Evening star., 1934-11-11
DIESEL TRAIN IDEA
IS Is YEARS OLD
Research Laboratories of
Auto Makers Given Credit
for Developments.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
DETROIT, November 10-The sue
cess attending recent experiments with
streamlined trains, or locomotives
powered with Diesel-type engines, is
the fruit, in large measure, of research
started Is years ago in the laborato-
ries of American automotive plants.
At that time the possibilities of the
Diesel principle as applied to auto
mobiles first we're given serious con-
sideration. Subsequent research work
led to the refinements which have
been incorporated in the fuel oil
burning engines installed in the new
high-speed locomotives.
With the successful. tests of the Chi
cago, Burlington & Quincy's Zephyr
and the New York Central 1OOO1, it
has been learned that several other
railroads have placed orders for Diesel
powered engines or trains.
Power Plant New in Principle.
The Diesel engine itself is only a
little younger than the motor-car
industry, but its inventor, Rudolf Die
self, German engineer, had little
thought OF applying it either to auto
| mobiles or locomotives. Likewise, the
present Diesel type bears little resem-
| blance to the original crude power
| plant invented by Diesel in 1897.
The first Diesel was a ponderous
affair, weighing SO much that it was
impractical for ordinary use. Gradu-
ally Diesel reduced its weight and size
so that it could be applied to marine
use. Ultimately it was applied to
other stationary uses where weight was
not factor.
More recently, however. experiments
| OF American engineers have resulted
| in a Diesel type weighing less than
! 2 pounds per braking horsepower. This
| contrasts sharply with the first Amer
/ built Diesel which weighed %
pounds per horsepower and was hailed
as great improvement over the origi-
nal models Of Rudolf Diesel himself.
| Engines Operate Dynamos.
Contrary to impressions in some
| quarters, application of the Diesel
I principle to eamlined trains and
locomotives is what might be termed
! indirect" in that the oil-burning
! power plants are used in these in
stances to operate dynamos The dy-
namos. in turn. generate electric en-
( ergy for actual transportation move
ment.
! In earlier experimental work and
| the successful efforts of the late Can't
/ L. M. Woolson of Detroit the Diesel
! power was applied directly to wheel or
, propeller WoolSon equipped a plane
! with his own idea Of Diesel type but
: his untimely death prevented his fur
ther development of the engine
/ Caught in binding snoWstOrm while
making an experimental flight. he
crashed into the side of a mountain
and was fatally injured.
| The basic principle of the Diesel en-
! gine is simple. Air is pumped into
cylinders into With fuel has been in
iected The air is compressed TO a
heating point where ignition becomes
! natural consequence. No spark
plugs are needed.
Aluminium Alloy Used.
! Until about 1927 cast iron cylinders
were used because of the tremendous
strain created. Later experiments
we're made with an aluminium alloy
! which had extreme strength and light
ness. More recently, as in the case
! of the Burlington's Zephyr. engine
weight in pounds per horsepower was
reduced by newly developed process
for welding rolled steel plate into a
single piece engine block. comprising
! the crank case and cylinder block.
! Statistics on the power plant of the
| locomotive that a week ago hauled the
! l000l across the continent in rec
ord breaking time. show that the en-
gine alone had a weight of l7.492
pounds indicating its makers were less
! concerned about the matter of weight
per horsepower than have been auto
motive engineers seeking 70 determine
the adaptability of the Diesel type to
| automobiles.