The Chautauqua Traction Company, operating between Jamestown and Stow, around the western shore of Lake Chautauqua, has lately placed in commission several fine semi-convertible cars built by the J. G. Brill Company. Between Jamestown and Stow are the towns of Celoran, Lakewood, Ashville, Mayville, Chautauqua and Victoria. The large number of visitors to this popular region in the summer has made it necessary for the company to add larger cars to its equipment of a type suitable for through service. The cars, as shown in the illustrations, are of two types – straight passenger and combination. The straight passenger cars are mounted on 27-G trucks, capable of 30 miles an hour, and the combination cars on 27-E-1 trucks, capable of a very high speed, and this latter type will be used for express. The cars present a handsome appearance with their inclosed vestibules, steam car roofs and handsome coloring – black with green lines, gold lettering and decorations.
The straight passenger cars are seated for forty-four passengers, the seats being 36 ins. long, and upholstered in plush; having no window pockets the seats are brought against the side lining between the posts, the sides being 2 ins. thick and the width over the posts 8 ft. 2 ins.; the aisles are, therefore, 22 ins. wide. Interiors are finished in cherry, all neatly colored, carved and decorated; the ceilings are of decorated birch; the interior trim throughout is solid bronze of ample proportions, including five basket racks on either side. Length of cars over end panels, 30 ft. 8 ins.; over vestibules, 40 ft. 1 in.; from panel over vestibule, 4 ft. 8 1/2 ins.; width over sills, 7 ft. 10 1/2 ins.; over posts at belt, 8 ft. 2 ins.; sweep of posts, 1 3/4 ins.; from center to center of posts, 2 ft. 8 ins.; thickness of corner posts, 3 3/4 ins., and of side posts, 3/4 ins. Side sill, size 4 ins. x 7 3/4 ins., plated on the inside with 3/4-in. x 12-in. plates, to which are substantially secured the lower portion of the posts. The 27-G trucks on which these cars are mounted have a wheel base of 4 ft., axles 4 1/2 ins. in diameter, and 33-in. wheels.
The combination passenger and baggage cars are 31 ft. 8 ins. over end panels, and 41 ft. I in. over vestibules. The other dimensions are the same as in the straight passenger cars. The passenger compartment is 17 ft. 2 ins. long, and the baggage compartment 14 ft. 6 ins. The passenger compartment seats twenty-four passengers, and the baggage compartment has folding seats for the use of smokers. The 27-E-1 trucks have a wheel base of 6 ft., axles 42 in. in diameter and 33-in. wheels. All the cars are equipped with four 55-hp motors each. Weight of a straight passenger car, trucks and motors is about 43,000 lbs., and of a combination car is about 46,000 lbs.
Source: Street Railway Journal, 3 October 1903, p. 670. Found on Google Books.