!  Do you see a hint of
> >*red* in that orange  --  JUST  Kidding; just kidding!

> No, West Penn cars were not orange ----- originally.  Green until grade
> crossing accident in teens.

	Yes - Green to Orange to increase visibility and to reduce accidents -
PTM June photo for the 1996 calendar reads as follows, and I quote:  
"This scene with a wood interurban car [221] and a Saxon automobile [the
kind that John used to court his wife!] was staged in 1914 to clearly
illustrate which vehicle would win a grade crossing contest.  To make
matters worse for the hapless motorist, the trolley was painted dark
green and blended well with the corn.  The smoke across the sky--then a
common sight in Fayette County--was from the beehive coke ovens at the
Uniontown suburb of Leith.  THREE  YEARS  LATER,  the company changed to
orange paint after a bad accident." [emphasis added]

	But for the bulk of WP livelihood, the equipment was orange - that is
the color most often associated with WP!

James B. Holland

        Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  (PRCo),   1930  --  1950
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