8 THE CALL BOARD

NEWSLETTER

OF THE MOHAWK & HUDSON CHAPTER, N.R.H.S.

July 1992

11
TH EALBANY CAR:
UNITED TRACTION COMPANY NO. 301
By Tim Truscott, Dick Wettereau and Ken Haselton
cars were over 20 years old. Aside from

. being unattractive and uncomfortable, these

The once-booming urban streetcar busicars were expensive to operate, noisy and ness was in trouble by 1929, as Americans - not designed to attract riders or to earn a had become infatuated during the '20s with profit. Virtually all of the streetcars built in the private automobile and the freedom and 1929 employed a technology which had comfort it could provide them. Automobile reached its peak in 1908, only about 20 drivers complained that slow-moving antiyears after Frank Sprague introduced the quated streetcars impeded traffic flow, and first urban electric street railway line in at the same time street railways blamed the Richmond, Virginia in 1887. The street car automobile for traffic congestion. Streetwas its own worst enemy. cars were utilitarian vehicles which moved As the automobile experienced its rapid citizens through their cities. But the public rise in importance during the 1920s, varidemanded more: they wanted the speed and ous attempts were made to stem the exodus comfort they got from their automobile. of passengers from streetcar lines to private By 1929, half of the nation's approxiautomobiles and, therefore, to protect the mately 74,000 electric railway passenger investments of the street railway compa-

The 301 was heading east on Madison Ave., along Washington Park at Knox St., on March 27, 1943 when this photo was taken. This aluminum-bodied car had a number of advanced features never seen in Albany before. (Fred B. Abele Collection)

nies. Development of lightweight trucks, lightweight car bodies, noise reduction and other improvements were all areas of interest to the industry. By the late 1920s, the emphasis was on marketing the streetcar as a modern vehicle with the comfort and attractiveness of the passenger automobile. Experimental lightweight streetcars were already scattered around the country by the time of the Electric Street Railway Association convention in 1929. Experimental lightweight cars built by various manufacturers for Lynchburg (Virginia), Chicago, Scranton, Pittsburgh and Detroit, along with the United Traction Company's experimental No. 301, were displayed at the Atlantic City convention. It was at this 1929 ESRA meeting that street railway executives, at the urging of Electric Railway Journal Editor Charles Gordon, agreed that a standardized modern street railway car needed to be developed. The Electric Railway Presidents' Conference Committee (ERPCC) was therefore formed in 1929, resulting in the PCC car (PCC stood for "Presidents' Conference Committee"). The United Traction Company had not purchased any new cars since the singletruck heavyweight cars were built by Wason and Laconia in 1915 and 1916. The 301 was the prototype of a new design of car which, it was hoped, would he more costeffective to operate and at the same time would be attractive and comfortable enough to keep people riding on streetcars. It was also hoped by the manufacturers that the car would be ordered in large numbers. Because the car was designed to meet the needs of the United Traction Company in Albany, it was referred to in traction trade publications as "The Albany Car." According to some reports, the United Traction Company was considering acquisition of a total of 80 of these cars. However, a new administration at the United Traction

July 1992

NEWSLETTER

OF THE MOHAWK & HUDSON CHAPTER, N.R.H.S. length overall, and was 8 ft. 2 112in. wide. Its height was 9 ft. 11 9/16 in. from the rail to the top of the trolley boards. The 301 weighed in at 32,450 lbs. The car body itself weighed 14,980 lbs and the trucks each weighed 7,730 lbs, The balance of the weight was taken up by airbrake equipment, electrical equipment, magnetic brakes and so forth. Passenger convenience and comfort were prime features of the new design. The height from the rail to the first step on the end doors was only 17 inches, while the height from the rail to the first step of the center exit doors was only 15 inches. Because of this passenger convenience, how-

THE CALL BOARD 9

Company, presumably combined with the onset of the Great Depression, is said to have kept the project from progressing. Probably just as important in keeping the UTC's project from moving forward was the decision to develop the President's Conference Committee (PeC) car. No additional cars were ordered, therefore making the 301 the last new car acquired by the UTC. Development of this new design, which featured a body fabricated from Alcoa aluminum and a new type of motors and controller, was initiated by the United Traction Company. The Car was designed and constructed jointly by the Cincinnati Car Co. and the General Electric Co. The manufacturers touted the car as having many differences from conventional designs, and promoted it as being a lightweight car. Interestingly, Knoxville, Tennessee and Salt Lake City, Utah had electric buses built on the same body as the 301. During World War II it was sometimes out of service for extended periods because parts were not available, since it was a one-of-a-kind car. According to the late Fred B. Abele, the 301 was assigned to the #6 Second Ave. line from 1929 until 1934, and served on the #3 Beltline from 1934 until 1941. Between 1941 and the end of streetcar service in Albany in 1946 the 301 served on all of the remaining lines (i.e. #3 Beltline, #4 Pine Hills, #5 Delaware Ave., #6 Second Ave. and #2 West Albany). It is interesting to note that the "#3 Beltline" was hand lettered at the end of the 301's rollsign, probably early on; either the "'#3 Beltline" was mistakenly omitted by the sign maker or the Traction Company's plans for the 301 had changed after the sign was printed. The "#6 Second Ave." on the rollsign was reported to be very yellowed, indicating that this part of the sign had been exposed a great deal (i.e. the car had served on that route for five years between 1929 and 1934). It is known that the 301's rollsign also showed the #10 Cohoes and #4 Troy routes, but the car is not known to have ever run on any of these lines. The 301 was the most popular car for fan trips during the later years of UTC operations, probably because of its uniqueness and modern features. It is reported to have ridden very smoothly and quietly. At the same time, the aluminum roof and frame structure evidently resulted in a certain rumble as the trolley pole passed over trolley wire fittings, a sound not found on any of the UTC heavyweight cars. On the "farewell" UnitedTraction Co. fan trip in July of 1946, the 301 ran with two other cars. The 301 measured 42 ft. 8 1/2 in. in

the roof. The wainscoting below the windows consisted of aluminum plate. Seating was of the "walkover" type upholstered in brown Spanish leather and manufactured by Hale & Kilburn. Each double seat was 35 inches wide with ten double seats on each side of the aisle, while the aisle between the seats was 22 inches wide. One longitudinal 30-inch seat was located to the right of each end door. The motorman's seat was a swivel bucket type which was adjustable both vertically and longitudinally. Provision was made for both temperature and noise insulation. The carbody was insulated with 1/2 in. cork glued to the

The 301 is shown in front of the United Traction Co. Quail St. office on August 22, 1942 in this photo by lamar Keller. This 44-passenger car, powered by four 35-horsepower General Electric motors, had unusually good acceleration. Note the trolley pole near the left edge of the photo. (Fred B. Abele Collection)
ever, the car was restricted somewhat in the routes it could operate on. The low side exit doors would not clear the curb going from South Pearl St. onto Hudson Ave., where the track was closer to the curb than on other routes, so the 301 could not run on the "Inner Belt" line. For passenger comfort in Albany winters, there were 20 enclosed thermostatically-controlled 500-watt electric heaters manufactured by the Consolidated Car Heater Co. The car also had 20 dome-type electric lamp fixtures for illumination of the interior of the car. Careful attention was given to the appearance of the interior of the car. The headlining on the interior of the car was 18 gauge aluminum curved to the contour of inside and outside panels; this material also acted as a noise insulation. Ground cork and cement was used to fill the body bolsters for the elimination of vibration and noise. Additional noise-deadening features included non-resonant gears, as well as noise deadeners on the wheels. The carbody was mounted on passenger-type arch bar trucks manufactured by Cincinnati Car Co., with special spring pedestal cantilever-type journal boxes and combination rubber cushions and semieliptical spring bolster suspension. The trucks, which had a wheelbase of 5 ft. 4 in., were designed to operate on curves with a minimum radius of 30 ft. Incidentally, these trucks may have been the first used by the UTC which had not been manufactured

10 THE CALL BOARD

NEWSLETTER

OF THE MOHAWK & HUDSON CHAPTER, N.R.H.S.

July 1992

the 301 had a more favorable weight-tohorsepower ratio than did the earlier double-1 truck models. 1 While the 800s were 45 ft. 1 in. in overall length, the 301 was 42 ft. 8 I12 in. ~ long. The width of the 301 was 8 ft. 2 112 ! in., while the 800s were 8 ft. 6 in. wide. The II r-t 800s were 11 ft. 5 in. high (above the rail), ~:.:::.::~-=::~:.:::::~.::::::=:::=:':::::::~~"~:"~~:~!!;;:::.:=.=::-~.=----------..L.~-56"-~J' 301 was 9 ft. 11 9/16 in. high. while the In summary, the 301 was slightly shorter, narrower and lower than the other 44-pasDiagram of the UTC 301 shows that it was designed to permit easy senger double-truck cars in use (the 800entrance and exit, as indicated by the wide aisles and the location of series), but had a more favorable weightthe enddoors and exit doors at the center of the car. The shape of the to-power ratio than the earlier cars. Also, car, with the ends narrower than the rest of the car, is reminiscent of the new-type controller and motors protoday's LRV's. (Collection of the authors) vided for improved acceleration, while the service and magnetic brakes permitted su15-20 percent. The car's acceleration was perior stopping capabilities. locally by the Taylor Truck Co. A smaller-than-usual 26 in. wheel diam3.5 m.p.h.p.s (miles per hour per second). The United Traction Company's No. Stops with the service brake resulted in a 301 was a car in the forefront of modern eter, permitted by lower-profile motors, deceleration of2.5 m.p.h.p.s., and a decelmade it possible to provide wide and contraction development. as the industry tried venient entry and exit doors with low steps. eration of 6 m.p.h.p.s. when emergency desperately to save itself from the private braking (combining both air and magnetic automobile. This one-of-a-kind car was a Axles were fitted with 3 in. X 6 in. Hyatt roller bearings. braking) was used. favorite of Capital District traction fans A comparison of the 301 with some of and will long be remembered. Power was provided by four 35 hp Genthe lJTC 's other 44-passenger double-truck eral Electric Type 265 electric motors which were geared for a free running speed of 32 cars in service along with the 301 between References: 1929 and the end of service in 1946 is Electric Railway Journal, Feb. 1930, pgs. mph at 550 volts. A General Electric Type 78-81, "New Albany Car Includes Many PCM controller was designed for foot op- interesting. The 16 cars in the 820-842 Innovations," by R.S. Beers. (even no.) series of double-truck cars built eration. The controller was operated by by Cincinnati Car Co. in 1913 for the C the right foot, with the operator selecting Electric Traction, Nov. 1929, pgs. 591practically any speed by depressing the weighed 41,000 lbs., nearly 8,000 Ibs, more than the 301. Thi steel-body series had 592, "The Albany Car." pedal through the various resistance four 40 hp traction motors. while the 30J notches. Since the brake was controlled PCC: The Car That Fought Back, by with the left foot, both hands were free for had four 35 hp motors, yielding 2S6 Ibs, per horsepower for the . and Stephen P. Carlson and Fred W. Schneider the operator to make change, punch transIlL Interurban Press, 1980. per horsepower for the 30 1. In otlrer w fers and perform other tasks. The footoperated controller was claimed to have all the flexibility of the hand-operated Type K controller. The 301 was equipped with both air and supplementary magnetic track brakes. The Cincinnati arch bar umber of ._ .._ 1 Trucks air brake, manufactured by General Elec'0 __ ................... ..__ __ __ 301 Manufacturer Cincinnati Car Co. tric, was of the straight air type with an Wheelbase 5 ft. 4 in. Manufactnrer Cincinnati Car Co. emergency feature. The magnetic brakes Wheel Diam 26 in. consisted of four electromagnets mounted Weight 7,730 Ibs. Type Pay As You Enter between the wheels of each truck. They Date mfg 1929 were energized directly from the trolley Motors ..__ .4 ea. G.E. 265 Seating cap 44 and controlled by intermediate pneumatic Horsepower __ 35 ea. valves. In an emergency, both the air brakes Voltage 600 Body Aluminum and the magnetic brakes functioned toWeight N.A. Car weight 32,450 lbs. gether. Car body weight 14,980 lbs. A red stop light was located on the _General Electric Model outside of each end of the car along with red Overall length 42 ft. 8 112 in. lamps over each exit door. These lights Body length 32 ft. 127/8 in. warned automobile drivers, as well as pasDt::s:i::zIiion signs Hunter, end & side Ht. over rail 9 ft. 11 9/16 . sengers, that a stop was about to be made. Width (exterior) 8 ft._ One of the service features promoted by ._ Air & magnetic the manufacturers was the car's fast accelVestibules _ eration and deceleration which, the manuEnds ~ -"-''''-''-'u;...;:: facturers claimed had been shown in tests, could result in a decrease in running time of

{~:':~~~!=~ ..

CO. 301