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Show puny decided to try a new type of car heforp replacing the equipment permanently. Officials of the company contend that until the experimental cars were designed, little progress had j been made in street railway coach construction for twenty years. i UMJIIIII 111 IIHI 1111 IlilPMMWMM stIetWs-" WITH RUBBER WHEELS TRIED i. .,, i GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Sept., X (V.V) J-inht, noiseless street cars) which can he operated at half the cost of regular equipment nnd have the same carrying capacity are being be-ing experimented with hero in an effort to meet motor bus conipeli-I conipeli-I ion. The cxpei'lmc-fts are closely followed fol-lowed by the American Electric Railway association. It is contended lliat if the cars prove practical, street railways will bo able to operate oper-ate more profitably than buses and will provide more rapid and comfortable com-fortable transportation. Three earn were built for the fJrand Rapids Railways Co., by different dif-ferent manufacturers. They weigh only 2n,000 pounds and have the same carrying capacity as cars of the old type weighing -IX.poo pounds. The new cars can be operated with less than half the electric current required to run the old typo. Various types of noise reducing apparatus are provided by tho different dif-ferent car builders. One of the coaches has hubhor cushion between the wliel and Iho tire. Another has rubber filled holes drilled in Hie wheels to reduce noise. A hollow steel wheel filed with noise-smothering fibre Is also used. In addition to economy effort pd in operation of the new coaches, they are built to give the npcnitorj more adva ul ago in heavy I ra (Tie. ) The cars can pick up sped faslor and stop more quickly Hun the old models. Aboid a third of Grand Rapids' street, railway equipment was destroyed de-stroyed In a single fire recently. Emergency cars were borrowed from other cities but the railway vni' |