Coaches #11 - 15 - Page 3

When this car came to light, many believed it could be a first cousin of coaches #11-15 and second #2. It was built in 1878 by Gilbert, Bush & Co. (the same company that built coaches #11-15 and second #2) for the Manhattan Elevated Railway (which had leased the New York Elevated Railroad) as their coach #41. It was converted to a “money collection car” in 1893 with the addition of the fare window and a sliding center door matching the original window design. It appears that special cars were lettered, rather than numbered, and it became car “G.”

Money Car “G” is now part of the collection of the Shore Line Trolley Museum at East Haven, Connecticut. Here is a current picture of money car “G” from their website that shows the roof line better:

Do you think it looks like the car-body on the ground at Baileys?

The following plans are from the 1879 edition of the Railroad Car Builder's Pictorial Dictionary. They depict an “old standard” passenger car of the Metropolitan Elevated Railroad of New York, the sister line to the New York Elevated Railroad from which the South Park bought cars #11-15 and second #2.

The following plans are from the 1888 edition of the Railroad Car Builder's Pictorial Dictionary. They depict a “new standard” passenger car of the Metropolitan Elevated Railroad of New York.

High resolution scans of these elevations suitable for printing are available under the FILES section at the DSP&P discussion group website. You must, however, join the group to see them. Do you think it looks like the car-body on the ground at Baileys?

The car below is typical of the light cars used by the elevated railroads in the 1880s. (The Illinois Central was not, strictly speaking, an “elevated” railroad, but its commuter operations southward from Chicago were operated similarly, and were eventually electrified just as they were.)

This photo will be found at White/Passenger-36. Note the closeness of the windows toward the end of the car compared to the middle. The seats toward the end are set parallel to the aisle to facilitate entrance to and exit from the car, while the seats toward the center of the car are in their usual position. A photo of a similar 45'-0" open-end coach, together with a plan view and elevations, will be found at Carstens2001-xx. The Carstens car was built by Pullman in 1878.

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