The Washington times., 1902-08-12
TRAINS OF FUTURE
TO make HIGH Speed
Swiftness Limited Only by
Tracks Used.
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
Consul General Mason at Berlin Tells of
Interesting Experiments in Construc-
tion, to Diminish Air Resistance
Strain on Rails by Electric Engines.

The express trains of the future are
to be marvels OF scientific achievement,
II experiments now going on In the Ger
man empire prove in practice what the
Teutonic inventors claim for their new
ideas in theory. Consul General Mason.
at Berlin. has sent 20 the State Depart
ment an elaborate description OF what
is expected to be accomplished.
When a report was sent some months
ago on the practical results of the ex-
periments in high-specd electrical trac-
ton made last autumn On the specially
prepared military railway line between
Berlin and Zossen, the fact was noted
that as more or IS direct corollary
to those tests, the German Society of
Mechanical Engineers had offered Sc
ries of prizes for the best design and
specifications for 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
speed of seventy-fve miles an hour. The
purpose of this competition. as was then
stated, Is to provide a unit OF the equip
ment for the attainment OF greatly ac-
celebrated speed in railway travel, which
cai be adapted to the present State
railways of Prussia without the tear
ing up and relaying of tracks with heav-
ier ties and rails that would be required
for repid electrical service.
An interesting forecast of the pending
competition has been given by Mr.. Ar
thur Kirchboff, editor of a technical
ntth In pariin davOfai
gineering and machinery, in which a
description is given of certain features
of the new locomotives. which are to he
tested over the Berlin -Zossen line next
year. The specifications require that
this express engine and train of the fu-
ture shall be able to maintain for three
consecutive hours speed of T4.5 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
definite interest to American en-
gineers.
Friction and Air Resistance.
During the experiments OF last
autumn, an attempt was made to deter
mine as accurately as possible the waste
OF power entailed by the friction and re-
sIstance Of air to railway trains at diff
ferent rates of speed. 1t was found that
while at i speed of so miles per hour
this resistance on still dag was about
s72 pounds per square meter Of the
surface or the front end OF the car, the
rate increased very ra idly with the
augmentation of speed, so that at
pace of 33.I miles the resistance rose
to 1918 pounds per square meter of i'm
pinging surface. Every projecting part,
every window, door. or other indenta-
tion which could form a pocket to
velocities increased the resistance to
be overcome, SO that In all future ex-
perimenta the economy of rapid transit
will require that the factor OF air re-
sistance shall be taken into careful
account.
This, according 10 Mr.. Kirchhcff, is to
be done by enveloping the engine and
train, from pilot to rear platform, in
a shell oil sheet steel. jointed so as to
inclose the locomotive and cars in a
continuous tube, uniform throughout in
size and presenting no projecting ir-
regularity which shall catch the resist
ing ali. The front of the engine will
be PORTED or wedge -sharoa the sheath
will inclose as far as possible the run
ming 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 catch
the air.