So a question on HW air conditioning and roofs.

[wcfn100]

So the MTL paired window coach looks to be a good match for CGW 274 which lasted on the roster until '62.  The info on this car is that it was converted to ice air conditioning in 1940.  I believe this accounts for the single end window getting blanked out.  Most shots of 274 don't show any ducts on the roof except one dated '62.

Did ice air use the added roof ducts?  Or in other words, if it has a roof duct, does that mean it was mechanical?

Also, on a coach, would there be ducts on both sides, or just the side with the a/c closet?

Thanks,

Jason

[bbussey]

I can answer the first question - yes to the ducts for both ice and mechanical.

[wcfn100]

I can answer the first question - yes to the ducts for both ice and mechanical.

Okay thanks Bryan.  I think I found the heart of my confusion. I have a sequence of pictures showing a CGW passenger train that was appearing to show a car I knew had ice air without any ducts.  After your post, I dusted off my mad Highlights Hidden Picture skills and I think it's actually two different trains in a series of four pictures.


Jason

[nickelplate759]

An air conditioned HW car doesn't have to have exterior (on the roof) ducts.   Some coaches had the ducts installed inside the clerestory (NKP did this).

[bbussey]

That makes sense with the coaches due to their open interiors.  On sleepers, the ducts were over the rooms.  You can tell where the hallway is on an air-conditioned HW most of the time by looking at the non-duct areas of the roof.

[nickelplate759]

I should point out that a HW coach with AC added inside the clerestory is still visibly different from the coach without AC - all the clerestory vents and windows have been removed.   The NKP cars also had some hardware on top of the clerestory, but I don't know what it is or if was due to the AC installation.