The record., 1911-11-16

from the track TO projecting portions of
station buildings. tunnels. bridges end
other objects. II Is also designed to
indicate automatically. while moving
on curves. the elevation of the rails
and the degree of curvature.
The car. which is 81 feet S% inches
long over all. and so feet between
truck centers, is built entirely OF steel
At the front end of the car where the
templets are located is a second floor
al an elevation of nine feet eight
inches above the top Of >the rails.
Both floors are for use in taking
measurements from the templets. The
second floor is reached by steel stair
ways on each side of the main tenn
plet.
All measurements are taken al the
center of the steel truck. from which
clearances are computed. The main
templet, which is erected directly over
the center of the truck. has width OF
ten feet between elevations OF two
feet and 10 feet above top OF rail. oXclu-
sive of the fingers or feelers attached
TO the sides. From an elevation OF l.
feet above top of rail the templet re
cedes toward the middle of the car
at an angle of IS degrees. reducing
with the width of the templet to tour
feet at the top at an elevation OF 10
feet above the top of the rail.
Immediately in front of the main
templet is constructed an auxiliary
templet. designed TO measure over
head bridges. tunnels and other oh.
jects between elevations II feet and
20 feet above the top of the rail. This
auxiliary templet has the same dimen-
sions as that part of the main templet
between elevations y ieet and 10 feet
- .s ourp5.-s-s'- IN q center shRff ine
closed n an upright -vlinder and Is
capable of being raised to height OF
Is feet by a crank and ratchet ar
rangement on the floor of the car.
Inclosed in steel cylindrical boxes
with translucent glass fronts facing
the templets is a series OF electric
lights which extend from the floor OF
the car on each side thereof 10 a
height of 10 feet above top of rail.
The we'll diffused light thus obtained
makes it possible TO take measure
ments both day and night. as well as
in dark tunnels.
The fingers or teelers attached 10
the sides and the top of the templets
are two feet long and are placed six
inches apart They are hinged to The
templets and held In the different 10.
sitions by friction Attached TO the
feelers and the side of the temp!ets
are graduated scales which indicate
automatically the distance from the
rim of the templet TO side or over
head object. In addition. small
board equipped with a set of feelers
spaced one inch apart has been pro
vided TO measure cornices of roots.
of shelter sheds, or other irregular OBJ
iects close TO the track. This board
is detachable. and can be fastened 10
the side of the templet at any point
desired AS the car passes over a
curve, an attachment on the rear truck
of the car indicates the degree of curv
ature on scale inside Of cabinet.
which has been erected in the middle
of the car In this cabinet Is also an
instrument consisting of long pendu
lum. which indicates automatically
the elevation of one rail of the track
over the other. The side Of this cab
met facing the main templet has been
provided with a plate glass window,
which enables the operator of the car
to read the degree of curature or the
elevation of the rail at any time.
With all of the attachment working
automatically it is possible to take
clearance measurements while the car
is running at a speed of four miles per
hour: this is necessary at times in or
der to keep out of the way OF regu-
lar trains.
Though two men can operate tho
new clearance car, one taking the
readings OF the scales and the other
recording them. where clearances are
close and irregular 1t requires the
services of three men.