ABSTRACT
The frames were generally made from heavy ash, and the joints were reinforced by wrought iron brackets which were individually fitted. The panels were either cedar or Honduras mahogany about 9.5 mm thick, glued, pinned or screwed to the framework. The tops, on cars which had them, were of rubberized canvas or other fabrics. Some bodies were built with closed cabs, and the tops were held in place by strips of wood bent to form a solid frame. About 1921 the Weymann construction was introduced, in which the floor structure carried all the weight of the seating, and the body shell, which was of very light construction, was attached to the floor unit. Each joint in the shell and between the shell and the floor was made by a pair of steel plates, one on each side of the joint and bolted through both pieces of timber, leaving a slight gap between the two pieces. The panelling was of fabric, first canvas, then a layer of wadding calico and finally a covering of leather cloth. This form of construction allowed flexibility in the framing and made a very light and quiet body frame, but the outer covering had a very short life.
