11/21/2024
Thomas Castor was a 19th century wheelwright in Frankford who developed a significant business producing carriages and wagons. He also developed a number of new designs for transportation, including public transportation, some of which he patented. The patent shown here was issued in 1861 for “improvements to street cars”.
The purpose of this invention was to make entry and exit easier for the passengers. It consisted of a curved back end to the car, as well as a sliding door. Also the rear entrance steps were inside the door. There is also a mechanism described by which the driver, at the front, can remotely close the rear doors via a mechanical mechanism underneath the body of the car.
As described verbatim in the patent document: “A car thus made it is evident will not only be more roomy and capacious, but much more easy of exit and of entrance to the passengers; and, in addition to these advantages, is much better adapted for the application of devices by which the driver, while at his post in front, can open or close the doors at will, than if it were made square-ended.”
The Historical Society of Frankford has many items from the Castor family in our collection, including a model of one of the Thomas Castor dummy cars.
Bill Wikoff, secretary, The Historical Society of Frankford
