The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-08-11
Shells of Sheet Steel Run
ming Down to the
Running Gear
LIKE a WRIGGLING SNAKE
Consul General Mason at Berlin Tells of
Interesting Experiments in COnstruc-
ton, to Diminish Air Resistance
Strain on Rails by Electric Engines.

TeutoniC inventors claim for their ltw
ideas in theory. Consul General Mason,
at Berlin, has sent ;He state Depart
ment an elaborate description Of what
is expected to be accom- Iishcd.
When report was sent soms months
ago on the practical results OF the ex-
periments in high-spscd electrical JTac-
lion made last autumn on the specially
prepared military railway line between
Berlin and Zossen, the fact was noted
that as a more or less direct corolIary
10 those tests the German Society Of
Mechanical Engineers had offered a Sc
ries OF prizes for the best design and
specifications for a steam locomotive
and group OF cars, which would collect
lively form an express train capable OF
carrying 100 passengers and their bag
gage with personal comfort and at a
speed Of seventy-five miles an hour. The
purpose OF this competition, as was then
stated. is to provide unit OF the equip
ment for the attainment of greatly &C
celebrated speed in railway travel, which
can be adapted to the present State
railways OF Prussia without the tear
ing up and relaying Of tracks with heav-
Ter ties and rails that would be required
for repid electrical service
An interest ing forecast Of the pending
competition mas been given by Mr.. Ar
thur Kirchhon, editor OF 2 technical
publication in Berlin devoted 10 en-
cheering and machinery. in which a
description IS given Of certain features
OF the new locomotives, which are 10 he
tested over the BerIiD-ZOssen line next
year The specifications require that
this express engine and train OF the fu-
ture shall lie able 10 maintain for three
consecutive hours a speed OF 74-5 miles
an hour, without stopping for water OF
fuel. and at minimum expenditure OF
motive power Mr. Kirchhof's outline
OF howe this IS 10 be done viii have
e definite interest to American en-
gineers.
Friction and Air Resistance.
During the experiments of last
autumn, an attempt was made to deter
nine as accurately as possible the waste
Of power entailed by the friction and re-
sistance OF air 70 railway trains at dif-
ferent rates Of speed. t was found that
while at 4 speed Of 50 miles per -Four
this resistance on 2 still day was about
81 pounds per square meter Of the
surface o. the front end Of the car. the
rate increased very IA idly with the
augmentation Of speed, so that at
pace Of 93.7 miles the resistance rose
10 1919 pounds per square meter Of i'm
piBging surface Every projecting part,
every window, door, or other indenta-
ton which could form a pocket 20
catch the wind created by such high
velocities increased the resistance 10
be overcome. SC that in all future ex
perimenta, the economy of rapid transit
viii require that the factor OF air re-
sistance shall be taken into careful
account.
This. according TO Mr. KirchhofT. is 10
be done by enveIoping the engine and
train. from pilot 10 rear platform. in
she'll OF sheet steel, iOinted so as 70
inclose the locomotive and cars in
continuous tube. uniform throughout In
size and presenting no projecting II
regularity which shall catch the resist
ing air The front of the engine viii
be pointed or wedge-sha~~1 the sheath
VIII incIose as far as possible the run
ming gear Of the cars and even the
wheel- Of both engine and cars viii be
closed disks Of metal instead of. as now
sPoked wheels with openings to catch
the ali.
Speed Limited Only by Track.
In the recent experiments on the los
sen line. the electric motors. conductors,
and transformers worked to the entire
satisfaction OF The experts II charge
and that the maximum practicable speed
and the consequent success Of the trials
we're limited only by the track. which
gave way rapidly when q speed exceed
ing seventy miles an hour was attained
This was indeed the unexpected and most
important fact brought out by the trials
present constructed, exerts at high speed
greater strain upon the roadbed than a
steam locomotive. II had previously been
claimed with apparent reason. that, be-
ing a rotary motor, without the recIpro-
eating Ulotion OF pistons and connecting
rods, the electric locomotive would
avoid the pounding Of the track caused
by the unbalanced parts and OsciIIatine
strain OF the steam locomotive.
IL was therefore a surprise 10 find that
above a certain speed. the strain exert
ed on the rails by the electric engines
was even greater and more fatal. This
IS now explained BY the fact that the
center Of gravity IN the electric engine
hangs much lower than IN the steam
machine, and, what is still more i'm
portar-t. the whole weight OF the steam
boilers, cylinders. pilot, etc, is carried
on springs, while in the electric en-
gineG ':se1 AT the trials the motors and
all ne LeaTier working parts were hung
directly upon the axIes. thus adding
crushing weight TO the blow delivered BY
the wheels upon the end Of each rail At
Temps have since been made to devise
3 system Of springs to avert or tighten
this defect. but so far as can be learned
with only very limited success.
A Twelve Wheel Loco motive.
The new steam locomotive. We are
assured. viii be specially constructed tc
meet this difficulty. It viii rest on
twelve wheels. namely, two pairs Of driv-
ers located at the middle Of the machine.
with a four wheeled pivot truck IN front
and rear Upon these three points Of
support the boiler and superstructure
viii be hung upon springs, carefully ad-
justed to take up as far as practicable
the inevitable vibration and Oscillation