The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-28
LIVE ON THE RAILROAD
p. TX. DUDLEY AND HIS WIFE In
THEIR DYNAGRAPH CAR.
Have Travelled 100000 Miles i'm Twen-
ty-One Years-The Only Car of Its
Kind in the Whole World.
New York Herald.

New York Herald.
Poor JOS plant in BLEAK House." ''They
always want me to move on, move onl''
comes irresistibly to mind when one con-
siders the dynagraph car. For more than
twenty-one years DR.. p H. Dudley, its In
ventor, and his wife have moved on and
on in this curious marvel of mechanism.
Three hundred thousand miles, or twelve
times the circumference of the earth.
have been traversed. but, unlike poor 10,
the moving has not been without its COM
pensations, pecuniary and otherwise.
For be it known the dynagraph car Is
the one contrivance extant for ascertain
ing with true scientific accuracy the pre-
else condition of a railways roadbed. ties,
rails, joints, bridges and the like Conse-
quently the superintendent of construction
and repairs, the general managers and the
directors of all the chief roads in Canada
and the United States are largely depend
ent upon the ability and fidelity of the
man who contrived and maintains this
curious vehicle.
Mrs. Dudley, who has always accom-
panied her husband, is a woman of culture
and refinement. Their peregrinations have
enabled her to see all parts of this CONT
nent and she has absorbed a vast store
of knowledge without being in the least
pedantic. She is a musician and has her
piano right at hand always. She and her
husband are omniverous readers, and their
car contains not only working and refer
ence library of standard volumes and text
books but the newest publications and
1ix ID
written a couple of books: too but so
modest is she about her literary achieve
mentS that they have been printed only
for private circulation.
The Dudley dynagraph car and track in
dicator Is one of the most curious and ex-
pensive cars In the world. At the present
time 1t is standing a side track in the
Grand Central yards at Forty-seventh
street and Madison avenue.
One end of the car is devoted to the in
tricate and delicate machinery that records
the condition Of the tracks and the roadbed
while the other end Is devoted to the living
apartments. Under the floor provisions,
coal and ice are stored for a trip.
The whole structure is very sensitive
and so delicately balanced that If a caller
steps on the platforms anyone inside will
instantly feel the vibrations.
The shaft, which extends down through
the floor, connects the dynograph gearing
with the wheels of the car thus regulating
the speed of the recording Instruments
When at work the car is drawn at the rate
of twenty-five miles an hour. At this speed
the many needle pens hat play on the sur
face of the roll OF paper as it passes
through the machine draw the record in
red ink.
This machinery does mechanically what
a man falls to do, that Is, 1t finds where
the track is out Of surface. The instant
the Dudley car passes over a defective spot
where the DETECTION is more than three
thirty-seconds of an inch from the true
v.lnxa sv,at
rail a bright blue. Subsequently, when the
section boss passes along he can have the
track properly surfaced. During the many
years that DR.. Dudley has been at work
he has made thousands Of rolls of especial
ly prepared paper records for the various
railroad companies, SO that reference can
be made yearly to the condition Of the bed
and rails.
The strenomatograph, another one of DR..
Dudley's inventions, will record the ex-
tension or contraction of rails. 1t will
curately measure the spring in a rail be-
tween ties as the engine and cars pass over
1t. The record is made on a narrow strip
of phosphor bronze. measured by micro
scopic gauges.
To test the elasticity of steel rails practi-
cally, 1t is necessary to do II with a long
rail and weights. but DR.. Dudley has a
specially made instrument for this purpose
BY this practical test IL is possible to figure
the elasticity down to marvellous minute
ness by means of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and
X.
The question of weights in rails Is a very
serious for railroad companies mean
ing a great saving or loss in the yearly rec
ord. DR.. Dudley advocates the use of the
100-pound rail in all cases of heavy traffic
because with them the greatest saving is
had i'm rolling stock and the diminished ia
bility to accidents. The cost of euujpplng
a trunk line is so tremendous that even the
New York Central has only about one
quarter of its passenger service lines laid
with the 1OO-pound rails, but 1t is the opin-
ion of engineers that 1t is the only rail to
use for long life, service and safety.
Apart from these track recording instru-
ments DR.. Dudley has invented appliances
10 test the life of railroad ties. their condi-
ton and elasticity under pressure. as well
as the vibrations or roadbeds and bridges.
This is second in importance only TO knowl-
edge OF the state of the rails.
The lay mind may not know IL, but pho
Biography plays an important part In rail-
reading. DIR. Dudley has a very fine instru-
ment fitted with G0erZ double anistigmal
lenses, that will record In the 1-1.0O0th of a
second. Photographs taken by this instru-
ment from the rear OF the Empire State ex-
press are particularly interesting. The light
snow the ground has helped to lend bril-
lianCy 10 the picture, but many photo
graphs taken I'm the summer time have been
During the many years DR.. Dudley has
been employed I'm track inspection he has
accumulated records and tests for every
thing pertaining 10 railroads, so that his
car Is a wonderful machine shop. labora-
tory and scientific storehouse. But the liv-
ing end of the car. which is divided into
compartments Is quite as interesting. The
juxtaposition of domestic life and business
occupation Is certainly unique and ingeni-
GUS Space Is naturally restricted, but the
Dudleys have more home comforts than the
average Harlem fiat dweller-
Mrs Dudley is an accomplished musician.
and the strains OF music often come from
,t,{ yhaya IN a eli in ot1f of he MA
places, where music Is hardly expected.
Against the wall OF one room bookcase Is
hung
The double bed In the daytime Is banked
ur with sofa pillows. and Is an inviting re-
treat for callers although there are several
very comfortable rocking chairs In the sa-
loon. as well as large center table, which.
serves as dining table. . receptacle Cor