The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-19
DUDLEYS GREAT INVENTION.

DUDLEYS GREAT INVENTION.
More than a quarter of a century ago
| Dr.. P. H. Dudley conceived the idea OF
making mechanical device for recording
| and registering the condition Of railroad
beds. sleepers and tracks, and with that
| object in view he had car constructed
that would contain the necessary mech
anism while at the same time he could
| live and travel in it.
| At certain seasons of the year this car
may be seen in the yards of the Grand
| Central station. where, 10 the casual OBJ
server, it appears to be an ordinary
| Pullman car out of service The lack OF
many windows at regular distances
apart makes 1t seem different from u
| passenger coach. The absence OF doors
renders it unfit for a baggage car and
| the lack of a railroad company name
| on the head band naturally arouses one S
curiosity as to what it is anyway.
During the last quarter of century
of its existence it has been drawn over
the rails of every line of any Importance
in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
and as a result it has made thousands
of rolls of records for railway COM
panies, on which is shown the exact con-
clifton of roadbed, rails and sleepers at
the date the car passed over them.
From a mechanical and scientific stand
point it is one of the most interesting
cars on wheels. and apart from II en-
cheering feats it has social attractions
as well. for one end is comfortably fur
nished for living, containing a grand
piano. bookcase, large couch banked
I'D with sofa pillows and other conven-
fences of the well equipped home
During their years of travel both the
Doctor and Mrs. Dudley have made many
friends AL over the continent, and on sew
eraI occasions abroad, without the car
they were surprised to find their names
and work were well known IN sclentihc
and engineering circles.
Mrs. Dudley is one of the few women
in this country who have taken the de-
gree of civil engineer, and she Is quite
capable of handling the dynagraph car
under ordinary conditions, and is fire.
uuently DR.. Dudley's assistant when on
an inspection tour. At one end OF the car
and directly over the trucks the dyna-
graph machine is located, and by means
OF a vertical shaft extending down
through the floor of the car it is con-
nected w-th an axle. By this means
the speed of the car regulates the speed
of the machine as well as propels II,
which for good record work should be
at the rate of twenty miles an hour be-
hind a heavy engine and preferably at
the rear of a train of cars.
The dynagraph somewhat resembles
cylinder printing press, and when in &C
ton the motion is very similar. At one
end of the machine, over a large spool,
a roll of paper is fed into the apparatus
automatically by the speed of the car
This paper is especially made for the
machine, and is ruled with fine lines ut
certain distances apart, so the record pens
can leave their impression in an intelll-
gible manner.
At the top of the machine several arms
extend out over the paper. and at the
end of each glass pen is fixed into which
ink is dropped by an assistant as the lines
consume it. These arms are operated on
by electricity, which regulates their
movements accurately and quickly.
When the car is in motion it requires
three persons to properly operate the
mechanical and technical matters One
keeps the pens filed, watches the arms
and keeps an eye to the mechanical part
of the dynagraph Another watches the
record sheet. marks the localities OF
bridges. mile posts or other facts to be
noted. which are called out by the look
out at the window.
The third person is stationed at the
window near the machine, where any
points of interest along the line can be
observed. which are Immediately called
out and recorded on the margin of the
paper and act as guide when reading
record.
The object of the record is to show
the condition of roadbed, track and other
points that are necessary in keeping 81
road in proper repair and in shape to
avoid accident, save wear and tear on
rolling stock, as well as to how where,
by repairing a roadbed or track, 1t can
be kept in good condition.
Another wonderful contrivance in con-
neetion with this car is the low point
marker. This is an electric and pneuma-
tic device which automatically paints the
side OF a rail as the car passes over 1t
where a detection is recorded by the dyn-
after the car has passed can Sc where
the track says or is detected by the in
dicated point marks, and can then have
the track and ties lined up If, how
ever. it were not for the dynagraph car
it would be almost impossible to find
these irregularities in the track. as 1t
often springs back into apparently per-
feet condition after a train has passed
over it.
Apart from the actual mechanism Of
the car and machine Dr. Dudley has in
vented a perfect instrument for meas
uring. testing and recording everything
relating to tracks. sleepers and roadbeds.
one of his most interesting inventions
is the streumatograph, which produces
on a polished strip of bronze record so
fine that a powerful microscope is re-
ouired 10 read it. II would hardly seem
possible that a heavy steel ran would
sprinC perceptibly in such a short space
as between sleepers. and were IT not Tor
this instrument it would be impossible
to say it does. but with the streumato-
graph and microscope the One-hundred-
tsousandth Of an inch can be recorded
and inspected when q one hundred ton
7 engine is running over the rails
Another instrument viii measure the
Z elasticity Of rail at fun length. and
rails are often tested by Or. Dudley in
the Grand Central yards where they are
TWO piers built especially for this work
{ and midway between them against The
wall is arranged the apparatus for meas
uring. By this instrument and process
many apparently good rails are rejected
yearly by the best roads. as they have TO
( stand the test for both specific gravity
J and elasticity before they are laid on any
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