A water closet for railroad cars is an on-board toilet. The phrase "water closet" means "room with a toilet."
Invention
The water closet for railroad cars was invented by Lewis Latimer and Charles W. Brown in 1874. It holds U.S. Patent 147,363.
Prior System
Up until the invention of the water closet, railroad cars used an open hopper system, meaning there was no pan to hold the waste and it was immediately discharged on the tracks.
Closed Hopper System
The new design incorporated a cover, or pan, that would slide into the bottom of the toilet when the lid was raised. The waste would discharge when the lid was closed.
Use of Earth
The device was designed to coat the pan with a layer of earth or sand to absorb the waste before discharge.
Modern Water Closets
Modern railcar water closets do actually use water and have holding tanks for waste which must be periodically pumped out.
Tags: closet railroad, water closet, water closet railroad, closet railroad cars, railroad cars
