# What's this?



## hcampbell (Jan 2, 2008)

Shorpy has a new whatsit, anyone here have a clue?
http://www.shorpy.com/node/18868?size=_original#caption

Harvey C


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Subway straps, you hang by a wrist. SRO
I've seen 'em live.
John


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## backyardRR (Aug 14, 2012)

That's why they call subway riders "straphangers".


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## armorsmith (Jun 1, 2008)

OK John, now that you got the easy part, what is the equipment. My bet is either air compressors or water pumps (steam driven???)


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Harvey,
Since we know that it is an Interurban or Street car and still has the controls, I would assume that it is self powered.
Would they have ever had steam boilers on a car? Maybe.
The 'things' seem to have levers that go back and forth and perhaps pump liquid through the hoses and pipes.
How about a weed killing car?
Or maybe a track tamping machine, or rail grinder, or other track maintenance unit?
I'm sure that someone will know.
Cheers,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Just realised that if you click on the image, you can see other peoples comments!
Cheers,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I confess I didn't see the whole picture.
If not instruction then I'd lean towards the Men's smoker, but that's a lot of repetition of machinery, for 4 barbers with mirrors (right side)...
I'll say a class room.
John


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

Upper left looks like a large battery box with light bulbs underneath it (used to control power)? So maybe it is a generating car. On the lower left looks like heaters to me.


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## pfdx (Jan 2, 2008)

Definatly an instruction car for an electric railway. The appratrus on the right floor represent a series of P-1-C triple valve brake systems including the cutout cocks hoses and dump valves. If you look carefully in the far right corner of the car you can see two brake-stands, one mounted on the bulkhead of the carbody and the other mounted sideways on the wall to replicate the operation of a "train" of brake system. Test racks like this were used to show how an application or release propagates down the length of the train, but more importantly how to troubleshoot on the road to minimize "confusion and delay".

The apparatus on the left looks like a exploded version of a resistor grid for motor control. The light bulbs probably indicate which grids are in the circuit for each throttle notch supplying a specific voltage to the motor fields.

Instruction cars of this type we quite common on large railroads when new equipment was introduced. The car would travel from division to division or in this case, carbarn to carbarn, to train anyone who would be required to operate or service the equipment. It was more economical to take the classroom to the student back then and I wouldn't be surprised if the manufacture of the systems was required to supply and set up this equipment as part of the purchase agreement.

On a side note, the combined brake cylinder and reservoir casting with the side mounted valve was rather rare in use. I've only seen three in railroad applications. It may have been intended for street railway us as seen here.


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## backyardRR (Aug 14, 2012)

Don't forget the ubiquitous (for that era) spittoon. From the appearance of the floor around the spittoon it appears that good aim wasn't required!


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