nd-posts and braced at each end by gusset plates. The body bolster is
made up of two rolled steel plates bolted together at their ends and
supported by a steel draw casting, the ends of which form a support
for the center sills. The cross-bridging and needle-beams of 5-inch
I-beams are unusually substantial. The flooring inside the car is
double and of maple, with asbestos fire-felt between the layers, and
is protected below by steel plates and "transite" (asbestos board).

The side framing of the car is of white ash, doubly braced and heavily
trussed. There are seven composite wrought-iron carlines forged in
shape for the roof, each sandwiched between two white ash carlines,
and with white ash intermediate carlines. The platform posts are of
compound construction with anti-telescoping posts of steel bar
sandwiched between white ash posts at corners and centers of
vestibuled platforms. These posts are securely bolted to the steel
longitudinal sills, the steel anti-telescoping plate below the floor,
and to the hood of the bow which serves to reinforce it. This bow is a
heavy steel angle in one piece, reaching from plate to plate and
extending back into the car 6 feet on each side. By this construction
it is believed that the car framing is practically indestructible. In
case of accident, if one platform should ride over another, eight
square inches of metal would have to be sheared off the posts before
the main body of the car would be reached, which would afford an
effective means of protection.

[Illustration: EXTERIOR VIEW--STEEL CAR FRAMING]

The floor is completely covered on the underside with 1/4-inch
asbestos transite board, while all parts of the car framing, flooring,
and sheathing are covered with fire-proofing compound. In addition,
all spaces above the motor truck in the floor framing, between sills
and bridging, are protected by plates of No. 8 steel and 1/4-inch roll
fire-felt extending from the platform end sill to the bolster.

[Sidenote: _Car Wiring_]

The precautions to secure safety from fire consists generally in the
perfected arrangement and installation of the electrical apparatus and
the wiring. For the lighting circuits a flexible steel conduit is
used, and a special junction box. On the side and upper roofs, over
these conduits for the lighting circuits, a strip of sheet iron is
securely nailed to the roof boards before the canvas is applied. The
wires under the floor are carried in ducts m