| Copyright 2003 Richard C. Datin By today's standards, The McKeen Motor Car is a highly unusual looking conveyance--even more unique upon its introduction after the turn of the century. The first of these motor cars, completed in March, 1905, was designed and built under the supervision of William R. McKeen, Jr., then Superintendent of Motive Power of the Union Pacific Railroad. The idea behind this car was to provide a light weight, economical, and reliable means of transportation for branch lines, feeders and interurban steam roads, then of the Union Pacific. As time wore on the concept proved to be successful, giving an opportunity for rail lines to save money and yet offer needed service at a low cost by utilizing only an engineer, who acted as the driver or motorman, and of course, a conductor. The wedge-shaped car featured a mechanical drive powered by a six-cylinder 200-horsepower internal combustion gasoline engine. Its front end design, according to the description found in the company's pamphlet, lessened the wind resistance, "and therefore costs less to operate." The standard model offered by the company was fifty-five feet long, of which the engine room and operator's compartment occupied twelve feet at the front end, thus leaving about forty-two feet to accommodate seventy-five passengers. The seats were built-up veneered wood frames, upholstered in leather, or rattan (as desired), seating three persons each. The interior of the car was "beautifully finished in inlaid Cuban Mahogany," while the floor was of hard maple wood. Each of the passenger motor cars included a small compartment fitted with a porcelain hopper and seat. Of particular interest were the rounded windows, or ship-like portholes. According to the company, they were "air-tight, water-tight, and dust-proof, three features never heretofore attained in a single car window....The chief advantage of the round windows is the enormous gain in strength and safety of the car framing for it permits the utilization of the car side as a combination plate and trussed girder." In addition to the standard 55-foot passenger car, McKeen offered a car of the same length except it included a baggage compartment located immediately behind the motor section, but contained room only for 56 persons--eight of whom were provided their own smoking compartment. Another style of the 55-foot model served exclusively as a motor freight car. A longer version measuring 70-feet in length that accommodated 105 passengers was described as "especially adaptable for long interurban runs, where heavy traffic is encountered." Other cars available from the company included an eight-wheel passenger trailer seating fifty-eight people used as an auxiliary in conjunction with the 55-foot motor, and a four-wheel baggage, mail and express trailer that measured 32-feet long. As stated previously, the first of such motor cars appeared during March 1905, at the Union Pacific's Omaha Shops as UP Motor Car No. 1. Behind the highly innovative design was Edward H. Harriman, Chairman of the Union Pacific Railroad. As time progressed, the motor car became popular--mainly on the Union Pacific, Southern Pacific and other Harriman controlled lines. In all, some 160 McKeen motor cars were built between 1905 and 1920--many with trailers. Of all the McKeen motor cars that traversed the nation's rails, the 70-foot model operated by Nevada's legendary Virginia & Truckee Railroad ultimately proved to be a historical artifact. Purchased in 1910, V&T No. 22 ran between Reno and Carson City, to Minden as well as between Carson City and Virginia City until 1945 when it was detrucked and sold privately for use as a diner. Shorn of its operating mechanism, the former V&T motor car survived the years since as Denny's Diner (some wags considered it as the first of the popular nationwide chain) on North Carson Street, near William Street (Highway 50). Thereafter, it was moved further north on U.S. 395 to the northwest corner of Long and North Carson streets and became the Super Chief diner. Then in 1955, the all-steel car body found a new site some distance south on the then sparsely settled west side of Carson City's main thoroughfare at 1400 South Carson. Here it was paired with a Hall-Scott built motorcar from the Nevada Copper Belt Ry. Oddly, both cars happened to bear the same number of 22 and served briefly as a restaurant, then succumbing to all manner of uses prior to their utilization as the home of a local moving and storage firm. More........... |
