Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 303, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1913 — MATTER OF EVOLUTION [ARTICLE]

MATTER OF EVOLUTION

CONSTRUCTION OF CARS CONSISTENTLY IMPROVED. From the Light, Open Platform Wooden Equipment the Change Has Been Made to the Present Almost Perfection. To understand and appreciate the present agitation in regard to steel cars one must go back to the earlier passenger equipment on our railroads and -work up to the present situation through the various changes that have occurred in our passenger train service. Originally we had light, open platform, wooden coaches, with link and pin couplers, hauled by light engines at slow speeds. "These cars answered every requirement In their day and were satisfactory until with, the gradual increase in speed,, accidents occurred and the telescoping of the open platform cars led to the introduction ■of the Miller and, later, of the Janney couplers which proved at the time very successful in preventing telescoping in cases of collisions,. With the introduction of heavier cars, heavier locomotives and still further increases in speed, these couplers proved insufflcient to prevent the breakage of the platforms and the telescoping of cars. The next move was the introduction of the narrow vestibule. That accomplished for a time the desired result. With still heavier equipment, especially sleeping cars, the narrow •vestibule failed and the wide vestibule, with steel platforms, was adopted and in a number of accidents proved most efficient The Pullman company at this time commenced to strengthen their cars by the use of hdftvy steel platforms and steel floor construction, » extending back beyond the body bolsters of the cars, reinforced by steel corner and door-posts and steel transoms, making their wooden car unusually strong, and It seemed to be, and was so regarded, as the strongest and best car construction in the world. Many accidents occurred, and it became a saying all over the country, “Ride in a Pullman car and you will be safer than if you stayed at home.” The speed of trains through this period was increasing and accidents at high speeds necessarily mean greater destruction of equipment. Still, the Pullman car held its ■own and in accidents, the coaches were generally badly damaged. This led the railroads to build their coaches practically as strong as the sleeping cars, and solid wide vestibule trains on the through routes became almost universal.

It is not the steel car that will produce safety, as many people seem to believe. Neither will a complete system of block signals, but the public have a right to demand that on lines of heavy traffic, where fast-trains are ■operated, there should be ample signal protection; that there should w be the best equipment that can be provided and that all reasonable safeguards should be thrown around the operation «of the trains. But no matter how perfect the signaling, how complete the train, without discipline and the obedience of rules, safety cannot be secured. Only the most competent men should be selected to operate the fast passenger trains. The best menJn the service should be selected for the train crews, and the most perfect discipline ehduid>b.e maintained. This is the foundation of safety.—Manufacturers* News.