A builder's image of RMNE's "Springfield", a wood dining car built by Wason in Springfield, Mass. 1905, for service on the New Haven's first class trains, such as "Merchants Limited", etc.




In the builder's photo, the car has Allen Paper Wheels-- not on the car nowadays!! Car was rebuilt with steel end bolster castings, and eventually was used as a diner-lounge on secondary routes and trains, such as Springfield to New Haven. Retired to work train service in 1940 as the Maybrook Tool Train crew/diner. It had been at Essex and Old Saybrook since 1969-70.

Howard P.

PAPER WHEELS! It is a wonder that car could support it's own weight.

Two things:
1) Glad I learned this car existed after all of this time. A friend did just make a good point on the need for a comprehensive database of preserved equipment...
2) Great Scott! Paper wheels?!?!? Look, I know the New Haven had a chronic money problem over the course of its lifetime, but to resort to using paper instead of metal?

http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi758.htm

and

http://www.midcontinent.org/rollingstoc ... wheels.htm

Looks like the precursor to the PCC resilient wheel.

Wesley

The Museum of Transportation in St. Louis has two loose examples of paper wheels. At one point, there was an idea floating about to carefully section one of the wheels for display. As far as I know, the wheels are still down by the trolley storage building.

If I remember right, the Munising Railway business car in The Henry Ford has paper wheels, maybe the only surviving car with them.

When this car moved by rail from Boyne City to East Tawas, Michigan in the 1970's, following the auction of the Boyne City Railway, I recall the manager of the Michigan Northern Railway joking about surcharging the Detroit and Mackinac for moving a car with paper wheels.

Aarne Frobom
Fibre, Michigan

P.S.: Enjoy the ride of those Allied Full-cushions, Howie.

P.S.: Enjoy the ride of those Allied Full-cushions, Howie.


I'm sure they will carefully cushion the contents of the car they are going under: one of our NH ex-troop sleeper express cars, this one currently the "wood shop car". I doubt the planer and radial arm saw and table saw will complain.....

(Aarne is referring to a trade RMNE and SRI did of freight car trucks this summer)

Howard P.

Supposedly one of the smaller engines at either Sacramento or Carson City has them on the tender... But care must be taken with the identification, because Allen also made a double plate wheel with a cast iron filler; no paper. I can't see any reason why a tender should need paper wheels.

The Wisconsin Central wood coach at IRM, Pullman, 1906 IIRC, came out of work service with one composite plate wheel, similar but only a single plate.

Aarne -

If I correctly read the uh.edu website referenced above, Colorado Midland passenger car #111 at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden also has them.

Les