Pulling a Niagara

[Overmod]

The three-speed was "Cruise-O-Matic" -- it is what I had in the '62 Thunderbird.  The '63 case had a reinforcing rib to correct its cracking in the location mine did...

Remember that this is the 'second' Ford-O-Matic, the one from '59 to '63.  Think of it at Ford's answer to the original Powerglide.

The pre-'59 had two speeds plus a sort of granny 'low' that you were only supposed to engage under extreme conditions.

Here's an article with details: 

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/automotive-history-1959-1963-two-speed-fordomatic-ford-builds-a-powerglide/

[Erik_Mag]

Overmod

Note the amusing claim that passenger trains ride much more smoothly when equipped with antifriction bearings... this is of a piece with one of my college roommates who was talking about 'riding the rods' and said "I don't see what the point of that "Hydra-Cushion" was... it didn't seem to ride any softer than regular boxcars did."  (This was the same roommate who complained to me that he got his car with a Ford-O-Matic transmission up over 80mph and couldn't get it to go into third gear -- I told him he'd be able to found a new religion if he did, because a Ford-O-Matic only has two speeds...)

Kind of weird to think that Hydra-Cushion is more than old enough to be a legitimate topic for Classic Trains...

One of the things I remember from reading late 60's and early 70's issues of Trains was that the end cushion versions did some not so wonderful things for slack action of a long train, though the sliding center-sill cars were much less of a problem.

I don't think the type of anti-friction bearings had much to do with passenger car ride, but anything with a friction coefficient much higher than a plain RR journal bearing would be a pain to keep cool. Hotboxes got hot for a reason.

I was under the perhaps wrong impression that the Ford-O-Matic was a three speed automatic, but the D2 position would start in second. The Ford C-4 "2" position was selecting 2nd gear as opposed to limiting upshifts to 2nd. In both cases, the 2nd gear start was to help with low traction conditions.

[selector]

LOL!!  

I did notice those spiffy off-axis barrel spinners, and I think that might be the first time I have seen anything iike them.  I had to slap my forehead because they are so obvious....now.

[Overmod]

For those who don't frequent the Trains Magazine forum, where I mentioned this:

It came to my attention this morning (via RyPN) that there is video of the women pulling a Niagara.  It's toward the end of this interesting presentation:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Kljmz_c-QQ8

Note how carefully this includes the different types of roilling-element bearings, including balls, with a good cut of SKF-style barrel thrust rollers showing their off-axis prowess, so this isn't a publicity shot for Timken as I'd have otherwise suspected.

Note the amusing claim that passenger trains ride much more smoothly when equipped with antifriction bearings... this is of a piece with one of my college roommates who was talking about 'riding the rods' and said "I don't see what the point of that "Hydra-Cushion" was... it didn't seem to ride any softer than regular boxcars did."  (This was the same roommate who complained to me that he got his car with a Ford-O-Matic transmission up over 80mph and couldn't get it to go into third gear -- I told him he'd be able to found a new religion if he did, because a Ford-O-Matic only has two speeds...)