SEMTA Coaches

[kitn1mcc]

were some of then stainless cars

[Tadman]

I believe the PRR cars were flat stainless while the UP cars were carbon steel.

[TCurtin]

The SEMTA cars arrived in January 1984. I was commuting out of Danbury at the time and remember this well. I rode them on their first day in service.

[DutchRailnut]

they had to have bathrooms locked on part of Danbury branch due to watershed concerns.

[TCurtin]

I remember that rule, Jaap. in fact it goes all the way back to New Haven RR days and appeared in the ETTs.

The one feature I did not like about the ex-UP coaches was the tendency of the coach windows to steam up in cold, dark weather which the ex-NH coaches they replaced did not do

[DutchRailnut]

That I believe had to do with a past overhaul, were they were concerted from sleepers to coach, they use to have window blinds in between panes.
When blinds were removed they either sealed in moisture or the space between glass was not filled with a gas instead of air.

[ExCon90]

they had to have bathrooms locked on part of Danbury branch due to watershed concerns.

The PRR had similar Special Instructions in places on the Northern Region in western Pennsylvania, and they always ended with the sentence: "Exceptions may be made in cases of distress." Were there similar provisions on the former NH, or was it left up to the conductor?

[Backshophoss]

There were also watershed bathroom lock up requirements on the Harlem and Hudson lines

[TomNelligan]

Were there similar provisions on the former NH, or was it left up to the conductor?

Checking my copy of the 1956 edition of the New Haven rulebook, Rule 807 covering toilet-locking at designated locations includes the line "Proper judgement must be used in case of emergency."

[ExCon90]

Thanks for checking; goes to show that a well-written rule allows for unusual circumstances.