Second Recliner (Themiclesian railway)
Second Recliner (次等座臥車, qsnih-ateng-dzar-ngwah-kla) is a type of passenger coach and class of service on Passenger rail transport in Themiclesia. It was experimentally introduced in 1933, withdrawn in 1935, and finally re-introduced in 1938.
Background
By the 1930s, journeys within Themiclesia-proper could mostly be completed within 18 hours. Services were classified as either day or overnight trains based on whether they ran only during daytime (day trains) or departed in the afternoon and arrived in the morning (overnight trains). Day trains utilized seating coaches of various classes, while night trains consisted of open section and private room coaches.
Yet between Themiclesia-proper and the interior, services ran for as many as four days, and low frequency meant it would be sensible to take day or overnight passengers onto these services in addition to multi-night passengers. The Recliner coach was thus introduced in 1933 as an alternative for travellers during daytime or for overnight service. By 1935, the Recliner coach was withdrawn, evidently not considered a success.
However, general mobilization in response to the Menghean invasion heralded drastic changes on railroads in the name of austerity. By 1938, sleeper trains were deprecated both for lower efficiency and the danger of night raids. Yet with sleeper trains gone, government officials found travel between distant cities tiresome, prompting National Rail to relaunch the Recliner. While genuine sleeper coaches like open sections and private rooms were barred, National Rail demonstrated that the Recliner could be used as a day coach even though its seats could recline into makeshift beds. Additionally, the Recliner had a capacity of 44 passengers, only 4 shy of the standard Second Open coach, which remained permissible. Thus, the Recliner was authorized as a mixed-use coach.
In the war's early years, the Recliner coach was only made available to quite senior figures, but by 1944, ameliorating conditions allowed a new batch of 20 coaches, converted from other bodies, to enter service.