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Bi-Level Suburban Coaches of various designs.
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[quote]QUOTE: <i>Originally posted by CSSHEGEWISCH</i> <br /><br />The CB&Q/BN bi-levels did not have center-facing seats on the gallery level and had a correspondingly lower capacity. As a regular rider on Metra Southwest, I personally prefer the single seats upstairs but the center facing seats aren't that bad. Being packed a bit tight is a fact of life on transit and suburban equipment, consider the 3-2 seating on Metro North and LIRR. <br /> <br />Metra recently dropped the automated fare collection system on the Electric District (IC). It was a carryover from IC days and in one version or another dated back to 1966. It may have been an attempt to reduce the need for outlying manned stations since IC was virtually a rapid-transit type operation within the Chicago city limits with stations only a half-mile apart. <br />[/quote] <br /> <br />You are correct, sir. The IC went to automated tickets and gates in July of '66. During the summer of '65 they started with automated ticket vendors located on platforms, with the tickets collected by the crews. <br /> <br />Before this the IC had quite a complicated, but well run system of fare collection dispite its rapid transit style of operation. This due to the high number of passengers and the local nature of the operation. Most stations had two seperate entrances. Each entrance was staffed by a ticket clerk and a gateman during peak peiods. Each train had a trainman to collect two cars, including Jeaton, for a while. The tickets were color coded for zones, and validity. A monthly ticket would have the top part color-coded for zone, with the punch-portion color coded for which month it was valid. This part was changed each year so a December monthly of one year couldn't be used in December of another. <br /> <br />One would buy their ticket from the clerk, then have it punched with a punch mark associated with that station's division. For instance the 51st Street gateman punched a "P" mark. gatemen at Randolph punched a "diamond" shape, and so on. The trainmen would inspect tickets after each station on northbound trains, and then after 53rd Street, they would collect or cancel tickets. This was a costly way of doing business to say the least. <br /> <br />By the time the IC bi-levels showed up the ticket system was fully automated and there was no need, at the time, for trainmen to go to the upper deck so a generous modesty panel was placed for the gallery seats. With regards to the lack of same on other cars, and women's styles of the early '70s, the first conductor I ever worked with on a CNW suburban train admonished,"Don't go walking on the armrests of the lower deck seats to get a better look up stairs." <br /> <br />As the CNW was doing well with their suburban operation, and the IC had just made major improvements, the IC followed the CNW one more step. In June of '69 the CNW went to an awfull green elevator operator's uniform for their train crews. The IC figured they do the same. <br /> <br />The CNW inter-city gallery cars were an execption with respect to the modesty panels. As there was a lot of time between stations there was o need for passengers to hand their tickets down to a trainman. We would have to actually ascend the stairs, both sides, to collect tickets on those cars. <br /> <br />Mitch <br />Proud orriginator of the Metra trainmen's uniform design
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