What is a "partition coach"

NW Mailing List nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Wed Jan 23 10:17:33 EST 2008


Frank,

Just a little info to go with what has been furnished by others.

In 1949 Pullman-Standard furnished three coach versions for the re-equipped
Powhatan Arrow.

The Class P1 coaches, NW 501 and 502, originally had a smoking section with
individual chairs for eight people, seats in the coach section for 40
people, and quarters for the train steward and dining-car crew. This would
have been the "Dormitory Coach" on your consist sketch. Later N&W diagrams
show that the smoking section was re-equipped with double seats for 12
people and that the quarters were replaced by double seats for 16 people and
the type changed to "Three Compartment Coach" (2 partitions). Indications
are that this change may have occurred as early as 1952 or 1953, although
someone else may have better info.

The Class P2 coaches, NW 511 and 512, seated 42 people in one section and 24
in the other section (1 partition). These were designated "Two Compartment
Coach." This would have been the "Partition Coach" in your consist sketch.

The Class P3 coaches, NW 531 thru 540, seated 58 people and were designated
"Full Coach." This would have been the "Straight Coach" in your consist
sketch.

As to why the vestibules were arranged as shown on your consist sketch, I
can only speculate. The vestibule on the first car was probably placed away
from the steam locomotive to help avoid startling boarding passengers if the
pop valves on the locomotive should open unexpectedly and also to minimize
exposure to any cinders that might be coming out of the loco stack and
blowing toward the coaches. The adjacent vestibules on the second and third
cars could have allowed one trainman to direct the passengers to their
reserved seats. This would result in directing the two races to the
designated coaches in Virginia, which I believe was the only state on the
N&W main line with a Jim Crow law. The two adjacent vestibules would also
allow the trainman to direct local passengers to their seats in the forward
coaches. I remember that this was done, and I suspect the reason was to
avoid disturbing the long distance passengers by people getting on and off
for a short ride.

Gordon Hamilton

----- Original Message -----
From: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: "N&W Historical Society" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 4:55 PM
Subject: What is a "partition coach"


Good afternoon:

I was looking at the attached page from a 1953 N&W
Consist Book. Trains 25 and 26 included a "partition
coach" which I am unfamilar with. It is also the only
train which included a schematic for aligning
vestibules. Also, unlike other pages, it is missing
the notes A through F.

I'd welcome information about what a partition coach
was or other aspects about the car alignment in the
consist.

Thank you,

Frank Scheer
f_scheer at yahoo.com


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



> ________________________________________

> NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org

> To change your subscription go to

> http://list.nwhs.org/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list

> Browse the NW-Mailing-List archives at

> http://list.nwhs.org/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.9/1237 - Release Date: 1/22/2008
11:04 AM



More information about the NW-Mailing-List mailing list