Leo
This was the era of link and pin couplers which, over the length of a train, allowed far more slack than might be required to start a train. They experimented on the Burlington in early 1887 with wedges in the couplers to reduce the slack to roughly the amount
present with vertical plane couplers, and were able to start the train with much less surging and jerking. This reduced the damaging effects on both the train crew, the freight cars and the freight. In time, this led to the requirement to use vertical plane
couplers in interchange.
Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ
From: CBQ@groups.io <CBQ@groups.io>
On Behalf Of Leo Phillipp via groups.io
Sent: Saturday, 9 May 2020 12:40 pm
To: CBQ@groups.io
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Waycar as test lab
Not sure what the definition of “slack couplers” was in the referenced article about the 1876 tests. If it meant slack was not needed to start a freight train I would say this is simply and totally wrong. One can certainly start a short
way freight or passenger consist with the “train stretched” but it “ain’t going move” if you stop a standard freight train in a stretched condition and then try to start moving. Been on a few trains where the rear end set a couple hand brakes or drew down
some air on the rear end, the locos then reversed and pushed against the train to create slack so as to then again proceed forward. You can’t pull on 8-10,000 gross tons as a single unit and expect it to move.
Saw one example of trying to start a stretched train at Flag Center,IL one day when a heavy westbounder stopped on the grade and then after the meet tried to proceed west again. The grind marks from every wheel in the consist were so bad
the brand new ribbon rail had to be replaced.
Charlie
As well as the Westinghouse book, the Slideometer was covered in Railroad Gazette in 1886, as per attached account.
Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ
Rupert wrote:
Back during the Burlington Brake Trials in 1876, test equipment was installed in the waycar at the end of the test trains to measure the severity of the braking effect. The slideometer consisted of a wooden trough 14 feet long and 6 inches wide, screwed to
the centre of the waycar. In the trough was a wrought iron weight 5 inches in diameter weighing about 16 pounds which could slide in either direction, and the distance travelled indicated the severity of the movement. As well as the braking effect, the slideometer
also demonstrated what happened when the train started moving. It was believed at that time that coupling slack was essential for getting a train moving, but the tests showed that was not the case. The slideometer demonstrated to the industry (members of the
braking company’s management were posted to the waycar) that, with slack couplers, the shocks transmitted to the waycar were extreme and that passage in a waycar was dangerous.
I checked a few of my files as I wasn’t sure about the location of the Slideometer. While I think it may have been covered in one of the Railroad Journals more completely, the Westinghouse Air Brake book on Brake Tests
only states the device was installed in the “rear car”. Further on it states the shock was being recorded in the rear or 52nd car which indeed would make it the Waycar….there being 50 box cars, a dynamometer, and waycar. BTW, there was a device
in the 26th (box) car that recorded the speed, time, distance and brake-beam pressure for each stop.
The Westinghouse book carries a summary of the Master Car Builders proceedings covering the trials of 1886 and 1887. They both state that the CB&Q Dynamometer Car (identified in a number of consists as Car Z) was built
by the railroad in July, 1884 which confirms one of the dates in railroad records.
Charlie Vlk
<Slideometer 1886 v18 p523.jpg>
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