The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-03-12
FACTS ABOUT cAR-wHEELs.
The Differences Between Flat aud Con
Misunderstanding Cnrycs. Z

The queerest thing about Col. Para.
more road, said railroad man to Glo5t
Demsocyat reporter yesterday 8 is that every
wheel on the line is fat.p Ml
Flat ?" said the reporter. What 90
you mean ?"
Why, car-wheels on every ether railroad
in the world are coned, as we call it.
With the coned wheel the diameter
from the fiange outward constantly dimin-
ishes, while that of the fiat wheel is the
same. 1t has always been puzzling to an
outsider how car gets around n curve.
You know, of course, that in getting round
curve the wheel on the outer rail has TO
travel further than the wheel on the inner
rail. Now, as the wheels are of the same d.
ameter and fastened to common axle, un-
less the diameter can BIO changed the outer
wheel must drag part of the way to make
up the difference. But it doesn't and tho
coming accounts for it. You sec, when
train strikes n curve, centrifugal force
tends TO throw it TO the outside of the curve
That forces the flange of the outer wheel
close against the outer rail. At the same
time the fiange of tho inner wheel is cor
respondingly distant from the inner rail.
With tho coned wheel this increases that
Of the inner and this temporary difference
of diameter, together with slight play al
lowed the axle, carries the wheels around all
right without slipping"
Well, do you mean that train with fat
wheels cannot get round curye?"
"Oh, yes; suppose it will get around
at first, but in time the usual friction will
give the wheels sharp flanges, and some OF
these days they will strike curve at full
speed, split the rail, ditch the train and
perhaps cause terrible accident"
This was such a dreadful prophecy that
the Glo5e- DS1ocrat man seized tho picture
and hastened to President Paramore with Il,
telling what the othar railroaderl had said
and asking him to explain.
"Well," said Col. Paramore, laughing,
" the fact is there are too many people in
this world who can never get old-fogy ideas
out of their heads. That coned wheel
fallacy has been exploded for some time.
The fiat wheels arc the most economical
ones could use on my road. They don't
wear out the rails, and I'll toll you why.
You 60 aud look al a standard track and
You will see ON theraii a long bright line.
That Is where tho wheel strikes Il. The
whole wear and tear is on that limo. When
the rail splits or wears out it is right in
that place. Now, you can't find anything
of that kind on my road. By using The fiat
wheel the wear is distributed evenly over
the whole surface of the rail-"
"Well, is the Texas and st. Louis the
only road that uses these wheels p
"No, the new West Shore road uses them
altogether.
E"Bpt now do You get around a cprve9"
sch, on my road thsre Is no trouble.
You see the difference in the radius of the
curve is only three feet aud ! haven't got
anything sharper than . five-degree curve
on the line. The play Of the axle Is more
than enough &c carry the wheels around all
right. On standard gauge with SHARP
curves the coined wheel may be necessary,
but on either straight line or narrow
guage tho flats are much superior. "-Ss.
Louis Globe Democrat