Hello, are any manufacturers still making parts for vestibule steps and traps? I know Adlake still sells floor latches. I haven't come across any companies selling step components, either as an assembly or as a "kit." Good source for step treads? Thanks

If you can find drawings for the originals any good metal shop could probably make them. If you can't find drawings the old ones could be used as a pattern.

Originals are long gone with no surviving examples to compare to. The photo record is also very sparse. I am working on drawings but I will be surprised if they go into any detail. We still will probably have to order parts such as the spring loaded hinges and treads (if possible).

Do you know who was the original builder of these cars? If Pullman you might be able to get drawings from the Pullman Library of the Illinois Ry Museum.

I believe they are Brills.

Oh it's an interurban car? The original steps are totally gone? Any pics with more details on the car?

P&W 1907 St. Louis car 46 had also lost her steps and traps when she was converted to work car 446.

The steps and traps now on the car are from a retired Reading MU trailer which had been built as a steam coach in the 1920's.

The car is on display in the building at Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton.

http://www.ectma.org/collection.html

Phil Mulligan

If you need images try the Electric Railway Dictonary pages 171-172 https://books.google.com/books/about/El ... 9IAQAAIAAJ

Thanks, Phil

Lots of good reference material there.

So, what car is this for, and when was it built?

A Brill step and trap combo is in each cab of Red Arrow Centre-Entrance car 76 (Brill 1926) which should be in the Electric City shop and carbarn at the ballpark (PNC Field).

Here's a link to the specifications:

http://www.ectma.org/cdspec.html

The steps and traps are item 26. Here's an extract:

"Triple steps at diagonal right hand corners of car to be provided with EDWARDS trap doors and width of these steps to be the standard of Railway Company. The width of the second step going out of the car to be increased either 1" or 2", at option of Car Builder (same as was done on last cars built Brill Order 22045)

The stationary step at centre entrance on each side, as also the triple steps at diagonal right hand corners of car to be provided their full length with a 3" strip of FERALUN safety tread let in flush with top of step tread."

Apparently the Edwards is the O. M. Edwards Co. of Syracuse NY. According to Steamtown's documentation, Edwards also made the traps for CNJ Combine 303 in Steamtown's operating fleet.

Phil Mulligan

Would that be the same type of car as SEPTA 68 that was at IRM for a while? I thought that car was complete when it came. The Hicks Car Works website says it went to the Indiana Ry. Museum in 1983. Perhaps it still resides there?

Dennis, the steps and traps in question are for Strafford car 164. From what I can tell they are different from the steps on the center door cars but it’s hard to say, there aren’t many photos of the Strafford cars in that configuration. The bottom step would swing up 90’ to (I believe) avoid third rail contact. I’m not necessarily looking to duplicate that feature.

I was considering what it would take to spruce up/backdate the car as part of a grant, and readily available hardware is easy to quote. East Troy did add steps diagonally on the car but the traps are reversed and the platform doors (and hardware) were removed. I think it’s a little more than we are able to dive into at the moment but it’s still worth gathering information for a later date.

Thanks

P&W was almost 100% high level platform when 60 cars were built. When the Bullet cars arrived in 1931, P&W built a new station in Norristown, making the line 100% high level. They rebuilt the 160 cars for one-man high speed operation and removed the steps and traps as they were no longer needed.

It ran for P&W, Red Arrow and SEPTA and found its way to East Troy, who changed the doors and added one set of steps and traps to each end. ECTMA bought the car and brought it back to Pennsylvania.

Here's are some photos of the car and the story on the ECTMA website. You can tell where the center door had been.

http://www.ectma.org/164html.html

Phil Mulligan