From: ahk@chinet.com

Stephen Sprunk  wrote:
>On 13-Apr-15 10:07, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
>>Stephen Sprunk  wrote:

>>>BBD bilevel cars (i.e. nearly all commuter trains outside the Rust
>>>Belt) have a built-in, full-width step below the door at half the
>>>height difference; no step boxes are required.  Why Amtrak LD
>>>trains don't have such (which would remove the need for those step
>>>boxes--and a dozen or so crew members per train) is mystifying.

>>This was an innovation from streetcars. The reason folding stepwells
>>are impractical is what you just wrote: Rust. You could have them in
>>California.

>The steps are fixed, and none of the ones I've seen exhibit any signs of
>rust; the coloring makes them look anodized (virtually rust-proof), and
>there are plenty of alloys that don't rust anyway--such the the one used
>for the _bodies_ of those same cars.

I don't know what the dimensions are for how for something can hang
down from below the car above the platform. There's a big step up onto
Metra diesel-electric-hauled trailers. That's not to say that the
first step couldn't be a lot lower.

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