Re: C&TS Coaches

Points to ponder:

These points refer to the passenger cars with the clerestory roofs that the C&TS folks designed. The earlier flat top creations were done by someone else, the RR had no input.

The coaches are the width they are because of the Standard Gauge seats that were acquired to go in them. Building replica seats would have been cost prohibitive. The seats came from Lackawanna commuter cars.

The cars do not ride "too low" The deck height is the same as any vintage passenger car. Look at the pics of 292 coupled to the train last week.

There were plans years ago to make passenger trucks, mostly because the supply of suitable Bettendorf and Andrews trucks was running out. New trucks were designed, and work began on a prototype pair. The contractor who bid on the project could not deliver what he claimed. After a few failed attempts, the idea was scrapped. The current passenger fleet, using freight car underframes has a much lower bolster height than a vintage passenger car, so the proposed trucks had to be completely redesigned from a traditional truck. Would ride quality be improved? Yes it would. A nice swing motion passenger truck would be noticeably smoother.

The current passenger cars offer much better viewing than a standard coach offers. The windows are much larger, and open wider. The drop-windows were designed so that person could stand up at his seat and take an unobstructed picture out the window. Try that in a vintage passenger car. Mom and Pop tourist like these much better.