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 moulded into suitable forms of asbestos compound.  Special precautions have been taken with the insulation of the wires, the specifications calling for, first, a layer of paper, next, a layer of rubber, and then a layer of cotton saturated with a weather-proof compound, and outside of this a layer of asbestos.  The hangers supporting the rheostats under the car body are insulated with wooden blocks, treated by a special process, being dried out in an oven and then soaked in an insulating compound, and covered with 1/4-inch “transite” board.  The rheostat boxes themselves are also insulated from the angle iron supporting them.  Where the wires pass through the flooring they are hermetically sealed to prevent the admission of dust and dirt.