C-3 Questions.

My 9 year old asked me a question, I did not have an answer... a little SOS here please...

Between the "A" and "B" connection of two coaches, there are 3 small looking chains or springs attached between the coaches, each a few feet apart, going up along the outside wall of the coaches... What is this for?

My guess was to keep anyone from trying to climb between the coaches at stations...? Am I close?

FTA funding required the chains due to the ADA to prevent "sight impared" people from falling between the cars...the theory is that they would feel the chains and not think it is ingress into the car.

Which leads to another answer somewhat related..when the coaches first arrived, the cars were plagued with broken windows nearest the ends of the cars. The railroad was baffled as to the cause. It turns out, that when the train proceeded thorugh the car wash, the rollers would grab the chain, which would then stretch as the train moved, and slap it against the sides of the car breaking the windows.

The old Pullman cars had the right idea using the rubberized, accordian weather seals between cars. Kept out rain, cold, heat and kept passengers from being injured while passing between cars.

Not all old ideas were useless! There were SOME smart people before the days of high tech!

Dave

That's right dave, But why didn't LIRR Pullmans have the diaphrams. the P72/5s?
I think the Hvy/ltg weights did.

No idea . . . .

Perhaps the LIRR ordered them constructed without diaphragms as the train crews didn't want to mess with one extra thing to connect or disconnect. Perhaps the UTU backed them in this respect.

Just like when they no longer wanted to flip seat-backs at the end of a run, the LIRR shops welded them into fixed positions to the dismay of the commuters.

I remember seeing the diaphragms on the lightweight parlors, but I don't recall them ever being connected completely or connected at all. They may not even have worked at that point any more.

I never rode the heavyweights, but I'm sure they had them. I'll have to study some of my old negative images and see what they show between the cars.

Dave

I don't think there ever was a pure commuter coach with diaphrams. Main line coaches downgraded to commuter service, yes, but not pure commuter. This because there was no real reason for a commuter to move between cars while train was in motion: he was on the train usually for an hour or less and he usually got on and off "his" car while intercity passengers would have to walk from Pullman or coach to Diner.

How many C3s' does the railroad roster? I need a refresher on that one.

Something like 134, plus 22 cab cars.

Joe

In total is 134.