Coaches #11 - #15
|
DSP&P |
U.P. 1885 |
DL&G 1889 |
C&S 1899 |
C&S 1906 |
| 2nd #2 |
Coach #55 |
Dropped from
roster 1887 |
Gone |
Gone |
| #11-15 |
Outfit cars #50-54 |
Gone |
Gone |
Gone |
DESCRIPTION
No one is
quite sure what these cars looked like, as there are no identifiable photos of
them. This is the one that most authorities feel is the best candidate. The grounded
car is the C&S station at Baileys, c. 1929. This photo can be
found at Digerness2-58
and at Ferrell/C&S-99(d).
It is part of a much larger picture.
There has been much speculation over the years about what these
cars looked like before they came to the South Park, and we have to admit what
follows is only our own best guess. (On
PAGE 2 we will present some of the
other possibilities.)
The first 16 cars built for the New York Elevated Railroad were
very small and light, tailored to be safe on the lightly built elevated
structure and to help passengers feel safe, too. They were only 35'-0" long
including the end platforms, and probably weighed 6 tons or less (authorities
disagree). The cars on the left and right in the photo below are some of these.
 |
|
The first cars on the NY Elevated RR had the
floors between the trucks depressed to a few inches above the running rails to
overcome passengers' fear of the cars tipping over. They were known as
“shad-belly”
cars. Some of these were rebuilt in 1878 to the more
“ordinary”
style of the car in the middle. See
New York Elevated Railroad page for details. |
The next 23 cars built for the New York Elevated railroad were considerably
longer and heavier. They were 41'-6" long including the end platforms, and
weighed possibly as much as 8 tons. They were much more conventional, but had a
door in the middle for faster loading. The car in the middle of the photo above,
and the cars in the photos below are some of these.
We think these were the cars, six of which were sent to the South Park in 1880.
 |
|
Scene from an old stereo view card of the New
York Elevated Railroad. Note the caboose! See
New York
Elevated Railroad page for details. |
Continued
