Keystone (train)
Encyclopedia
The Keystone was a set of eight cars, built by the Budd Company
in 1956 for the Pennsylvania Railroad
. It consisted of seven coaches seating a total of 574 passengers, and one Head end power
(HEP) generator car. The train was normally used in New York, NY, to Washington, D.C.
, service, making two round trips per day.
The coaches were of a unique, split-level design, with the center portion of each car having a floor level two feet below that of standard coaches. This lowered the cars' center of gravity, allowing the train to safely take curves at higher speeds. The coaches were also built to a stressed-skin
"Tubular" design, with the shell of the car providing all of the cars structural strength, without the normal heavy steel underframe. This resulted in cars weighing only 60% of what standard cars would weigh.
The split-level design, with short stairways between levels, proved unpopular with passengers, causing bottlenecks during loading and unloading.
The trainset was retired in 1968, and sold to the South East Michigan Transportation Authority (SEMTA
) in May 1976 for $80,000.
Budd Company
The Budd Company is a metal fabricator and major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and was formerly a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars during the 20th century....
in 1956 for the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
. It consisted of seven coaches seating a total of 574 passengers, and one Head end power
Head end power
Head end power or electric train supply is a rail transport term for the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or “head” of a train or a generator car, generates all the electricity used for lighting, electrical and other...
(HEP) generator car. The train was normally used in New York, NY, to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, service, making two round trips per day.
The coaches were of a unique, split-level design, with the center portion of each car having a floor level two feet below that of standard coaches. This lowered the cars' center of gravity, allowing the train to safely take curves at higher speeds. The coaches were also built to a stressed-skin
Stressed skin
In mechanical engineering, stressed skin is a type of rigid construction, intermediate between monocoque and a rigid frame with a non-loaded covering:...
"Tubular" design, with the shell of the car providing all of the cars structural strength, without the normal heavy steel underframe. This resulted in cars weighing only 60% of what standard cars would weigh.
The split-level design, with short stairways between levels, proved unpopular with passengers, causing bottlenecks during loading and unloading.
The trainset was retired in 1968, and sold to the South East Michigan Transportation Authority (SEMTA
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation
The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation ' is the public transit operator serving suburban Greater Detroit. Beginning operations in 1967 as the "SouthEastern Michigan Transportation Authority" or "SEMTA", it operates 44 "linehaul" and three "park-and-ride" bus routes in Wayne,...
) in May 1976 for $80,000.