1942: Railroad Equipment

Effect of War on Railroad Equipment.

Due to the war and the necessity for conserving critical materials the trend in the design of economic railroad cars has been backwards. The necessity for the conservation of steel, particularly plates, dominates the design. The association of American Railroads has presented to the War Production Board designs of various types of freight cars in which wood was used so far as was practicable. This is considered a backward trend of probably thirty years. In the case of hopper cars the composite construction has produced a reduction in carrying capacity of a given tonnage of coal, for example, that requires 7 or 8 per cent more cars. The only advantage of the composite construction is the small amount of saving in ferrous metal.

With tank cars for transporting gasoline and other petroleum products, emergency specifications have been set up in which the width of plates obtainable was limited to 72 in. and a very material reduction in the thickness of the plates is specified. It is assumed that these emergency tanks will have a much shorter life than a tank built of standard materials.

Modern Railroad-Car Lighting.

During the past few years, and particularly in the last year even, there have been remarkable advances in railroad-car lighting, the latest achievements being in the use of fluorescent lamps. In 1905 electric incandescent lighting was introduced on a large scale, and aside from the improvement in lamps such as the change from the carbon to the tungsten filament, little change occurred in the systems until 1935. In 1935, however, when air-conditioning was introduced on a large scale, the electromechanical system was widely adopted. Because of the power necessary to drive the air compressor and fan for air-conditioning it became necessary to increase the battery to 600-ampere-hours rating, to increase the generator rating to 20 kilowatts at 80 volts (60 volts when under load). Accordingly the lamp wattage could be substantially increased without excessive expense being charged to the lighting itself.

A study was made of the general problem of car illumination and three principles are now followed. (1) Direct most of the light downwards to the reading plane; (2) direct enough light to the ceiling to illuminate it sufficiently as otherwise the glare of the fixtures will be accentuated; (3) eliminate glare from fixtures except when they are viewed from positions directly below them.

In new cars the foregoing results are obtained by using totally closed fixtures usually set into the car walls and which have a large opening downwards, the openings being covered with either a single lens, a multiple or prismatic lens, or a cross-hatched glass which may be opalescent.

Fluorescent lamps were first placed on the market in April 1938. Their advantages are that the power for the same light is halved, the light is more uniformly distributed than with an incandescent lamp due to the larger light source, the effect of voltage variation over its effect on the incandescent lamp is about one-half.

The disadvantages are that the lamp will not remain lighted below a certain voltage, it is sensitive to frequency variations, and when operated on direct current the voltage range is as narrow as from 55 to 62 volts.

The first lamps were operated on alternating current. Since the car supply was direct current, means for inverting to 115 volts alternating current were necessary. Two methods are used, a vibrator inverter and a motor-generator, the latter being less efficient and more costly but more rugged and reliable. The losses in these inversion devices tend to nullify the increased efficiency of the lamps. This leads to the important development of operating the lamps with direct current. To do so a ballast resistance is necessary and the range of voltage operation is limited, making it difficult to design a lamp for this service. This d-c method, however, is used in the latest practice. The lamp best adapted to this system is the 15 by 1 in. tube, taking 16 watts and the ballast and auxiliary lamp 6 watts. The lamp operating direct current is more efficient than when operating alternating current and there is no stroboscopic effect.

The new 'Empire State Express' placed in service in December 1941 by the New York Central is lighted almost entirely by these lamps. They are mounted in fixtures just below the baggage racks, transversely to the length of the car.

There have been many other applications of the fluorescent lamp to interior design and comfort as may be seen in the lounge, buffet and dining cars built in 1942 by the Pullman Company. The color of the lamps harmonizes with the color motif of the interior decoration to produce a pleasing effect and at the same time the illumination is efficient and has a high utilitarian value.

Streamliners and the War.

The war has produced many changes in the operation of the nation's streamliners. Many which were devoted entirely to luxury travel have been put to the utilitarian handling of essential civilian travel and to transporting officers and men of the nation's armed forces. Frequently passenger coaches and extra Pullman cars have been added so as to accommodate the movements of troops. Some have been taken out of service entirely; in some cases the equipment has been scrapped for the aluminum and other metals. Many lounge, club, and parlor cars have been remodelled to permit the handling of more passengers; with others, the extra fare charge has been eliminated so as to permit more people to use them. Some roads, such as the Burlington, have converted streamlined parlor cars to coaches so as to obtain greater passenger capacity. The schedules of the Chicago-Denver and the Chicago-Pacific Coast streamliners and of other runs have been increased so that military and war production traffic may be given the right of way.

During the year, about fourteen new streamliners have been put into service. All of these, however, were nearing completion before the shortage of materials developed. The building of any more such trains will be halted for the duration of the war.

During the year also many new lightweight streamlined passenger cars were delivered for operation on various trains as individual units (see Two-Car Streamliner). Among these were the three pendulum cars of new design delivered to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy and the Great Northern. (The bodies of the pendulum cars are suspended near their center of gravity so as to increase the comfort of riding while rounding curves.)

The utilitarian value of streamliners is enhanced by their greater use due to higher speeds and quick turn arounds. For example, the twenty-eight cars which make up the two Denver Zephyrs of the Burlington are accumulating a daily mileage of 1,036 each. Also another noticeable change is the fact that whereas many of the streamliners were used almost entirely for vacation travel, such as the New York- and Chicago-Florida trains, these are now devoted almost entirely to business travel. However, the popularity with the public of the streamliners remains unabated as is evidenced by the increasing number of passengers and the increased revenue.

Two-Car Streamliner.

The 'Prospectors' of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, a new two-car diesel-electric streamlined train was designed particularly to meet the high-altitude run between Salt Lake City and Denver. The propulsion equipment is unique in two respects — each car is individually powered, and all traction and auxiliary equipment is beneath the car floor. Each car is 75 ft. long and weighs approximately 130,000 pounds. The two cars which operate as a unit or train are designed to care for light passenger traffic.

Diesel-Electric Locomotives.

Twenty 2,000-brake-horsepower Diesel-electric locomotives have recently been built by the American Locomotive Works and General Electric Company for the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. The first Diesel-electric locomotive was put in switching service in 1932 and this type has proven so successful that now sixty of these locomotives, ranging from 44 to 165 tons are now in both switching and road service. The new locomotives weigh 165 tons each with a weight of 230,500 pounds on the driving axles. They are geared for a top speed of 80 miles per hour and are built for both passenger and freight service. Provision is made in the design for obtaining a 4,000-horsepower double-end locomotive by coupling two of the 2,000 horsepower locomotives back to back.

Each locomotive is equipped with two 1,000-bhp, 6-cylinder, 750-rpm supercharged American Locomotive Company Diesel engines, each direct connected to a General Electric d-c generator which supplies power to two series traction motors. The main generator is designed especially for railroad purposes and is connected by a rigid coupling to the engine shaft. A starting field is built in the generator so that the generator may be operated as a motor when connected across the battery, to start the engine. An auxiliary generator which is overhung on the main generator shaft supplies power for charging the battery, for all the locomotive lights, and for operating the control.

Two 2,000-horsepower units when coupled together can haul as many as eighteen passenger cars and freight trains up to 4,500 tons, on regular schedules between Boston and New Haven. Single units can haul trains half this size.

New Haven Freight Locomotive.

The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad required an electric locomotive with seemingly impossible contradictions. The locomotive needed to be heavy and strong enough to haul a 125-car, 5,000-ton freight train over the New Haven saw-tooth profile on a rigid schedule, and yet its weight and size could not exceed the limitations imposed by the tunnels and bridges. However, the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company met the difficult problem, constructing a 500,000-pound electric locomotive with 360,000 pounds on the 57-inch drivers. The wheel arrangement is 4-6 + 6-4 and there are six twin motors of 810 horsepower each which develop a maximum of 9,000 horsepower at the track. The aggregate rating of the motors at 65 miles per hour is 4,860 horsepower. For short times the motor can develop 90,000 pounds tractive effort at 38 miles per hour, or 9,100 horsepower. In order to reduce the total current, each pair of twin motors is connected in series with each other. The locomotive replaces three of the type formerly used and pulls the same load at 41 per cent greater speed. There is articulation between the two wheel sets so that although the overall length is 80 ft., the rigid wheel base is only 13 ft., 8 in., permitting the negotiation of the sharpest curves.

There are 40,000 pounds of transformers, relays, and controls on the locomotive and it required careful design to meet the rigid space requirements. Inerteen-filled transformers are used to minimize the hazard of fires, Inerteen being a non-inflammable insulating and cooling liquid. In order to cool the transformers and other power apparatus 50,000 cu. ft. of air per minute are required.

Although designed primarily as a freight locomotive, it can be readily converted to passenger service by installing train-heating equipment in the space provided. As a passenger locomotive it can haul a 20-car train of 80-ton Pullmans between New Haven and New York on any of the existing schedules. The 66 steps in the engineer's control make smooth operation with any size of train.

All-Welded Electric Locomotive.

In an electric freight locomotive recently delivered to the Piedmont and Northern Railway by the General Electric Company, all-welded construction was employed throughout such as in the cab, subframing, and truck structure. The locomotive is of the eight-axle, four-truck type with a total weight all on drivers of 236,000 pounds. Individual axle loading is maintained at less than 35,000 pounds. The 1500-volt locomotive can handle 1,800-ton trailing loads. Articulated subframes with the cab structure and underframe independent of, but resting on, the subframes were required since there are four non-articulated two-axle trucks. The locomotive is designed to negotiate curves with a minimum radius of 150 ft.

New Locomotives for Chesapeake and Ohio.

Eight high-speed locomotives delivered in 1942, and operating in passenger service between Hinton, West Virginia, and Cincinnati and Toledo, are of the 4-6-4 type built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. Their length from coupler to coupler is 104 ft., 7 in., the cylinders are 25 in. in diameter with a 30-inch stroke and the driving wheels are 78 in. in diameter. The boiler pressure is 255 pounds per square inch and there are 4,233 sq. ft. of heating surface. There is also a superheater having 1,810 sq. ft. of heating surface. The weight on the drivers is 217,500 pounds, the tractive force is 52,000 pounds without the booster and 64,600 pounds with the booster. Each locomotive weighs 439,500 pounds and the total weight of engine and tender is 832,500 pounds. The booster is a small engine which drives small wheels located usually under the cab, and is put into service on starting to increase the tractive effort and hence the acceleration.

First Diesel Freight Train.

The first Diesel-engine freight train in the East arrived on Sept. 1, 1942, at Twin Oaks, Pennsylvania, from Chicago, Illinois, twenty minutes ahead of schedule. This Baltimore and Ohio train, consisting of 81 tank cars, with 715,000 gallons of oil drawn by a 5,400-horsepower Diesel engine, covered the 911-mile haul with only five stops to make routine inspections and to change crews. The B. & O. officials claim this Diesel locomotive is capable of performing more work per ton of weight than a comparable steam locomotive.

1941: Railroad Equipment

Diesel - electric Locomotives.

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad is one of the leaders in the application of Diesel-electric motive power. For passenger service it put into operation the newest of streamliners, a 4,000-horsepower, two-unit, diesel-electric locomotive, delivered May 1, 1941. It will be used to haul the crack 'Super Chief' train of nine passenger cars from Chicago to Los Angeles over a route that includes an elevation of 7,600 feet and grades of 3.7 per cent. The two-unit locomotive designed and built by the General Electric Company and the American Locomotive Company is capable of speeds up to 120 m.p.h. but on this 39 hour run its top speed will be limited to 81 m.p.h.

Santa Fe has also put into service a new 5,400-horsepower diesel-electric freight locomotive built by the Electro-Motive Corporation, a subsidiary of General Motors, which on long-distance runs can move more cars faster than any other motive power that now exists. It is 193 feet long corresponding to the distance occupied by 15 automobiles closely parked end to end; it weighs 415 tons and develops as much power as 60 such automobiles all operating continuously at their maximum output. The locomotive is divided into four sections. The foregoing arrangement permits the locomotive to continue operating at three-fourths capacity in case trouble should develop in any one section. Since the locomotive operates over mountain grades, the control is arranged so that on down grades the motors act as generators and thus effect braking action (dynamic braking). This reduces the use of the air-brakes 75 per cent and also eliminates the frequent stops that would otherwise be necessary to permit the red-hot brake shoes to cool. Incidentally, the electric power generated during the braking period would take care of almost 10,000 average homes. Each Diesel engine is started by means of large 64-volt, Exide Ironclad storage battery.

The locomotive can haul a 5,000-ton pay load a distance of 500 miles in ten hours without a stop, and at its maximum speed of 75 miles per hour it can run on as fast a schedule as most passenger trains.

Storage-battery Trolley Locomotives.

During 1941 the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company delivered to the Phelps-Dodge Corporation nine of the most powerful storage-battery trolley locomotives ever used in connection with combined mining and railroad service. They are being used in the Morenci open-cut copper mine in Arizona. When hauling the cars up and down the mountain grade the locomotive takes its energy from the trolley at from 630 to 890 volts, and at the same time the batteries are charged. When operating with the storage battery each locomotive must haul a loaded train of twelve loaded cars a distance of 4,000 feet in 6 minutes. Each locomotive weighs 125 tons, is 45 feet long, 14 feet from rails to top of the cab and is equipped with four 380-horsepower railway motors and exerts a tractive effort of 41,800 lbs. The battery system consists of a 240-cell, 500-ampere-hours, Exide Ironclad battery.

Pendulum Car Suspension.

A new body suspension that would isolate the bodies of railroad cars from both vertical and lateral vibrations, and yet produce dynamic stability has been developed. Three cars have been constructed, experimentally, with the body support above the center of gravity of the car body. As the wheels follow the irregularities of the track the body floats about its central position. Another advantage is that in taking curves, the pendulum roll of the body is such that both comfort and stability are effected.

So as not to interfere with utilization of the space within the car, the car body is actually supported at two points (on each truck) on either side of the car. The car body rests on soft helical springs recessed into the side of the body. There is a third point of attachment between the truck and the car body below the floor level.

The cars are of the modern stream-lined type. Another feature of the construction is the employment of the 'stressed-skin' principle. In this principle the outside sheathing skin is utilized not only as an outside protective coating, and streamlining member, but it is designed to take stress as well.

Extensive road tests have been made on two of these cars, with gauges, and other measuring devices being used to determine the deflections, and other riding qualities of the cars. For example, blocks were carefully mounted in different positions so that with undue deflections of a certain magnitude, they would 'tumble.' For comparison, apparatus similar to the above was used to test a standard car. The tests proved conclusively the superiority of the riding qualities of the new cars.

Based on these experiments, a more elaborate program has been undertaken. The Santa Fe, the Great Northern and the Burlington roads have each contracted for a de luxe type of coach incorporating the foregoing above-gravity suspension system and the skin-stressed lightweight body structure. These cars are being constructed by the Pacific Equipment Company.

Pullman Triple-deck Sleepers.

The Pullman Company has put into service, a few triple-deck sleepers with 45 beds in each car arranged in tiers of three. Each car has ten compartments, some having only two tiers. During the day passengers occupy upholstered adjustable seats with individual arms and foot rests. The lower berth is formed by the seat back. The upper berth is stationary and sufficiently high to clear the head of a tall person. The intermediate berth is raised against the upper berth during the day, and at night is lowered to mid-position between the upper and lower berths and also forms a partition between the compartments. Each berth is provided with individual curtains, clothing shelf, hammock, and each compartment has a ladder for the convenience of the passengers in the two upper berths.

1940: Railroad Equipment

The year 1940 has been unprecedented in the number of streamlined trains that have been placed in service in the country, there being a total addition of 32 trains and 203 cars. Moreover, there are also on order 26 more of such trains and coincidentally 203 cars, the same number as for 1940. This increase in streamliners is due to the fact that existing streamliners have shown splendid earnings. In both railway cars and Pullman cars the comforts have been greatly increased and the interior designs have become even more attractive. Fluorescent lighting now prevails in most of the later car designs. In fact, a 6-watt, 9-inch lamp has been designed particularly for Pullman berths and airliners. The effect of the railroads' efforts, begun just a short time ago, to attract the public back to rail travel, although belated, is now bearing fruit.

In the earlier days of streamliners the trains were 'fixed,' that is, cars could not be added by a mere switching operation. However, the use of such trains became so popular it was found that the inability to provide flexibility incident to the sudden demands that frequently occurred was a distinct disadvantage, so that now with most trains cars can be added easily when the occasion demands it. Moreover, in the construction of cars, the design is towards light weight commensurate with rigidity and safety. The cost of operation, both as regards motive power and maintenance of rolling stock, and rails, is greatly diminished with reduction in weight.

The Pennsylvania railroad increased its motor power equipment by the addition of twenty streamlined electric locomotives constructed in its Altoona Shops, the electrical equipment being supplied by the General Electric Co. These locomotives are now used in handling the high-speed passenger transportation between New York and Washington and operate on daily schedules exceeding 60 miles per hour between terminals.

The electrification of this railroad now involves nearly 2,200 miles of electrified tracks and more than 200 electric locomotives, and stands out as one of the foremost electrification installations in the world.

New Electric Locomotives.

The four most powerful dc passenger electric locomotives ever built were completed during the year by the General Electric Co. for the Paulista Railway in Brazil. Each unit weighs 185 tons, has a nominal rating of 4,050 horsepower in continuous service and 4,420 horsepower on an hourly basis. This is the largest continuous rating in a single cab direct-current locomotive ever built in the United States up to date. These locomotives give a maximum speed of 93 miles per hour. On a 2 per cent grade the locomotive will handle a 1,000-ton train at 50 miles per hour. The motive power consists of six-series traction motors of the force ventilated type, each designed for 1500-volt dc operation and designed to operate two in series at 3,000 volts dc. Power is collected from a 3,000-volt overhead trolley by two air-raised, gravity-lowered pantographs equipped with two contact shoes each, the two pantographs working independently. There is a three-speed system of control which gives motor combinations of six in series (lowest speed); three in series, two groups in parallel (intermediate speed); and two in series, three groups in parallel (maximum speed).

Regenerative Braking.

Since there are many grades on the road, regenerative braking is highly desirable. In regenerative braking the traction motors are connected to operate as generators and the energy of the moving train is converted into electrical energy and pumped back into the trolley system. Another important advantage of regenerative braking is the saving of wear and overheating of the brake shoes. Series motors such as are used on electric locomotives will not, of themselves, operate satisfactorily to return power to the line, on account of their electrical characteristics. However, by exciting their fields by an independent low-voltage motor-generator set on the locomotive, very satisfactory regeneration is obtained.

The Paulista Railroad has increased its electrification to 178 route miles and 350 track miles. It now has 49 electric locomotives.

Diesel-Driven Units.

The year 1940 has probably seen the greatest annual increase to date in Diesel engine motive-power traction units, both in the locomotive and in unit plants in cars. The Diesel engine is in many cases operated to drive through a clutch mechanism and it is also used in connection with an electric drive.

Diesel-Electric Freight Locomotive.

There has been considerable interest in the performance of the new Diesel-electric locomotive manufactured by the Electro-Motive Co. and proportioned for freight service. Data from its performance are awaited to determine the place which it may be expected to assume during the coming era of higher freight-train speeds. The locomotive is made up of two two-unit locomotives, each unit of which is carried on two four-wheel trucks and driven by a General Motors Diesel-electric power plant. The two locomotives coupled back to back make a multiple unit locomotive of 5,400 engine horsepower which weighs about 912,000 lb. and is 193 ft. long over the coupler pulling faces. With all the weight on the driving wheels, the starting tractive force is 228,000 lb. The maximum speed is 75 miles per hour.

It is interesting to compare the Diesel-electric locomotive with the steam locomotive as regards starting and running performance since such performance characteristics are highly important in determining its adaptability to freight service where high tractive effort, ability to perform switching operations readily, and high speed are all necessary. The Diesel-electric is essentially a constant horsepower machine and accordingly develops a high ratio of tractive force to rated horsepower capacity, whereas the steam locomotive, which develops its maximum horsepower rating at relatively high speeds has a low ratio of tractive force to rated horsepower capacity. For example, with the Diesel-electric the ratio of starting tractive force to maximum drawbar horsepower is almost 52.8 whereas that for the steam locomotive is only 17, which can be raised to 20 by means of a booster. Accordingly, if the freight trains require sufficient horsepower to operate from 40 to 60 miles per hour, the Diesel-electric would have ample capacity to start the train, whereas the steam locomotive might require assistance. Moreover, it follows that the Diesel-electric locomotive is far better adapted to switching duty than the steam locomotive. At lesser speeds than 40 miles per hour the Diesel-electric would accelerate more rapidly than the steam locomotive. The steam locomotive would probably prove advantageous on long grades with heavy trains, which tend to cause overheating of the electric equipment in the Diesel-electric locomotive. There has not as yet been opportunity to make an extended comparison of the performance of this new Diesel-electric locomotive with its steam counterpart. The results are awaited with interest and will be reported when available.

Puerto Mexico-Campeche Railroad.

Mexico has just completed a new railroad 460 miles long from Puerto Mexico to Campeche, Yucatan, and it is interesting to note that after careful consideration Diesel-electric locomotives have been selected as being best adapted to the service. The route lies through subtropical country where water is at a premium so that steam-locomotive operation would be difficult. The line is a low-grade one, the maximum grade being 1.35 per cent.

At present only two locomotives have been delivered. These are ultimately intended for switching service but are now hauling work trains and other trains. Each is of a semi-streamlined design, having a Cooper-Bessemer 500-hp., 7500 rpm, 4-cycle, 6-cylinder Diesel engine directly connected to a General Electric generator. The motors are series-wound traction motors having a rating of 108 horsepower each. The locomotive weighs 130,000 lb. and has a continuous tractive effort of 17,900 lb. at 8 miles per hour. A 56-cell Exide Ironclad battery for starting and control is charged while the engine is idling.

The first Diesel electric passenger locomotive to be built by the American Locomotive Co. was delivered to the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad where it is being used on the road's 'Rocket' trains. This locomotive is equipped with two 1,000-hp. MacIntosh & Seymour six-cylinder four-cycle vertical engines.

Other Diesel-electric locomotives used to drive the Rockets have two 1,000-horsepower, V-type, twelve cylinder, two-cycle engines.

Self-Contained Diesel-Driven Cars.

The year 1940 has seen a rapid increase in the use of the self-contained Diesel-engine or similar oil-fuel motive power plant for use on individual cars. Two types of drive are embodied, the use of an electric generator driven by the engine, the generator supplying the direct current to series-connected driving motors; and the use of some form of hydraulic clutch combined with gears for the transmission of the mechanical power to the wheels. The use of the mechanical drive has been made possible by the recent development in the automotive field of the highly efficient hydraulic clutch or, as it is called in traction work, a hydraulic torque converter. This hydraulic torque converter absorbs engine vibration and shock loads, permits smooth starting and gives different ratios of engine to driving-wheel speed.

The advantage of the unit car is the flexibility, permitting frequent and fast passenger service with minimum cost and weight of equipment. Moreover, when conditions require it, provision may be made whereby the individual cars can be made into trains as is described later.

Of particular interest are the two cars of new design recently completed by the American Car and Foundry Co. for fast passenger service. One of these cars, the Illini, is in service on the Illinois Central between Chicago and Champaign. The other, Miss Lou, will operate between Jackson, Mississippi, and New Orleans, La. The Illini covers the 183-mile run from Chicago to Champaign in exactly four hours, with 16 stops, with an average speed of 45.8 mi. per hour. The overall length is 72 feet and the seating capacity is 69 and the light weight on the rails is 85,300 lbs. Low-alloy, high tensile steels are used throughout for the framing or strength members. The power plant consists of two six-cylinder Waukesha-Hesselman 225-horsepower oil engines with a twin disc clutch and torque converter. Although the engines burn Diesel oil they are not Diesel engines but are solid injection, low-pressure (150 lb.) electric-ignition oil engines. The engine, like the Diesel, draws in a charge of air alone, which is then compressed to a maximum compression of 140 lb. per sq. in. Near the top of the compression a measured charge of fuel oil is injected by a fuel pump into the turbulent air and the charge is ignited by a spark plug.

Each engine develops 225 hp. at 1800 rpm. Each will operate independently or together from one control station permitting flexibility in car performance.

The transmission is a hydraulic torque converter which includes a direct mechanical-drive feature. In one position of the control handle the speed may be brought up gradually to 45.8 miles per hour while in a second position of the control handle the speed is increased to 73.5 miles per hour, direct mechanical drive then being used.

Similar cars, also built by the American Car & Foundry Co., have been put in service by the New York, Susquehanna & Western R.R. for the service of commuters in the New Jersey metropolitan area. The cars are 76 feet long, being designed for 80 passengers, and the weight on the rails is 73,500 pounds. The cars are made of United States Steel Co. Cor-Ten steel and are both spot welded and riveted. Aluminum alloys are used for interior finish. These cars are also driven by a Waukesha supercharged engine using Diesel fuel with spark plugs. The engine is rated at 290 horsepower and the maximum governed speed is 1800 rpm. A hydraulic torque converter is used for transmission of power from the engine to the wheels.

The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad has extended the unit car to a 4-car train, the General Pershing. In each passenger car there is a 69-horsepower Diesel engine, direct-connected to 30-kilowatt generators mounted under the car. The engine and generator supply heating, cooling, lighting and all auxiliary requirements, making each car a completely independent unit. Heat is derived not only from the generator output but also from the engine cooling water.

It is notable that railroad engineers continue to follow automobile practice in the increasing use of the mechanical disc and rotor-type brakes. This relieves or eliminates braking from the rims of the wheels.

1939: Railroad Equipment

In recent years the railroads have met competition from other forms of transportation, such as airplanes, buses and automobiles by the development of high-speed, light-weight rolling stock, which permits faster schedules without necessitating expensive alterations in track construction. Much of the new equipment consists of streamlined locomotives and cars. Light weight combined with strength is made possible by the use of high-tensile steel, nickel steel and aluminum alloys in their construction. Both steam and Diesel-electric locomotives provide motive power. With steam, oil is frequently used for fuel, and a steam-turbine electric locomotive has been put in the service of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many improvements to make travel attractive and increase passenger comfort have been made, such as, air-conditioning, better lighting, artistic and comfortable interiors. The roadbed has been improved to permit comfortable riding at the high speeds of modern trains. During 1939 the railroads put into service a large number of streamlined and modern trains, of which only a few will be enumerated.

The Union Pacific has put in service a number of Diesel-electric streamlined trains for runs from Chicago to points on the Pacific Coast, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon. The latest train consists of 17 cars drawn by a 3-unit, 5,400 h.p. Diesel-electric locomotive. With the Diesel-electric locomotive it is possible to use one locomotive over the entire route, as compared with five or six steam locomotives. Further, it is possible to increase runs to 500 miles, thus reducing stops for fuel and water from about 25 to 5. Running time from Chicago to the Coast has been cut down from 3 nights and 2 days to 2 nights and 1 day.

The new steam-turbine electric locomotive of the Union Pacific Railroad, with its self-contained boiler and turbine-electric generating plant, constitutes a new type of motive power. It is designed to haul 1,000-ton trailing trains from Chicago to the Coast. It combines the advantageous features of the electric locomotive with the propulsion characteristics of the reciprocating steam locomotive. It is not only the first turbine-electric locomotive in America, but also the only condensing, high-pressure steam locomotive. It burns oil and is powered by two 2,500 h.p. turbines. The overall length including couplers is 90 feet, 10 inches; the total weight with full tanks, 548,000 lbs.; and the weight on the driving wheels, 354,000 lbs. The pressure of the steam is 1,500 lbs. per square inch at 920° F., and there is complete automatic control of all boiler auxiliaries and power units. The closed system contains less than 3,000 lbs. of water, and the water completes the cycle in 3½ minutes. Rotor speed is 12,500 r.p.m., and each rotor is geared to two direct-current generators in a single frame and operating as a unit at 1,200 r.p.m. The unit has a maximum rating of 1,600 amperes at 1,340 volts with the two generators in series. Six axle-mounted, direct-current series motors are used for the drive, and the maximum speed is 125 miles per hour. Because of the closed system the locomotive can run 500-700 miles without refueling and operates at an efficiency twice that of the conventional locomotive.

The New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad put into service some new passenger electric locomotives which can make fast schedules with sixteen standard coaches. While normally rated at 1,600 h.p., these locomotives are capable of operating overload for short periods, thus maintaining a schedule that equipment with lower capacity would be unable to.

The Pennsylvania Railroad has put in service between its eastern terminals and Harrisburg, some electric locomotives for hauling freight trains at 70 miles per hour. These locomotives can develop 5,000 h.p. continuously, and for short periods have developed 10,000 rail h.p.

The Seaboard Railway put into service between New York and Miami on a 26½-hour schedule the 'Silver Meteor,' a stainless steel, all-coach, streamlined train of the latest design. It is powered by a 2,000-h.p. Diesel-electric locomotive with the 1,000-h.p. Diesel engine. There are three 60-passenger coaches, a baggage chair car, a chair-tavern car, and a chair-observation-lounge car, all constructed by the 'Budd-Shotweld' method. The exterior of the cars is of stainless steel in various combinations of color and finishes, and the underframe and body bolsters are of stainless chromium-nickel-steel. This construction insures high tensile strength combined with weight reduction. The Budd Company is now manufacturing two more such trains for the Seaboard Railway.

A rack-rail Diesel-electric locomotive has been built by the General Electric Co. for the Manitou & Pike's Peak Railway, replacing the tilted steam locomotive used on the cog railway since 1891. Instead of hauling, the new locomotive pushes a 50-passenger car; it can provide traction at the wheels as well as on the track, but not simultaneously. It is powered by three electric generating units, each rated at 160 h.p.

1938: Railroad Equipment

Railroads, in spite of the depression, have made notable improvements in their equipment, which to the public appear in the streamlining of trains, greater speed, and more comfortable traveling. Perhaps the most spectacular trains are the high-speed diesel engine driven, with cars of aluminum and stainless steel, which are particularly suited for long runs through thinly populated districts in the West. The Diesel-engined train is at a disadvantage where frequent stops are to be made, for it takes longer than a train of equivalent steam power to get under way again. Speeds of 100 miles an hour are common, and the running time between widely separated cities has been reduced from that made by steam locomotives. The trains, as far as passenger comforts are concerned, are the last word: cars are air-conditioned and are subdivided into rooms with beds, chairs, and other conveniences, as in a modern hotel. Of the outstanding Diesel trains put in service during the past year are the 'City of San Francisco' running between Chicago and San Francisco, the 'Rebel' between Mobile and Jackson, and the 'Super Chief' between Chicago and Los Angeles.

Of the new streamlined steam trains, the 'Twentieth Century' of the New York Central and the 'Broadway Limited' of the Pennsylvania Railroad both started running June 16, 1938, between New York and Chicago. The locomotive and cars of the 'Twentieth Century' have a striking appearance, looking like one long metal tube. Among the car features are individually air-conditioned private rooms with beds, and air-conditioned dining, bar, lounge, and observation cars. As to speed, this train makes its run from New York to Chicago, a distance of 960 miles, in 16 hours, which means speeds of at least 90 miles an hour. The 'Broadway Limited' of the Pennsylvania Railroad also makes the same run in 16 hours. The sleeping cars of this train have beds 6 ft. 5 in. long; cars are air-conditioned; a central radio control board is installed, by means of which any car not wishing to listen to a broadcast can be cut off; and there is telephone communication between cars. These new services make it now possible to ride in streamlined trains from New York, via Chicago, to San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Steam locomotives on fast runs are streamlined, some being of the bullet type. For passenger trains on the Atlantic Coast line, twelve of the largest locomotives ever built for service in the South were put in operation. These locomotives are nearly 111 ft. long, have 8 drivers of 80 in. diameter, and can draw 20 Pullman cars at a speed of 90 miles an hour.

Electric locomotives now handle traffic around many large cities, and on long runs, as from New York to Harrisburg, Pa., in the East; while in the West the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific has for many years operated electric trains over distances of several hundred miles. The New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad put in service 6 large streamlined electric locomotives on the fast run between New York and New Haven. Each is 77 ft. long, weights 432,000 lb., has electric motors developing 3,600 h.p., and can haul 1,200 tons at 80 miles an hour.

In streamlined Diesel, electric, and steam locomotives, many parts are of alloy iron and steel to secure increased strength without increasing size and weight. Aluminum, stainless and low alloy steels are used in building modern passenger cars, where welding is employed where practicable. It is now common practice to build freight, also coal, cars of low alloy steel. This saves weight and consequently gives increased carrying capacity, with the additional advantages of greater strength and durability, over cars of plain carbon steel.

England's fastest streamlined train, the 'Coronation Scot,' is to be shipped to the United States for exhibition in the spring of 1939, to be shown first at New York World's Fair. This will afford an interesting comparison of English and United States locomotives and cars.