The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 8, Issue 4 (August 1, 1933)
The Art of the Carriage Painter
The Art of the Carriage Painter.
The art of the passenger carriage painter has made wonderful strides during page 19 the past few decades. The beautiful exterior finish given the modern passenger carriage is a decided asset in influencing traffic, while the various paints and processes employed in exterior carriage decoration give assurance of long life and ability to stand up to the most severe weather conditions.
While at Derby, experiments have been in progress with the idea of increasing the durability of carriage paint, at the Swindon works of the Great Western line research has produced a novel type of apparatus for purifying the interiors and upholstery of rolling-stock. The apparatus takes the form of a steel cylinder, 85 feet in length and 16 feet 6 inches in diameter, furnished with a track upon which the carriages to be treated are run in without dismantling in any degree. The cylinder is then sealed by means of an air-tight door, and the temperature inside raised to 120 deg. F. by steam-heating pipes, these completely encircling the carriage. A pump withdraws the air from the cylinder, until a vacuum reading of 28in. of mercury is reached. For six hours this temperature and vacuum are maintained, ensuring complete purification. Thus in addition to being perfectly cleaned, the vehicle is thoroughly fumigated.
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