Stiwell Cars

[cnwfan51]

   Ok all you fans of eastern railroads especially the Erie. I have a question.  I recently was looking thru a book  trying to research a question I had and in the process I found a photo of an Erie local passenger train and the caption said the cars were Stilwell cars. My question were the these cars only built for the Erie or did other roads also use them, And were they used just for locals and commter operations ?  Thanks Larry

[henry6]

I don't believe any other road had Stilwell designed cars like the Erie did although the Hudson and Manhatten (the Tubes or today PATH) did have a similarly designed short rapid transit car in which the lineage was easily noted.  The Erie Stilwells were primarily commuter coaches with a few combines and a few baggage cars thrown in. Several of the cars were a little more plush for longer distance rides like to Port Jervis, Binghamton, and on the Cleveland-Youngstown-Pittsburgh services.  Off the top of my head, I think Stilwell did design coaches for the SP and maybe the RI.

 

EDIT: ADD NYS&W, under Erie control, also had Stilwells.

[daveklepper]

The Chicago and Eastern Indiana had Stillwell coaches identacle to the Erie's for commuter service.   As noted, the Hudson and Manhattan (now PATH)  original cars were Stillwells.   The cars for the joint PRR-H&M service to Newark were designed by Gibbs, however.   Stillwell also designed the original BMT "steels" or "B-Types."   Actually, A's B's, BX.s, and BT's.   Also the New York Westchester and Boston cars.   Also the steel cars for the London and Port Stanley.    There may be others.   All were distinguished by lightweight and strenth in the days before stainless and Budd.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

The CWI Stillwell coaches used in the Chicago-Dolton suburban service were purchased from Erie.

[henry6]

Another note on the Erie Stillwell cars (yes, I thought there was two "l's" in Stillwell):  I believe they were purposely designed lightweight with an eye toward electrifcation of North Jersey commuter operations which never happened due to the Depression and rise of automobiles.

[cnwfan51]

Thank you all for the information Being from the midwest And not knowing that much of eastern  Railroading all of this was a great help   Larry

[JonathanS]

The Susie Q (NYS&W) also had Stillwells.  But then they were controlled by the Erie.

[daveklepper]

If I remember correctly the Erie commuter Stillwells had an unusual type of truck, somewhat like a freight Andrews truck but heavier, while the more plush cars had regular drop-equalizer MCB-type trucks.   The Suzie-Q and C&EI cars had the commuter truck, and the three mu car types also had similar looking trucks.   And a similar truck ended up on the New York City IND R-1-R-9 cars, which were not Stillwells.