Re: EBT Coaches No. 5 and No. 8

EBT coach #8 is 44' over the carbody (add another 5' for the two platforms), and 8' 5" wide. It has a capacity of 52 people. (This from Rainey and Kyper's East Broad Top.)

According to the same source, coach #5 is 36' 8" over the carbody, plus an additional 5' for the two platforms, and 8' 1" wide. It's stated capacity is 43 people. Coach #5 came to the EBT sometime in the early 1890s, though the car's exact origins are unknown.

Coach #5 is about "average" in terms of typical lengths of passenger equipment.

Coach #8 was originally built for the Boston, Revere Beach, and Lynn Railway, and came to the EBT with two other coaches which would become the EBT's combines nos. 14 and 15. All three cars remain in service on the EBT. It's been stated that all three cars were Laconia Car Co. products, though this has recently been called into question.

The ex-BRB&L coaches are longer and wider than most other narrow gauge cars. Some speculate that they were built to standard gauge proportions, though they're still a bit undersized even for late 1800s standard gauge passenger equipment. Most likely, the BRB&L--being a commuter line--just ordered the cars bigger to increase capacity.

Later,

K