Journal of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers
Volume 50 (1960-61)
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Journal No. 273
The President, Session 1960-61. 4-5 + portrait.
Mr. Derrick Charles Brown, C.B.E., B.Sc. (Eng.), M.I.C.E., M.I .Mech.E.,
Chief Mechanical Engineer, Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and
Administrations, elected President of the Institution for the Session
1960-61.
Meeting in London 27th May 1960: Symposium on the Use of Aluminium in Railway
Rolling Stock; held jointly by The Institution of Locomotive Engineers and
the Aluminium Development Association. 6-10.
Separate Proceedings.
Scholes, G.E. (Paper No. 604)
The Swindon-built diesel hydraulic locomotive.12-53. Disc.: 53-91.
Paper presented in London on 17 November 1959.General Meeting of the
Institution was held at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 1 Birdcage
Walk, London, S.W.l, on Tuesday, 17th November 1959, at 5.30 p.m. The President,
Mr. R. A. Smeddle, was in the Chair
The 2,100 h.p. V.200-type BB locomotive already in service in Germany was
an attractive proposition because of its high power-weight ratio of about
26 h.p. per ton and the Western Region proposed that a few similar locomotives,
in addition to two other types to be designed by the North British Locomotive
Company, should be built for trial in this country.
Discussion. E.S. Cox (53-5) opened the discussion by noting that the
locomotives were capable of doing twice the amount of work of a steam locomotive,
but that comparable savings were being made by diesel electric locomotives
on the Eastern and London Midland Regions. R.M. Tufnell (66-7) thought the
Author had been fortunate in his experience with boilers. The speaker had
listed failures which had occurred on 10 type 4 locomotives over 20 weeks
on the Eastern Region, a total of 50. Out of these, 15 were due to boilers,
10 to the electrical control gear, and two to no fuel. The design was in
some ways forced upon the Germans. The Western Zone in Germany lacked the
manufacturing capacity for electric transmission and were forced to use hydraulic
transmission.
North-Easterrt Centre, Leeds, 23rd November 1959 (page 63) Midlands Centre,
Derby, 25th November 1959 (page 65) Munchester Centre, Manchester, 3rd December
1959 (page 70) NewcasPe-on-Tyne Centre, Darlington, 10th December 1959 (page
76) Scottish Centre, Glasgow, 16th December 1959 (page 77)
Low, R.C.S. (Paper No. 605)
Some aspects of railway braking. 93-124. Disc.: 124-73.
Paper presented before the Institution in London on 19 January 1960.
General Meeting of the Institution was held at the Institution of Mechanical
Engineers, 1 Birdcage Walk, London, S.W.l, on Tuesday, 19th January 1960,
at 5.30 p.m. Mr. R. A. Smeddle, M.I.Mech.E., M.1.Loco.E. (Presided) was in
the Chair. The Minutes of the fourth
Author was Works Manager, Horwich Locomotive Works, British Railways. In
stopping a train it is necessary to absorb the energy of the moving vehicles.
This is normally achieved by converting the energy to heat, either:
(i) By friction between a brake block and wheel, or between a brake shoe
and a disc attached to an axle.
(ii) By using the traction motors of electric or diesel electric units to
generate electrical energy which is dissipated as heat at a resistance.
Other methods where the energy is converted to heat, such as eddy current
brake, hydraulic vane motors, frictional or magnetic brake applied to the
rail, are so uncommon that they do not warrant further mention.
The only other braking application which merits further reference is regenerative
braking, where, with electrification schemes, and in particular D.C. schemes,
it is relatively simple for the electrical energy referred to in (ii) above
to be fed back into the electrical system as useful current rather than
dissipating it as waste heat.
North-Eastern Centre, Leeds, 28th January 1960 (page 144) Scottish Centre,
Glasgow, 10th February 1960 (page 150) Newcastle-on-Tyne Centre, Darlington,
1 lth February 1960 Midlands Centre, Derby, 186h February 1960 (page 158)
Manchester Centre, Manchester, 3rd March 1960 (page 167.
Journal No. 274
Wilson, A. Gordon (Paper No. 606)
Trends in transmission design for self-propelled diesel railcars. 193-213.
Disc.: 213-41.
General Meeting of the Institution was held at the Institution of
Mechanical Engineers, 1 Birdcage Walk, London, S.W.l, on Tuesday, 16th February
1960, at 5.30 p . p Mr. R. A. Smeddle, M.I.Mech.E., M.1.hco.E. (President),
was in the Chair. Discussion: O.V. Bulleid (217-18)
Probably one of the earliest railcars was that built by the English
Electric Company in 1905. It had two 40- horse power Daimler 4-cylinder engines
and a gearbox with two speeds. The vehicle weighed 15 tons on four wheels,
and it was soon found that adhesion on one pair of wheels was sufficient
to absorb the horse power of the two Daimler engines. With regard to the
Bugatti car, he recalled a memorable occasion when Sir Nigel Gresley and
he travelled with Bugatti in his railcar from Deauville to Paris. It was
a remarkable performance because it maintained a speed of 70 m.p.h. or over
regardless of curves, and the effect on the passengers, especially at the
leading end, was something that had to be seen to be imagined! Sir Nigel
Gresley asked Mr. Bugatti how he dared put so many gallons of petrol in the
vehicle, and did he not fear a fire. Bugatti replied that the vehicle travelled
so fast that in the event of the tanks discharging their contents and thus
catching fire on the line the railcar at speed would have left the fire well
behind.
The manner in which Bugatti determined the streamlined form of his railcar
was a splendid and pleasing piece of practical engineering. He, like Mr.
Bulleid, was convinced that testing rolling stock in wind tunnels was not
the way to solve the problem. He had fitted a nunber of bodies of different
streamlined forms on some of his fast road chassis, and on the long, straight
French roads he found the type of vehicle which went the fastest for a given
fuel consumption. He found the wedge front and rear the best and adopted
it for the railcar form. When travelling in it, it was noticeable that there
was no side disturbance of the atmosphere at all, the air passing over the
body and striking the track some distance behind the railcar.
Roosen, R. (Paper No. 607)
Class “25” condensing locomotives on the South African Railways
— design and operating experiences. 243-82.
Ordinary General Meeting s held at the Institution of Mechanical
Engineers, London, on 15 March 1960, immediately following the termination
of the 49th Annual General Meeting. Mr. R. A. Smeddle, M.I.Mech.E., M.1.Loco.E.
(President), was in the Chair.
The President said it was a great pleasure to introduce Professor Dr.-Ing.
R. Roosen, who would present his Paper entitled “Class ‘ 25 ’
Condensing Locomotives on the South African RailwaysDesign and Operating
Experiences. ” The President, in introducing the Author, said that Professor
Roosen is the Director of Development and Research, Messrs. Henschel-Werke,
Kassel.
These incorporated a fan in the smokebox as the exhaust was diverted into
the condenser. K. Cantlie (264-5) was critical of the fan; J. Koffman (265-6)
also commented upon the fan, but noted that the arrangement extended the
period between washouts. W. Ikeson (266-70) noted his
own experience on the Iraqi State Railways and cited his own paper
(No. 516). H. Hocroft (272-4) written
communication; L. Douglas (274-6) noted coal savings through
condensing.
James, R.F.L. (Paper No. 608)
An outline of the repair of wagon stock at the Bulawayo workshops of the
chief mechanical engineer, Rhodesia Railways. 283-98.
Meeting of the Rhodesian Centre was held in Bulawayo on 23 September
1959, the Chair being taken by H. J. Castle
Ryan, C.F. and Hundy, B.B. (Paper No. 609)
Steel wheels and tyres. 304-44. Disc.: 345-63.
General Meeting of the Institution held at the Institution of Mechanical
Engineers on Tuesday 26 April 1960, at 5.30 p.m. R.A. Smeddle (President)
in the Chair.
Attock, M.O. and Fletcher, S. (Paper No. 610)
Some ideas on the maintenance of diesel electric locomotives. 364-90. Disc.:
390-4.
General Meeting of the North-Eastern Centre held at Metropole Hotel,
Leeds, on 31 March 1960, at 6.45 p.m., the Chair being taken by .T.
Matthewson-Dick. Paper awarded T.A. Stewart-Dyer Award.
Based on practical commissioning of diesel electric locomotives on railways
in Mayasia (Malaysia), Sudan, Rhodesia, Southern Australia and
Tasmania.
Journal No. 276
Brown, D.C. Check point: Presidential Address. 407-33.
14 illus., diagr., map, 3 tables.
This Presidential Year marks our 50th Anniversary. On Saturday, 4
February 1911, eight men met at St. Bride’s Institute, in the City of
London, to form what was to become the Institution of Locomotive Engineers.
The events which led up to that meeting are summarised in Mr. Holcroft’s
excellent History and there would be no point in retreading the ground that
he has so ably covered. It is, however, of particular interest to note that
Carmichael, the first Chairman, and Baxter, the first Honorary Treasurer,
resigned shortly after election to take up posts abroad, in China and Uganda
respectively. Thus we see, right from the inception of our Institution, its
close link with Railways overseas.
If our founders had expended 6d. on the current copy of the Railway
Gazette they would have seen a photograph of the London, Brighton and
South Coast Railway’s new express passenger tank, the
Abergavenny, designed by Earle Marsh, and built in the Company’s
works at Brighton. It was of the 4-6-2 Pacific type, a wheel arrangement
widely used in France and America, but up till that time represented in England
by only one locomotive, the Great Bear.
The demand for tractive effort was growing and the first half of 1911 was
to see Pacific tank locomotives introduced almost simultaneously by four
of the British railway Companies, the London and North Western, the Great
Central, the North Eastern and the London, Brighton and South Coast designed
with an eye to the fast suburban services then developing, The advantages
of superheating were beginning to be recognised, and the “ Pacific ”
tanks of the London, Brighton and South Coast, of the London and North Western
and of the Great Central Railways were all fitted with Schmidt superheaters.
The London and North Western, however, also built a saturated edition of
their locomotive for purposes of comparison.
The fourth Pacific tank, built at Darlington by Vincent Raven of the North
Eastern Railway, was designed for freight working. It had three cylinders,
giving a tractive effort much in excess of the other Pacific tanks and was
not superheated.
The Great Western Railway also brought out a new tank engine in these first
months of 1911. It was a 2-8-0, designed for the heavy South Wales mineral
and coal traffic, and was fitted with a Swindon superheater.
Another notable newcomer was the London and South Western Railway 4-6-0 tender
locomotive, a saturated engine with four cylinders in line, built by Dugald
Drummond at Eastleigh. It was in fact quite a fruitful period, and not only
in the realms of locomotive design.
The successful electrification of the South London line from Victoria was
being extended as far as Crystal Palace and Selhurst and was opened to traffic
in the middle of May, 1911. In that same month of May, the London United
Tramways, the London General Omnibus Company, and various underground railways,
reached a provisional agreement, the object of which was to provide more
harmonious working, and to improve transport facilities in the London area,
a forerunner of the London Transport Executive. Another innovation was an
escalator which was being built experimentally at Earl’s Court Station,
with a view to speeding movement and adding to the comfort of passengers.
In the interests also of passenger comfort, the North Eastern Railway decreed
that sweeps in their working clothes should travel in the guard’s van,
but they provided special vans, and even special trains, for the carriage
of carrier pigeons, such was the prevalence of this traffic, especially in
the North of England. The Great Northern added their own light touch to the
passenger problem by an argument as to whether two ladies, who were “
Siamese twins,” were entitled to travel-as they had done-all the way
from Edinburgh on a single ticket. The railways were no doubt already planning
the traffic arrangements for the Coronation of George V and Mary, which was
to take place on 22nd June. In honour of this event, and under a cloak of
secrecy which served merely to foster titillating and not always accurate
newspaper forecasts of what was afoot, the London and North Western produced
in June The Coronation, a superheated 4-4-0 tender engine designed
to haul trains of 400 tons at 60 m.p.h. It was the 5,000th locomotive to
be built at Crewe and was given that number as its designation.
Another interesting piece of planning in connection with the Coronation was
a 3 ft. 6 in. gauge electric railway for the Festival of Empire at the Crystal
Palace. It was about 13 miles long and as it wound its way through the grounds,
at a maximum speed of 4 m.p.h., it passed through sections and stations
illustrating different parts of the Empire. This “All Red Route ”
must have been good fun and was quite in keeping with the spirit of the times.
The jubilation was, however, doomed to be short-lived. During the year labour
disputes had been prevalent and had given rise to some ugly and disorderly
scenes. In August the wave of unrest struck the railways and resulted in
a general strike involving 140,000 men. But that, of course, was later. In
February 1911 the railways of Britain were doing well. The reports of the
Chairmen of the various companies showed good returns and during the first
week of April there were record dealings in Home Railway Securities. The
position of the manufacturers of locomotives and rolling stock was, however,
by no means so satisfactory. Despite the fact that the British flair for
building and financing railways had resulted in a number of the important
railway administrations overseas being British controlled, 1910 had been
a bad year for export orders, the worst since 1902. Germany at that time
was a colonial power with expansive ambitions both political and commercial.
She was building Railways in Togoland, in the Cameroons, in South-West Africa
and in German East Africa. She also had railway interests in the Middle East,
particularly on the Baghdad Railway. She was exporting approximately 400
locomotives per year, mainly to the Continent, the Middle East and her own
Colonies and was pressing further afield into markets in China, South America
and elsewhere.
Amongst the oversea orders which were being executed in Great Britain, Robert
Stephenson and Company were busy on some handsome 2-8-0 tender locomotives
for the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Broad Gauge, the first locomotives
with Schmidt superheaters to be constructed in this country for India.
On that first Saturday in February the North British Locomotive Company had
just received a welcome and unusual order for fifty 4-6-0 locomotives for
the French State Railways, the first contract of its kind for a quarter of
a century.
The Vulcan Foundry was engaged on powerful Fairlie locomotives for Mexico.
Articulated locomotives were in vogue, particularly the Mallet, which was
being extensively developed in America. Sir Vincent Caillard, the Chairman
of Beyer Peacock and Company, speaking on 1st March, stated that they had
recently taken up the manufacture of a new type of locomotive known as the
“ Garratt,” which was, they believed, “ destined to have a
good future and, they hoped, to replace all other existing types of articulated
locomotives whenever it met them in open competition.” Speaking today,
from our vantage point in time, we are bound, I feel, to pay deference to
the foresight underlying that prophecy.
That, very briefly, is the position as it was in February 1911. It was only
21 years since the conipletion of the Forth Bridge, and I! all seems rather
a long time ago, but a close personal link is provided by the fact that the
first contribution to the proceedings of this Institution was a Paper entitled
“ French Locomotive Practice,” by J. Pelham Maitland, who was present
at that inaugural meeting in February 1911, and who, I am delighted to see,
is with us this evening. It is pleasant to feel that in this way we can so
readily bridge the gap of half a century.
The 50 years previous to 1911 were not particularly notable for outstanding
advances in locomotive design, other than the various attempts to introduce
compounding. They did, however, see the introduction of a number of auxiliary
features now regarded as essentials. The most notable achievement of the
period was, however, reserved until towards the end, when the Schmidt superheater
was introduced into this country and was first used in 1906 on an 0-6-0 goods
locomotive of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, which was at the same
time fitted with a Ritter lubricator, an early form of mechanical
lubrication.
Thus the foundation of the Institution coincided with the commencement of
an age of new possibilities in power and performance. In the ensuing years
this field of opportunity was thoroughly explored by means of higheF boiler
pressures, and by improverncnts in evaporation, in draughting and in the
design of steam passages, valves and valve gears, particularly, of course,
the long lap to give free exhaust at early cut-offs.
And so just before the second World War the steam locomotive reached the
height of its development, the object of veneration by the professional engineer,
and of something akin to affection on the part of a great band of enthusiastic
amateurs whose detailed knowledge of types and performances often put the
professional to shame. There may be mixed opinions as to the desirability
of this type of appeal, but at least it is something which, despite their
marked technical advantages and despite also the ministrations of design
panels and publicity experts, neither the electric nor the diesel locomotive
has yet been able to achieve.
Long before the second World War, however, the writing had already appeared
on the wall. In 1925 Lomonosoff had produced his 1,200-h.p. main-line diesel
electric locomotive and whilst original but mainly abortive attempts were
made to introduce ingenious variants ol the established form of the steam
locomotive, the diesel went ahead. By 1933 the much publicised “ Flying
Hamburger ” was running from Berlin to Hamburg at an average speed of
77.5 miles per hour.
Sykes, W.J.A. (Paper No. 611)
Operating experience with the diesel electric train sets on the Hastings
service of the Southern Region. 434-57. Disc.: 457-85.
General Meeting held at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers on
Tuesday, 18 October 1960, at 5.30 p.m.: D.C. Brown, (Presideent) in the Chair
and at. the following Centres North-Eastern Centre, 1 November 1960 (page
468). Midlands Centre, 9 November 1960 (page 475). Newcastle-on-Tyne Centre,
1 December 1960 (page 482).
Author: Chief Mechanical and Electrical Engineer, British Railways, Southern
Region.
In 1955 public pressure sought improved train services on the London to Hastings
via Tunbridge Wells line, a route containing sharp curves and steep gradients
which impose on the traffic slacks and variations in running speeds. Further,
there are tunnels between Tonbridge and Battle totalling two miles in length,
with restricted clearances. Limited dimensions of locomotives and rolling
stock, combined with increasing train loads, made it difficult for steam
traction to keep time on this difficult route: to satisfy public demand some
interim arrangement was needed before electric traction could be applied,
as the priority electrification was the scheme for the remainder of the steam
lines in Kent. It would be at least 1963 before the electrification of the
Tonbridge-Hastings line could be contemplated. Diesel electrification was
the only system under which the desired improvement could be implemented
rapidly.
At that time 32 locomotive-hauled coaches were under construction to the
restricted width and length demanded.
Following a careful engineering and traffic assessment of the problem, it
was decided that first priority should be given to constructing seven 6-coach
units to work the most heavily loaded business services to commence operation
in the summer of 1957. The widespread application of d.c. electric traction
on the Southern Region made it attractive to combine diesel propulsion with
the maximum number of features in common with the electrical equipment already
in service. There was a successful 500 h.p. engine-generator set produced
by English Electric Co. in 1947 for 5-car diesel units for the Egyptian State
Railways, and in view of the satisfactory reports obtained of their operation
in Egypt, it was decided to install one of these units in a motor coach at
each end of a 6-car unit; the generator to provide current to two standard
250 hp traction motors installed in the rear bogie of the coach. Calculation
showed that a 1000-hp 6-car set built to this specification would be able
to achieve an acceleration of 11 minutes between London and Hastings, thus
giving Hastings the 90-minute running schedule sought.
To verify that reasonable power provision had been made for the special operating
conditions of the Hastings line the schedule was recalculated for the most
difficult section between Crowhurst and Tunbridge Wells assuming an increase
of installed power of 50%. The result was convincing; this increase would
reduce the original calculated time of 29 minutes by 14 minutes only. It
was decided that the locomotive-hauled stock already on order should be formed
into five 6-car sets. and that two further sets of the same kind should also
be built. The conversion of the trailer coaches required little more than
the installation of electric heating and lighting, and provision of through
control. The motor coaches were a development entirely new to the Southern
and contained many new features of design.
The marked advantages of the electro-pneumatic brake adopted as standard
on all modern Southern electric stock made it desirable for use in the diesel
units: tail traffic did not warrant the retention of the vacuum brake.
The final requirements for the total dieselisation of the Hastings line were
foimd to be 23 6-car sets, all of which, apart from the first seven units
were built on standard 63 ft. 5 in. underframes.
Fiaalised Design
The final specification for the trains was:
main engine: E.E. Type 4 SRKT Mark II, pressure-charged, rated at 500 b.h.p.
850 r.p.m.
auxiliary generator, accommodated at the end of the main generator shaft,
was to be at 13-2 kW. continuous rating (90 V. 147 amp.); the whole unit
to be arranged for %point flexible suspension in the coach. The traction
motors were to be of the self-ventilated type EE507 rated at 250 h.p. (1
hour), with a gear ratio of 65: 16. The motor was to be identical in all
respects to that used on the latest express and suburban multiple-unit stock
with field shunting controlled from the torque regulator and brought in
automatically on the upper engine speeds.
The control of the power equipment was to be by means of a single master
control handle of the type almost identical to that used on multiple-unit
stock.
With regard to train heating, since the trains were of fixed formation and
therefore could provide a fixed load for the generator, it was decided to
take the feed from the main generator itself. Standard electric heaters of
electric multiple-unit stock type were to be used. rated at a r.m.s. current
value corresponding to the average voltage calculated to be maintained over
the whole of the run between London and Hastings. 500 W. of heating, plus
1 kW. for water heating, was to be provided in each lavatory.
The equipments were designed to make the maximum use of items already
standardised for Southern Region multiple-unit stock, and the preparation
and driving of the trains was also to resemble multiple-unit stock practice
so far as was possible. The calculated performance figures, assuming 1000
engine horse power per 6-car unit weighing 248 tons were: 69 mile/h balancing
speed on the level; 58 mile/h on 1 in 250 ; 40 mile/h on 1 in 100 and 23
mile/h.on 1 in 50. The fuel capacity of each unit was approximately 680 gallons,
which is sufficient for 14 hours continuous full load running.
As these trains were in many ways a new departure for this country it was
decided that the fullest safeguards should be provided against the possibility
of engine room fire, and each engine room is therefore protected by a fully
automatic CO2 installation. A closed circuit of six thermal
fire-detection switches was arranged in series with the coil of a relay and
connected across the lighting battery; the relay contacts are inserted in
(i) the engine governor solenoid retaining circuit and (ii) the circuit to
the coils of two solenoidoperated valves attached to the two 50 lb.
CO2 gas cylinders. If any detector (set at 200" F.) should open,
the following takes place automatically : (i) the engine shuts down and load
is taken off; (ti) the fire alarm bell in each cab rings and the fire warning
light on each driver's desk is illuminated; (W) after a suitable delay to
allow the radiator fan to come to rest the gas from both CO2 bottles
is released from nozzles placed at strategic points all round the engine
room. Thus no action was required of the driver.
Green, G.R. (Paper No. 612)
Fuel injection equipment for diesel engines. 486-511. Disc.: 511-16.
Paper presenkd before the Midlands Centre of the Institution in Derby
on 9 January 1958. Meeting of the Midlands Centre was held in Derby on 9th
January 1958. the Chair being taken by Mr. F. H. Wood.
Journal No. 277
Eames, T.A. (Paper No. 613)
Refrigerated transport on railways. 532-63. Disc.: 596-603. Bibliog. 4 illus.,
2 diagrs.
General Meeting held at Institution of Mechanical Engineers, on Tuesday,
15 November 1960, at 5.30 p.m.: Mr. D.C. Brown, C.B.E. (President) was in
the Chair.
Malcolm, A.C.D. (Paper No. 614)
The final inspection and testing of locomotives for overseas railways. 564-88.
Disc.: 588-96. 22 illus.
General Meeting of the Midlands Centre was held at the Exchange and
Engineering Centre, Birmingham, on 28th September 1960, at 6.30 p.m., the
Chair being taken by Mr. A. B. Boath (Associate Member).
Some of the observations might seem to be almost elementary, yet time and
again it is only the insistence upon adequate inspection and checking that
reveals snags. Many of the snags found may be easy to overcome in British
workshops, but are difficult to explain to the customer on site. “Failed
in service overseas” is a most expensive form of advertisement, and
even the prompt flying out of technical experts and spare equipment can leave
much to be desired. This is very much a case of prevention being bettcr than
the cure, and the Author has no doubt that the maintenance of a high quality
and degree of inspection, at the hands of qualified specialists, is not only
most desirable, but an economic necessity, both for the locomotive builder
and for the customer.
Journal No. 278
Robertson, Brian
The locomotive of the future. The Sir Seymour Biscoe Tritton Lecture.
617-26.
General Meeting of the Institution held in the Great Hall at the
Institution of Civil Engineers on Wednesday 10 May 1961, the Sir Seymour
Biscoe Tritton Lecture for 1961, entitled “ The Locomotive of the
Future,” was delivered by General Sir Brian Robertson, Bart., G.C.B.,
G.B.E., K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O., D.S.O., M.C., the Chairman of the British Transport
Commission. Mr. D. C. Brown, C.B.E. (President) was in the Chair
Brown, D.C.
Meeting in New Delhi, 20th February 1961. 659-62.
Holcroft, H.
The history of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers — the first forty
years. 662-82. 2 illus., table
Cox, E.S.
The history of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers — the ten years
to the Golden Jubilee. 682-6.
The fifth decade in the Institution's history has been marked by steady
growth against a background of widespread technical change. Not only here
[Britain], but abroad, steam has given way to diesel and electric traction,
locomotives have taken upon themselves many of the aspects of carriages,
and the latter now frequently carry their own motive power. Higher speeds
and the growth of specialised traffics have brought many changes to wagon
stock and their technical content has been much increased. The former sharp
distinctions between the mechanical and electrical sides as applied to locomotive
and rolling stock engineering, have become blurred, and those engaged in
any given branch of the profession have had to learn a great deal about the
other branches.