An interesting experiment was made on October 2 by
the CB&Q with a gas-electric car train. The equipment used consisted of a dual
power plant 270-horsepower car used at one end of the train, and a triple power
plant, 405-horsepower demonstrator car equipped by the Mack Company, with two
standard day coaches between them – making a total train weight of about 230
tons.
Temporary
electrical connections between the two motor cars permitted operation of the
train by a single engineman in the cab of the 72 ton triple power plant car on
the outward journey. On the return
trio, without any change in arrangement, the train was operated from the dual
power plant car at the opposite end of the train, and in the reverse
direction.
During the 21 mile
trip outbound stops were made at the rate of one per mile, and on the return
trip the train was run express.
About 60 railroad men and others interested in automotive equipment were
present at the demonstration.
As an aside, Mack Pullman
#569 was purchased by the Burlington in the following month equipped with a 270
h.p Mack AP/AQ power unit, rather than the 405 h.p. unit in the
demonstrator. I always wondered why the Burlington bought this
single unit as all the other motor cars purchased at that time were
either EMC-Pullman or EMC-St Louis. Perhaps the price of the experiment was the
purchase.
Rupert Gamlen
Auckland
NZ