DOUBLE DECK TRAINS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 18 November 1927, Page 8

DOUBLE DECK TRAINS.

ISOU'TII AFRICAN NOVELTY,

'A double-deck railway coach, the ) invention of a Capetown railway official, Air Oscar Hulse, has been car fully tried on the 'Cape railways and is now regarded as definitely successful. The South African railways constructed an experimental coach from Air Hulse’s plans at a cost of £SOOO and the rigid tests to which it was submitted were passed without any important adiustments being necessary, in a short time, it is announced, what is not only a South African noveltv, but. a novelty for railways throughout _ the world, will probably be a common sight on South African suburban lines. The new coach provides adequate accommodation for 124 passengers as compared with the 90 odd passengers held by the latest imported corridor coaches. The coach is no higher than a singledecker and South Africa’s peculiarly narrow gauge has also been considered by the inventor. His ingenuity has succeeded in getting two decks in a coach ]2ft. ’Bin. above the rails by sinking 1 the lower floor of the coach between the axles and utilising the space under the upper deck seats. In appearance the new coach differs little from the present type except that there are two rows of windows, which are smaller than the windows, but greater in number. It is the length of the ordinary coach and rests on standard bogies at either end, where there is an ordinary door leading to a square ea A Neither end of the .decks are slidin" doors, more than double the width of”the present doors. Here there are wide “landings,” as on a passenger ‘(steamer. The impression of passenger 1 steamer arrangements on a small scale ' is o-iven by the brass rails along the step ’ leading to the lower deck with its white domed walls. , , The seats on either deck are placed longitudinallv. Downstairs the seats have their backs to the windows, electric light being provided by the lamps ■ fitted in the walls. Passengers on the : upper deck sit back-to-hack, i Whether the in the new . coaches will be as good as in the ordinary type it is difficult to say. In both saloons however, ample head-room is available. The central corridor downstairs is twice as wide as the space between the seats of an ordinary corridor 'The arrangement is calculated to ensure a low centre of gravity, which 1 makes for greater safety. It is claimed that .the double-decker is far less liable to capsize than the present type of coach.