john@ektools.UUCP (John H. Hall) (01/30/86)
In article <2001@brl-tgr.ARPA> Nicholas.Spies@H.CS.CMU.EDU writes: >I recall also in my youth the cars on the Paoli Local as having flippable >seats. The seats themselves were covered with maroon velvet. Also, the >windows could be opened by squeezing two brass devices (one on each side of >the window) which would catch on a number of slots, depending on the height >you wanted the window. What I don't quite remember is whether the cars also >had large ceiling fans, though I think they did. I also used to ride these cars regularly. They had clerestory roofs and were painted Tuscan Red. We called them "Red Rattlers". In later years, many of theme were painted Penn Central green. Compared to the Budd Silverliners, they looked like they were 100 years old. They were noisy and, indeed, "air conditioning" was open windows and big fans in the ceiling. Each car had what was once a lavatory at one end. I never saw one functional. I think the trainmen stored stuff in them. The original windows in the lavatories were leaded glass. Very few of them remained by the 70's. In the 60's, some of the cars had drinking water dispensers in the wall of the lavatory compartments. They could be controlled from the vestibule at either end. I think the engineer carried a throttle and brake handle that could be plugged into the control boxes in the vestibules. They also had repeaters in the vestibules that displayed the position light signals. On each side of the door in the end of the vestibule, there was a round 'porthole' window so the engineer could see where he was going. More than once I heard the SEPTA train crews say that the "Red Rattlers" were more reliable than the Silverliners. I think this was due in part to their simplicity. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Hall Supervisor, Software Tools Laboratory Product Software Engineering USPS: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, 901 Elmgrove Rd., Rochester, NY 14650 VOICE: 716 726-9345 UUCP: {allegra, seismo}!rochester!kodak!ektools!john ARPA: kodak!ektools!john@rochester.ARPA