The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-09-18

IN report puDliSned IN ApVll lus''
summing up concisely the practical re
suits of the experiments in high-spced
electrical traction made last autumn
on the specially prepared military rail
way line between Berlin and Zossen.
the fact was noted that as n more or
less direct corollary to those tests. the
German Society of Mechanical Engi-
necrs had offered series of prizes for
the best design and specifications for a
steam locomotive and group of cars
which would collectively form an ex-
press train capable of carrying 100
passengers and their baggage with per-
sonal comfort and ut n speed of sew
enty-fve miles an hour. The purpose
of this competition. as was then stated,
is to provide unit of the equipment
for the attainment of greatly acceler-
ated 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
heavier ties and rails that would be
required for rapid electrical service.
An interesting forecast of the pend
ing competition has been given by Mr..
Arthur Kirchhoff, editor of a technical
publication in Berlin devoted to engi-
nePring and machinery, in which a de-
scription is given of certain features
of the new locomotives. which are to
he tested over the Berln-Zossen line
next year The specifications require
that this express engine and train of
the future shall be able TO maintain
for three consecutive hours n speed of
100 kilometers (74.5) miles, an hour,
without stopping for water or fuel. and
at a minimum expenditure of motive
power. Mr.. Kirchhoff's outline OF how
this is to be done will have n definite
interest to American engineers.
During the experiments of last al
] tumn an attempt was made to deter
mine as accurately rs possible the
waste of power entalled by the friction
and resistance of air to railway trains
Mt different rates of speed. 1t was
found that while at speed of eighty
| kilometers fifty niles per hour this
resistance on a still day was about
thirty-two Kilograms (G7.2 pounds) per
square meter of the surface of the
| front end of the car, the rate increased
very rapidly with the augmentation of
| speed. so that a pace of 100 kilome :
! ters C93.7 niles the resistance rose to
seventy-five Kilograms G57.5 pounds)
per square meter of tmpinging sur
| face. Every projecting part, every
window, door or other indentatlon
which could form pocket to catch the
wind created by such high velocities,
increased the resistance to be over
come, so that in all future experiments
the economy of rapid transit will re-
! quire that the factor of air resistance
shall be taken into careful account
This, according to Mr.. Kirchhoff, is
TO be done by envelopinG the engine
and train, from pilot to rear platform
in shell of sheet steel, jointed so as
to secure fiexibility in passing curves
and so constructed as to inclose the 10
cOmotive and cars in a continuous
tube, uniform throughout in size ant
presenting no projecting irregularity
which shall catch the resisting air
The front of the engine will be pointed
or wedge-shaped, the sheath will in
close as far as possible the running
gear of the cars, and even the wheels
of both engine and cars will be CLOSED
disks of metal instead of. as now
spoked wheels with openings to catcl
the air.
1t will be remembered that in the re
cent experiments on the Zossen lin,
the electric motors. conductors an,
transformers worked to the entire sat
isfaction of the experts in charge, ant
that the maximum practicable speet
and the consequent success of tn
trials were limited only by the track
which gave way rapidly when n speeC
exceeding seventy miles an hour wa
attained. This was indeed the uneX
pected and most important fac
brought out by the trials, viz, that az
electric motor, as at present construct
ed, eXerts at high speed a greater strail
upon the roadbed than n steam loco
motive. 1t had previously beel
claimed. with apparent reason, that
being rotary motor, without the re
ciprocating motion of pistons and con
Meeting rods, the electric locomotiy
would avoid the pounding of the tract
caused by the unbalanced parts an,
oscillating strain Of the steam locomo
tive. 1t was therefore n surprise /
find that above a certain speed tn
strain eXerted ON the rails by the elec
trio engines was even greater an
more fatal. This is now explained b.
the fact that the centre of gravity 4
the electric engine hangs much lowe
than IN the steam machine. and, wha
Is still more important, the Who'll
weight Of the steam boilers, cylinders
pilot, etc, Is carried on springs, while /
the electric engines used at the trial
the motors and all the heavier work
ing parts were hung directly upon tn
aXles, thus adding crushing weigh
; to the blow delivered by the wheel
upon the end of each rail. Attempt
have since been made to devise a sys
, TEN of springs to avoid or tighten thl
defect, but. so far az can be Learned
, with only very limited success.
, The new steam locomotive, we ar
assured, will be specially constructe
to meet this difficulty. 1t will rest o
twelve wheels, viz, two pairs of dri,
| prg lOQnfp1 M fha ni11la nP fh, 80.