The First A.E.C.s for Ottawa Two Steel-bodied Rangers
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buses for the Ottawa Electric Railway Co. The bodies, made entirely of lightweight steel, were built by Short Bros. (Rochester and Bedford), Ltd., and the Ottawa Car Manufacturing Co., and each weighs 44i cwt. For the exterior panelling 20-gauge steel sheets are _used, the bumper rail being capped with convex mild-steel' moulding. The roof is of double-skin construction, the supporting hoopsticks of channel
B40 the two-fold type, and is located on the right side at the extreme front. On the same side at the rear is a four-fold exit door, which is controlled pneumati cally. As a safeguard, an electric signaL light for the driver is incorporated in the door-operating mechanism. The seats. are of the city-service pats tern, with high back-rests and armrests on the gangway sides. Both cushions and back-rests are built up on latex fillings and upholstered in handbuffed hide. For the interior mouldings, etc., cellulosed polished walnut has been chosen, the general effect being enhanced by chromium-plated fittings.
An interesting feature, and one of considerable value where vehicles are working in extremes of temperature, is that the space between the inner and outer panels and the panels of the roof is packed with Alfol insulating material. For summer ventilation twelve windows are of the half-drop type, these supplementing the standard Colt-type ventilators fitted in the roof. For winter work, a Clayton-Dewandre thermostatically controlled heating system is installed, this comprising two heater units—one at the front and the other at the rear beneath the back seats. In accordance with Canadian practice substantial bumpers are fitted both at the front and the rear of each vehicle.
It is interesting to record that the company operating these two buses has the distinction of being the first commercially operated electric railway in Canada, having started operations in 1891.