Journal of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers
Volume 51 (1961)
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Volume 51 (1961/2)
Journal No. 279
Cansdale, J.H. and Collins, G. (Paper No. 615)
Rheostatic braking for rapid transit multiple-unit trains. 8-75.
Barrett. G.M. (Paper No. 616)
Spectrographic analysis of crank-case lubricating oils as a guide to preventive
maintenance of locomotive diesel engines. 76-98.
Bairstow, S. (Paper No. 617)
Control of quality of crankcase lubricating oils of locomotive diesel engines
in service. 98-140.
Ritchie, Joan and Byrne, B.R. (Paper No. 618)
The collection and assessment of technical information, including the language
problem. 141-77.
Journal No. 280
Rudge, T.H. and Forbes, M.K. (Paper No. 619)
Cooling equipment for diesel locomotives. 202-32. Disc.: 232-55.
Thorley, W.G.F. and Clarke, G.O.B. (Paper
No. 620)
Work study and its application to motive power activities. 256-300. Disc.:
300-27.
I. LeMay (309) said he was interested to note that the Authors brought
in the subject of Ergonomics. He said there was at Inchicore Works a very
fine diesel maintenance depot with three floor levels which appeared to be
designed for the locomotives which were being serviced there. A point which
he did not think the Authors had mentioned, was the design of depots actually
to suit the particular locomotives involved. This goes a little further and
suggests that the work study people should look at the designs of new locomotives
before they go into service. He asked was there likely to be any sort of
standardisation of such items as the height of battery boxes, height of access
doors, the provision of side access doors and, obviously, roof catches?
Journal No. 281
Harrison, J.F. (Presidential Address)
The gathering of the new crop. 336-56. + plate. 16 illus. 4 diagrs.
Includes an appreciation of the Gresley Pacifics: Harrison had been
born in Settle, and following a very brief appreciation of Midland Railway
locomotives he noted that A3 Pacifics had taken over working the major express
trains over the Settle & Carlisle Line with photographs of them at Ais
Gill, and on the Thames Clyde Express.
He noted that the Peppercorn A1 Pacifics "were intended to give a better
performance than any previous Pacific, to be cheaper to maintain, and to
run increased mileages per annum and between general repairs. These five
locomotives, Nos. 60153/60154/60155/60156/60157, have now been in service
for exactly twelve years, during which they have run 4.8 million miles, one
in fact having just completed 1,000,000 miles, or 228 miles for every calendar
day since leaving Doncaster as a new engine. The average miles between shopping
of these engines is 120,000, and these figures compare with figures given
by Mr. R.C. Bond in his Paper to this Institution in 1953 showing the best
London & North Eastern mileages in those days as 93,363 with average
annual mileages of 80,000.
The total miles run by the fifty engines, including the five roller bearing
engines, since new, is approximately 48,000,000, an average of 202 miles
per calendar day-figures which I know cannot be approached by any steam
locomotive class in this country. I will refer to this figure later in my
Address.
When one realises that these locomotives are better than the A.4 Class, examples
of which took part in the interchange trials in 1948, and which attained
the best coal and water consumption figures per drawbar horsepowerihour,
one realises that these latter locomotives were, and in fact still are, perhaps
the finest steam locomotives in the world. For some 105 years the Great Northern
and London & North Eastern Railway had only four Locomotive Engineers,
all of whom have a position in history, but I suggest none more so than Gresley
who was honoured by a knighthood in 1936. Surely there is a lesson to be
learned from this continuance of a single policy for periods of up to twenty-five
years each. This has been noticeable also on the Great Western Railway. It
is, therefore, with great pleasure that I pay this modest and brief tribute
to the late Sir Herbert Nigel Gresiey, who cannot be by-passed as the greatest
Locomotive Engineer in this country in the 20th century if one judges these
matters on the performance of the designer’s products over such a lengthy
period of time. It is surprising, however, to see that the British Transport
Commission have only thought fit to preserve amongst their historic locomotives
two examples of this great Engineer’s work, and then neither of the
first two Pacifics he ever built."
Sharp. E. (Paper No. 621)
Diesel-electric locomotive testing with the British Railways L.M. Region
mobile test plant. 356-88. Disc.: 388-407.
G.T. Smithyman (M.), in congratulating the Author on his Paper, said
it was interesting to remember that when these M.T.U.’s were built-they
were, of course, the brain child of Dr. Andrews – he christened them
originally Faith, Hope and Charity; “Charity” if speeds continued
at 50 m.p.h.; they would “Hope” to do 90 m.p.h. and use the middle
speed unit, and would require a lot of “Faith” at speeds of 120
m.p.h. when using the high speed unit. The speaker thought the original object
of three M.T.U.’s was to reduce costs as compared with large static
installations for testing, also to simplify testing on undulating lines.
He asked if other Regions made use of these units. Had the Western Region,
who were constructing a new dynamometer car, taken any advice from the L.M.
Region or would they borrow the L.M. Region’s M.T.U.’s to work
in conjunction with the Western Region’s dynamometer car? Most of the
tests referred to, other than one, were on diesel-electric locomotives; were
any comparative figures available for dieseI hydraulics? He referred to Fig.
8, showing rolling resistance, and asked how the Western Region compared.
Passing reference was made in the Paper to braking of freight stock. He thought
this had probably not been done intentionally, but it had been dismissed
in a matter of seven lines. He thought the problem was too immense and too
complicated to be dismissed so lightly.
Would the dynamometer car continue to be used on freight train trials, or
were the drawbar snatches and the buffing shocks too great for the Amsler
Unit on the dynamometer car? It was partly irrelevant to this Paper, but
he thought people might misread it; it was so easy to dismiss A.W.S. and
the deadman’s control and all the problems associated with braking of
freight trains. He thought it was now one of our greatest problems.
Mention was made of Type “4’s” and making a compromise for
passenger traffic and freight traffic. Did the Author think compromise was
the right answer, or did he consider there should be locomotives suitable
for heavy freight and others for express passenger? A figure had been quoted
in the Paper of 1100 tons being the maximum for a Type “4” on a
1 in 78 rising gradient.
Maskery, C. (Paper No. 622)
The use of instruments to record dynamic phenomena. 408-56.
Journal No. 282
Schlaepfer, O. (Paper No. 623)
Control of diesel-electric locomotives. 466-519.
Singh, A. (Paper No. 624)
Couplers and draft gears for Indian Railways. 519-54.
Journal No. 283
Cox, E.S. (Paper No. 625)
Some problems in vehicle riding. 574-615. Disc.: 615-59.
Railway vehicle riding is not a simple subject and its basic theory
was not completely understood after 150 years. The complete theory has baffled
and still baffled some of the best mathematical brains in Britain and other
countries. Full understanding of the theory does not, however, preclude
application of parts of the theory backed up by experiment, and was shown
could lead to the establishment and maintenance of a standard of riding
acceptable to the public.
What has now been established may seem simple enough to the uninitiated —
why was it not done before? There are two things at any rate which have made
it more possible to do today what was not done yesterday. These are the
availability of better means of measurement, and the development of the hydraulic
damper in sizes and reIiability suitable for rail traction.
There is the necessity for a sense of proportion on this subject. Not every
passenger journey on British Railways represents a bad ride, and the area
of serious complaint, irksome as it is to those who suffer under it, is a
relatively small one. Put another way, of 40,000 passenger carrying vehicles,
in stock, modifications which are to be made to some 2,000 vehicles of one
or other of the four existing types described in the Paper, will deal with
almost the whole of what has been complained about in particular. The remainder,
far from perfect, but certainly not warranting modification expenditure at
this time of capital stringency, will gradually be replaced by new vehicles,
all of which are now being built in line with the principles just described.
Having improved the ride basically by improvements to the bogie suspension,
accuracy of construction and repair now becomes more important, and must
be assured in order to maintain the ride quality now built in.
It was considered at one time that development would pose a problem as to
where to direct available resources. It was thought that better riding would
cost more in capital and maintenance expenditure, either on the vehicle or
on the track, and that a choice had to be made in this respect. Although
this might be true in the long term, in the short term the contrary is proving
to be true. Better riding is now obtained in important cases from simpler
bogie designs, not expensive in first cost and cheaper in maintenance, while
their insensitivity to normal track irregularities is such that no special
standards of track design or maintenance are called for to meet this first
stage of improvement. The Civil Engineers are thus left only with the already
existing problem of dealing with the really bad places in the track, without
being faced by any immediate need for raising general standards. Some by-products
of the work described are interesting, although to enlarge upon them would
unduly lengthen this Paper. These are:-
Bogies of some former designs, especially in run-down condition, can develop
continuous hunting on long-welded rails, which is abated or becomes only
intermittent with the return to jointed rails. “Modified” bogies
on the other hand ride as well or even better on welded than on jointed
track.
Self-propulsion is not of itself a factor influencing ride quality. Electric
multiple-units have been run at the same speeds over the same track, under
their own power and locomotive hauled, without any appreciable difference
in the riding- records obtained.
The nose-suspended electric motor makes no contribution one way or the other
to the ride values obtained. In other words a motor bogie will ride as well
or as badly as its own suspension characteristics and condition permit. Just
as good a ride can be obtained from a modified power car as from a trailer,
and this holds good for either electric or diesel propulsion. On ihe other
hand, the greater noise from the power car sometimes leads to the impression,
not sustained by the records, that the ride is not so good.
The work threw up other factors such as vehicle body stiffness, and springing
of upholstery as additional contributors to the final ride quality as felt
by the passenger. They merit, and will receive further investigation, but
they are of the second order of importance.
It could be claimed, possibly with justice, that British Railways have arrived
at this stage somewhat later than have certain other countries. On the other
hand, there is a long story of un-success as the result of merely importing
into this country Continental proprietary bogie designs which give good enough
riding in their territory. In general, such designs as they stand do not
include the longer swing links which are necessary here because our vehicles
are shorter and have a smaller moment of inertia.
It is emphasised that what is described is only a stage in progress —
a satisfying condition if it will eliminate public complaint— but a
stage nevertheless. As engineers we can never be satisfied until we understand
fully, so that research will go on, What greater degree of good riding, and/or
reduction in costs in relation to speed, will remain to be realised when
all of the theory is known, and the vehicle/track relationship is thoroughly
understood, is a point for debate. Above all, better understanding of the
theory is going to become essential should any considerable advance in maximum
running speeds become desirable commercially. It would seem important to
discover what the ceiling in these matters is liable to be, for no less than
the future of railways as we know them may possibly hang upon the answer.
Raman, K. (Paper No. 626)
A basic study of mid-section derailments of metre gauge four-wheeled goods
stock. 660-82.
Journal No. 284
Symposium on the Engineering Aspect of Catering on Trains:
Simons, H. (Paper No. 627)
Engineering aspect of catering on trains:– 1. The vehicle from the catering
manager's viewpoint. 692-704. 6 diagrs. (elevations and
plans)
Author was Assistant Chief of Restaurant Cars, British Transport Hotels
and Catering Services
British Transport Commission had six types:
Kitchen Car
Kitchen Buffet
Restaurant Buffet
Restaurant Unclassed
Miniature Buffet
The Griddle Car
Wilcock, H. (Paper No. 628)
Engineering aspect of catering on trains:– 2. British Railways experience.
704-22.
Design Engineer, Standards, British Transport
Commission
Bulman, W.E. (Paper No. 629)
Engineering aspect of catering on trains:– 3. Overseas experience (East
African Railways and Harbours). 722-7. Disc.: 727-45. 5 illus. (numbered
in sequence with above papers)
A versatile buffet car was illustrated and described.
Discussion (all Papers) pp. 727-45.
Warder, S.B. (Paper No. 630)
Progress of 50 cycle traction on British Railways. 747-813.