Jamestown, Westfield & Northwestern
Car 301

This photo shows Car 301 sometime after 1936.

Car 301 of the Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern Railroad was built by the Cincinnati Car Company in 1914 and was delivered with 60 seats and controls at each end. The coach seats were leather covered while those in the smoking compartment were covered with rattan. In February 1928 the car was converted to a parlor car with mohair seats in the main compartment and leather bucket seats in the smoker. At this time two windows were eliminated by adding a baggage section to the smoking section end (the left end on the photo above). In 1939 the baggage compartment was enlarged again and chairs replaced the bucket seats in the smoking section to increase capacity.

The following notes come from an undated document written by Harold Ahlstrom.

Car 301 had the most seat changes of any car.  In February 1928 the smoker was shortened to three windows and the baggage compartment put in.  The smoker had gray bucket seats in leather. The main compartment had a row of revolving parlor seats down the left side (facing front) and permanent deluxe seats in twos on the right to match the parlor chairs.  Both upholstered in a stripe plush material. 

In 1939 the seats were taken out of the smoker and the areas converted to baggage with the partition out between the former smoker and baggage areas.  The double plush seats came out and the parlor chairs were placed on each side of the aisle, four on each side toward the front.  The balance of the car was fitted with leather bucket seats similar, but not as good, as the ones used in 304.

In the spring of 1941 they revamped the inside toward an idea of air conditioning it.  The seats remained the same, but the luggage racks and bell cords were taken out and a duct was put into the center of the ceiling.  Advertising cards came out, some coat hooks were screwed over the windows, and the whole interior painted light green and cream, with aluminum paint in the vestibules.

During or after the war the luggage racks, advertising cards, and bell rope frames were put back (they may have come from 304 after it was wrecked and scrapped).  The interior was painted brown and looked more like an interurban again.  When it was repainted the ceiling was left white down to the letter boards. 

The cars were originally green, with 312 the last to be painted red in the late 1920s.

Sometime between 1936 and 1940 all the small cars (300-305) changed over to the small, circular logo on the sides instead of the full-length "Jamestown, Westfield & Northwestern" above the windows and the "America's Scenic Route" along the side of the car.

This undated photograph shows car 301 at the New York Central station in Westfield, NY.
This undated photograph show car 301 in front of the company shops in Jamestown
This photo from the Donald B. O'Sickney collection shows Car 301 south of Westfield.
This undated photo shows Car 301 approaching the Bayview station.
Car 301 and an outside braced wooden boxcar stand near the JW&NW freight house and shops in Jamestown in this photo from the Bill Volkmer collection.
This 1945 photo shows Car 301 at the freight station in Jamestown
Car 301 is traveling through the company yard in Jamestown in this undated photograph.
This February 1940 photo from the John Woodbury Collection shows the car at Maple Springs.

References