The Modern Sleeping-Car.

Sleeping-cars pay an increasingly important part in rail travel, as the public become educated to the advantage of night travel for business and similar journeys. Home railway sleeping-cars are of exceptionally comfortable design, and they are run in most of the principal long-distance night services.

By the London, Midland & Scottish Company there has been put into service the first of a series of thirteen new composite sleeping-cars which are being built in the Derby works. These vehicles are 69 ft. long and 9 ft. 2 1/4 in. wide, and are fitted with six-wheeled bogies. Each car accommodates six first-class and fourteen third-class passengers.

page 26

page 27

In addition, there is a first-class lavatory and an attendant's compartment at one end of the vehicle, and two third-class lavatories at the other. The six single first-class berths are arranged in three pairs, a communicating door being provided be-between each pair. Each third-class compartment has four berths—two lower and two upper. The interior decorations of the cars are particularly pleasing. In the first-class berths the decoration is in modern style, flush finish with chromium plated fittings, and Rexine walls and ceiling. The colour scheme is divided into three groups, blue, beige and green, the colour fading out from floor to ceiling. Each berth has a rug and a bedspread to match; a wash-basin; a full-length dressing-mirror; folding shelves and racks; and three 15-watt pearl electric lamps in chromium-plated reflectors.