OF OHIO 65 



CAR CONSTRUCTION 



'Ohio, with its vast network of railroads and trolley lines, is an 

 advantageous location for car building industries. As indicated, 

 however, in table following-, the manufacture of high-class cars, such 

 as parlor, sleeping, diners and observation cars, which require 

 expensive cabinet woods, is not a factor of this industry. To the 

 contrary, the material reported goes largely into building and 

 repairing freight cars, locomotive cabs and pilots, passenger coaches 

 and the building of electric cars for street railway and interurban 

 service. Grain door material is included in this table and lumber 

 demanded for the construction of mine cars and contractors' dump 

 cars. 



In Ohio as in most of the other States already studied for wood 

 consumptioH, longleaf pine heads the list of woods in quantity for 

 car building. It meets many uses but principally for structural 

 parts where great strength is required like sills, brake beams, body 

 posts, dead blocks, bolsters, plates, draft timbers, etc., and in this 

 respect is a competitor of red and white oak and Douglas fir. 

 Douglas fir, possessing qualities similar in strength, durability and 

 adaptability, to the other woods for car building, is consumed only 

 to a limited extent, owing to its relatively higher price delivered to 

 Ohio points. If there is a reduction in the rate of transportation 

 possible after the opening of the Panama Canal, it may lessen the 

 price and bring Douglas fir, which is already held in high favor, into 

 greater prominence in Ohio and other eastern markets. This wood 

 is not only suitable for framing and other parts of freight cars but 

 for interior finish of passenger and trolley cars where the high polish 

 it takes and its conspicuous figure make it sufficiently ornamental 

 to be used for this purpose. The finish woods reported' by Ohio 

 car builders are white ash, red oak, white oak, red gum, mahogany, 

 birch and cherry, also padouk and black walnut in small quantities. 

 Shortleaf pine, longleaf, Norway pine and cypress were used mainly 

 in the superstructure of box cars. They supplied the material for 

 carline, ridge poles, roof ribs, belt rails, outer sheathing or siding, 

 lining, inside roof, roof boards and many other parts of both 

 passenger and freight cars. Yellow poplar meets many uses for 

 interior work of passenger cars but its chiefest use, with limited 

 quantities of cottonwood and basswood, is for outside panel work. 



