PROGRESS IN RAILWAY MECHANICAL ENGINEERING: 1970-1971 REPORT OF SURVEY COMMITTEE-LOCOMOTIVES

This year's survey reports on ten new locomotive designs but with no major departures from the design trends already established. Another investigation into propulsion with a-c traction motors has resulted in a prototype locomotive for testing in Germany, a joint development of Brown, Boveri and Henschel. The earlier study, with the British Railways locomotive "Hawk," was reviewed in the 1965 survey. The a-c/d-c/a-c transmission has solid-state components for rectifiers, inverters, and control to power three-phase squirrel cage motors. Variable frequency and voltage provide very good tractive characteristics. Benefits of weight and space savings are expected, as are maintenance advantages from elimination of brushes, slip rings, and commutators. The prototype locomotive is a C-C design with pivotless trucks and low level traction links. Also reviewed are continuing studies and tests, in several countries, for both air-suspension and magnetic support of vehicles. Propulsion by linear motor appears to be favored with choice between on-board power or third-rail collection still being decided. The Association of American Railroads annual report on the distribution of motive power on Class I U.S. railroads shows a total decrease of only 14 from 1970, compared to decreases between 100 and 300 per year for the several preceding years. The U.S. gas-turbine fleet has completely disappeared. Electrification is scheduled in Taiwan and Greece, construction is under way in South Korea and Turkey and extension continues to be supported in other European, Asian, and African countries. An 80-mile electric road is to be built in northern Arizona by the Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad. Elsewhere in the U.S. and in Canada, electrification of high density main lines continues under study.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was presented at the ASME Winter Annual Meeting, November 28-December 2, 1971. The notification of this paper appeared in Mechanical Engineering.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Mechanical Engineers

  Two Park Avenue
  New York, NY  United States  10016-5990
• Authors:
  • Baker, P H
  • Schulze, F W
• Publication Date: 1971

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Locomotives; Motors; Railroad electrification; Traction; Traction drives; Vehicle design
• Old TRIS Terms: Locomotive design
• Subject Areas: Design; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00041673
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Mechanical Engineering
• Report/Paper Numbers: 71-WA/RT-5
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 15 1974 12:00AM