----- Original Message -----
From: Brent Efford

The irony with the title of this thread is that the design was built to accommodate the needs of women - who were wearing the very constricting 'hobble' skirts, the fashion at the time, which made it difficult to climb on board the regular cars of the day. There were various other designs like this at the time, and they were generally known as 'hobble skirt' cars. (See Middleton 'Time of the Trolley' p116). Nothing to do with disabled access!

From: Mal Rowe [mailto:[email protected]]
Built by Brill in 1912 to a design popular in New York, known as the 'stepless car' or more formally the "Hedley-Doyle" design
New York even built an experimental double deck version!
----

Here's a pic of the rather impressive looking beast - I guess those wearing hobble skirts kept to the lower deck!
See http://tdu.to/NY6000.jpg
Form Frank Rowsome: Trolley Car Treasury, Bonanza Books edition

Mal Rowe in Melbourne AU