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The Commodore ...NYC leads the way in streamlining

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Posted by Miningman on Monday, March 4, 2019 2:04 PM

 

 

In the early 1930s, steam locomotives needed shorter smokestacks if they were to travel through the growing number of tunnels and under bridges that spanned tracks. But, when travelling at high speeds, smoke would billow into their cabs, clouding the engineers' view of the signals and tracks. Although visibility, and therefore safety, improved at slower speeds, passengers would then complain about delays.

This led Canadian National Railways to enlist NRC to solve the problem. Using its new wind tunnel, NRC tested the aerodynamics of models for existing locomotives and proposed alternate designs, including a sleeker, more streamlined design. One such design was put into production and unveiled in 1936 as the 6400.

The semi-streamlined design resolved the problems and its aerodynamics substantially improved the locomotive's efficiency. During the 1939 World's Fair in New York City, the 6400 gained instant fame. If imitation is a form of flattery, then locomotive manufacturers soon paid tribute globally. From the late 1930s to 1950s, locomotives sporting the 6400's likeness appeared on tracks worldwide. The 6400's silhouette also graced that era's countless travel posters.

 

https://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/obj/gen/centennial-centenaire/index.html#9/z

 

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 10:08 AM

Long stacks improved drafting but clearances could make them impracticable.  Santa Fe's stack extenders were a solution to this problem.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by Jones1945 on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 5:32 AM

Thanks Mingingman and Mike,

At least Canada made streamlined steam engine kept their shrouding much longer than America's "Steam-Streamliner". Too bad that the industry needed a lot of pair of "wings" instead of a beautiful shrouding. Coffee

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Posted by rcdrye on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 7:26 AM

Most if not all of SP's GS and MT class 4-8-4 and 4-8-2 engines kept their "skyline casings" after some of the streamlining was removed in the 1950s.

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Posted by Miningman on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 7:51 AM
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Posted by Miningman on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 6:58 PM

Fascinating -- From Mike!!.. of course

The co-inventors of the locomotive that became the 6400 are hardly known, but are relatively famous in aviation history. 

 
Canada, 1900 to 1920 
The contribution made by Canada began when aviation was in its infancy. W. Rupert Turnbull of Rothesay, New Brunswick, constructed the first Canadian wind tunnel in 1902 and in later years he made valued contributions to both aeronautical science and development. In 1907 Dr. Alexander Graham Bell's "Aerial Experiment Association" was formed of five members, including two Canadians, J. A. D. McCurdy and F. W. (Casey) Baldwin. This group designed and built a number of successful aircraft in one of which, Silver Dart, McCurdy made the first controlled flight in Canada on February 23, 1909. In August 1909, McCurdy and Baldwin made demonstration flights with the Silver Dart for the Department of Militia under most unfavourable conditions of terrain and wind at Petawawa, which led to destruction of the aircraft. The authorities remained unconvinced of the practical military value of aircraft and declined to give any assistance in furthering the development of aviation.
Less than a decade later, in December, 1916, Canadian Aeroplanes Ltd. was established in Toronto by the Imperial Munitions Board, to provide aircraft for the Royal Flying Corps training units in Canada. Some 2 900 Curtiss IN-4 (Jenny) aeroplanes were manufactured, 1 000 of which were diverted to the United States to offset their production slippages. Also, 30 twin-engined Felixstowe F3 and F5 flying boats (the largest type then in existence) were built in 1918 for the United States Naval Services. As World War I drew to its close, mass production of Avro 504 trainers was just beginning. As in a later conflict, Canada did an outstanding job in pilot training. The Royal Flying Corps units in Canada turned out 3470 trained pilots. To this number must be added nearly 700 pilots trained for the Royal Naval Air Service by the Curtiss Flying School established in Toronto by J. A. D. McCurdy in the spring of 1915. These pilots earned a great and lasting reputation for Canadian courage and ability in the air and proved later to be a priceless asset in the opening of the remote areas of Canada and in its exploration and survey by air.
In 1917 J. H. Parkin, who was on the engineering teaching staff of the University of Toronto, received authorization to create an aerodynamic research laboratory. Parkin had long been interested in aeronautics and had closely followed the published literature dealing with its scientific and engineering progress. He was familiar with both the theoretical and experimental work in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States and was present when the famous French pilot Count Jacques de Lesseps made demonstration flights in Toronto with a Bleriot monoplane during July, 1910. Later, Parkin built an exceptionally fine scale model of this aircraft which won him a prize. One of the most important things he did was to plan and initiate the first undergraduate course in aeronautical engineering in Canada. Meanwhile, published papers on his aeronautical work attracted wide attention. In 1918 the University of Toronto constructed its first wind tunnel, followed in 1923 by a more efficient tunnel of the same size.
The Canadian government was quick to realize that aviation would have a special significance for this country and in June, 1919, it created the Air Board with broad powers to control all forms of aeronautics, and specifically to regulate civil aviation. During the war (late 1916), the Honorary Advisory Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (NRC)had also been created. Anticipating a requirement for aeronautical research, the newly established Air Board requested NRC to form an Associate Air Research Committee (later, the Associate Committee on Aeronautical Research) which was done in 1920. Later in that year a civilian engineer, E. W. Stedman, was appointed Director of the Technical Branch of the Air Board. Stedman had been a senior assistant in aeronautics at the National Physical Laboratory in 1914 and on the outbreak of war joined the Royal Naval Air Service. He was therefore quite familiar with the scientific strength underlying British aeronautics and his own wartime service was testimony to his belief in the military importance of aviation. He had a very great influence on aeronautical research and development in Canada over a period of about 30 years. The Air Board ceased to exist in January, 1923, when its functions were assumed by a new Department of National Defence. Stedman was one ofthe first to join the Royal Canadian Air Force when it came into existence in 1924 and he continued to provide the leadership and responsibility for technical matters.
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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, March 7, 2019 6:32 AM

I'm waiting for Mike to follow up on that Chapelon reference...

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Posted by Jones1945 on Thursday, March 7, 2019 8:42 AM

Thank you so much for the link, Miningman and Mike, some interesting content starting from this page: 

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.27528/page/n63

 

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Posted by Overmod on Friday, March 8, 2019 10:49 AM

Overmod
I'm waiting for Mike to follow up on that Chapelon reference...

Got too interested to wait.

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6473180d/f38.image.r=Chapelon

NDG
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Posted by NDG on Sunday, March 31, 2019 4:33 PM

 

This Item should go here, also.
 
CP 3002 @ MLW. Aug. 1936.
 
On ebay.
 
CP 3002.
 
 
 

Thank You.

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