An oddity that Cecil Wickham committed to film during the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition was the Autotram. This self-propelled passenger vehicle was made by the Clark Equipment Company of Battle Creek, Michigan. The body was of aluminum and the power was supplied by a 16-cylinder gasoline engine with a hydraulic clutch. On the postcard below, distributed at the Century of Progress but acquired by me only a few years ago, the builders claimed the Autotram was capable of 100-mile-per-hour speeds. This model carried 40 passengers, and the Clark firm advertised a larger model seating 72.

The manufacturer must have been promoting the Autotram to railroads hoping to stem the loss of passenger revenue on lightly patronized lines. I have no knowledge of how many were ever built, nor have I ever read of its being used in actual revenue service. If any viewers have further information about this rarity, I would be glad to hear from you. Just e-mail rleonard@railarchive.net.