Steel Cars for the Newark Extension of the Hudson Tubes (1911)

Electric Railway Journal · 1911

These Cars Are Similar in General Design to the Steel Motor Cars of the Long Island Railroad, but Have a Seating Arrangement Like Those of the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad. They Will Be Operated Jointly by the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad on the Newark Extension.

The Pennsylvania Railroad and the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad are preparing to operate a joint through service of multiple-unit electric trains between Newark, N. J., and the Hudson Terminal in New York City. The Hudson & Manhattan Railroad is extending its tunnels west under Jersey City to a point just east of Bergen Hill, where they come up on the right-of-way of the Pennsylvania Railroad. From this point the Pennsylvania Railroad is equipping with third rail its old main line tracks across the meadows to Manhattan Transfer, where the new electric division to the Thirty-third Street [Pennsylvania] Station branches off. Beyond Manhattan Transfer a two-track steel elevated structure is being built through Harrison, over a new bridge across the Passaic River, and through Newark to a new terminal station, near Market and Broad Streets, in the center of the city. For operating this service the Pennsylvania Railroad has purchased sixty new steel motor cars and the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad has purchased thirty-six cars. The sixty cars ordered by the Pennsylvania Railroad are being built by the American Car & Foundry Company, and the thirty-six cars ordered by the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad are being built by the Pressed Steel Car Company. The cars of the two companies are alike, having been built from designs prepared by the Pennsylvania Railroad. They can be operated in the same trains with the standard cars of the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad.

In the general principle of design of the under-framing and side construction the new cars are similar to the steel motor cars of the Long Island Railroad, which were illustrated and described in the Electric Railway Journal of June 17, 1911, page 1054. As they are to be operated through the Hudson tunnels, however, their over-all dimensions are less, owing to the limited clearances and sharp curves. The length over platforms is 48 ft. and the height from top of rail to top of roof is only 11 ft. 8.5 in. The maximum width over the side-door threshold plates is 8 ft. 10.5 in., and the width at the eaves is 8 ft. 7 13/16th in. The cars have longitudinal seats with steel partitions and vertical and horizontal grab-handles, as in the standard cars of the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad. Three doors are provided in each side, the end doors being 3 ft. 2 in. wide, and the center doors 3 ft. 6 in. wide.

The principal member of the under-framing consists of a box girder center sill formed of two 9-in. channels, with top and bottom cover plates between the cantilever cross- bearers, and two 6-in. channels, with cover plates beyond the cross-bearers. The webs of the 6-in. channels are split at the ends next to the cross-bearers, and the bottom flanges are bent down 3 in. to join the bottom flanges of the 9-in. I-beams, where the splices are made at the cross-bearers. The body center plates are attached directly to the center sill and no body bolsters are used. The cross-sectional area of the center sill between cross-bearers is 25 sq. in., which is ample to resist any compressive stresses encountered in multiple-unit train service.

The side framing consists of a bottom angle 5 in. X 3.5 in. X 5/16th in., the sheathing plates, which are 3/32nd in. thick, and a rectangular belt rail, 4 in. 3/8th in. All of the load carried by the plate girder thus formed is transmitted to the center sill through the end sills and the two cantilever cross-bearers. The cross-bearers are built up of two pressed steel diaphragms, 1/4th in. thick, and top and bottom cover plates respectively 5/16 in. and 3/8 in. thick. The platform end sills are curved channels reinforced with two platform floor plates, each 1/4th in. thick. These plates extend in toward the center of the car for a distance of 5 ft. 6 in., and they are stiffened by pressed-steel corner braces extending inward toward the center sill on each side.

The floor of the car body is magnesite composition, in which is embedded a layer of expanded metal riveted on the top surface of the smooth steel floor plates. The roof is of the monitor deck type. The lower deck has no headlining on the inside, but the upper deck is lined with fiber board. The windows have a fixed lower sash and an upper sash which is arranged to drop for ventilation. The upper deck sash also may be opened for ventilation.

The new cars are fitted with Van Dorn couplers and radial attachments, so as to be interchangeable with the standard equipment of the Hudson & Manhattan cars. Other special equipment includes Consolidated Car Heating Company's electrically controlled, pneumatic door-operating devices and train-signal system. The doors are controlled by push buttons on the vestibule center posts. The center side door on each side may be opened or closed from either end of the car, and a push button is also provided on the outside of the car on one of the door posts, by means of which a platform man can close the door independently of the trainmen. Electric heaters are inserted in the seat risers. The cars are painted Tuscan red, which is the standard passenger car body color of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

The trucks used under these cars are a modification of the type of trucks used under the Long Island Railroad cars. Each truck will carry one GE-212 commutating-pole motor rated at 225 hp at 600 volts. The motor axle wheels are 36 in. in diameter, and the trailer axle wheels are 33 in. in diameter. The extra weight of the motor on the motor axle is compensated for by mounting the bolster off center 2 in. nearer the trailer axle than the motor axle, so as to equalize the weight on both axles. The truck side-frames are 8-in.-wide flange I-beams, to which are riveted the cast-steel pedestals. Pieces of steel tubing are used for the end frames of the truck. The transom is made of pressed steel in one piece and surrounds the bolster. It has a large opening cut in the top, through which the body center plate passes. The bolster is supported on triple elliptic springs suspended by link carriers from the transom and corner gusset castings. The side bearings are mounted on the ends of the bolster outside of the truck frame. No brake beams are used, as the live brake-lever on each side of the truck is attached to an equalizing lever which passes through the center sills above the center plate. The cars are equipped with Westinghouse electro-pneumatic brakes and 12-in. cylinders. The weight of a car and trucks, complete with electrical equipment, is 72,500 lb.

Newark Extension Cars-Plan, Showing Seating Arrangement, Elevation and Half Sections of Truck.