The PRECO files show that the first two experimental cars were wood
framed and wood (plywood) skinned. Which might explain why they
weren't sold to any railroad.
There is a rather extensive test file on the CB&Q using the three
"production" cars with varying other cars, both Budd LW (SILVER
BROOK) and conventional HW (COLUMBIAN). They tested varying sway
forces, acceleration tests and what not, to compute how the G forces
were felt in the car, etc. They also did studies where they test
rode the car with and without "real" passengers, in full, partially
full and empty configurations.
The results and the test data are quite complete and interesting -
over 54 pages are dedicated to how the three cars rode, perceived to
have ridden and how easy they were to maintain. The cars were used
between Chicago & Omaha and Chicago and Savanah.
Without exception, the Pendulum cars rode better, provided the
passengers a smoother ride and imparted less -sometimes far less - G
forces on the passengers on turns and banks, accelerations and
decelerations. The suspension could be - and was - tuned for better
ride or better "handling". And, from what I read between the lines,
this is where the problems come in. While the cars were in many ways
superior, the maintenance on the trucks would have been just too
much. Could that have been reduced over time with study and
experience? Perhaps, but as with a lot of new technologies in the
transitional era, the railroads had no patience (money or time) to
find out. It is interesting to note that the cars did survive fairly
long as orphans with orphaned technology. I have heard anecdotal
reports of them being like any shot shocks, wallowing down the
tracks. Because the shocks were an important aspect of the
suspension system.
They also had a design for a highway coach. There were at least 5
truck designs, and 10 car designs. They would have made an interesting train.
Bob Webber
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