Thank you very much for all the information provided, Overmod, Miningman, and Mike. Especially the "1933 Pittsburgh Railway Club proceedings about Autotram". It seems to me that the Autotram project was a high-profile one using a decent engine and car body was designed carefully. It actually achieved something as Overmod stated. The 1930s Cadillac V16 engine probable sound like this:
Overmod The book can apparently still be found on this page (scroll down for the page listing; they cannily mention no publication data, but provide a link to their e-commerce 'shopping cart'. In my opinion, this is $16.95 reasonably well-spent.
The book can apparently still be found on this page (scroll down for the page listing; they cannily mention no publication data, but provide a link to their e-commerce 'shopping cart'. In my opinion, this is $16.95 reasonably well-spent.
Thanks for the link! But no discount code for me as a faithful reader of Overmod?!
Sky Ride in 1933 Chicago World Fair:
Jones 3D Modeling Club https://www.youtube.com/Jones3DModelingClub
Mike finds great things!
Thank you very much, Vince and Mike! Those are some very informative materials which help our reader to learn about the historical background of the Autotram as well as Eugene Clark and his enterprise. Imagine Clark's Autotram was a commercial success, it would have made his business empire grew even bigger and became a competitor of Pullman and Budd with actual strength.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Official_proceedings_(1931)_(14780483343).jpg
Now this is fascinating! Relevant today.
Also last link features some overmodulated contraptions for Overmod starting page 458 ' horseless carriages'
MiningmanAlso last link features some overmodulated contraptions for Overmod starting page 458 ' horseless carriages ... '
... of 400 years ago. What a magnificent find! I had no idea these existed, all the sweeter because Cassier's I believe carried some coverage of the high-speed NY-to-Philadelphia electric railroad proposal that was ripening just about this time.
http://passcarphotos.rypn.org/Indices/DB4b.htm#PRR4635
PRR #4743, #4744. "Brill "GM68b" express - coach"
Jones1945 http://passcarphotos.rypn.org/Indices/DB4b.htm#PRR4635 PRR #4743, #4744. "Brill "GM68b" express - coach"
The South Australian Railways had a number of these for use on low traffic branch lines. They were known as "Brill Model 55" locally.
There were larger and heavier "Model 75" cars which were used for some suburban traffic and some main line services. The Model 75 came in two body widths for 5'3" amd 3'6" gauge.....
Peter
M636C The South Australian Railways had a number of these for use on low traffic branch lines. They were known as "Brill Model 55" locally. There were larger and heavier "Model 75" cars which were used for some suburban traffic and some main line services. The Model 75 came in two body widths for 5'3" amd 3'6" gauge..... Peter
Thanks a lot, Peter. It seems the Brill railcar was much popular than I thought! I can understand that not many people think these railcars attractive but from a passenger's point of view, their existence was much better than ceasing of service; from the RRs point of view, they kept serving the people at a much lower operating cost.
South Australian Railways Brill railcar:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Australian_Railways_Brill_railcar
'
The rear truck of Brill Model 75, reminds me of the tram truck using on the English Electric Balloon in Blackpool.
Jones1945 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Australian_Railways_Brill_railcar ' The rear truck of Brill Model 75, reminds me of the tram truck using on the English Electric Balloon in Blackpool.
It appears that the Brill design was the original, and various tramcar trucks were based on the Brill design.
What may not be obvious at first glance is that the semi-elliptical springs are fixed at the inner end only and have a sliding shoe arrangement at the outer end. Since the springs locate the axle, this provides a steering effect since the load will increase on the outer rail in curves causing the axles to move apart while the reduction in load in the inner rail moves the axles together.
This was considered important for tram cars which operate on very sharp curves.
A derivative of this design was used in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane tramways in Australia, becoming a standard in Melbourne.
How were the traction motors connected to those moving axles?
MidlandMikeHow were the traction motors connected to those moving axles?
I believe on the Brill cars they were dummy/trailer trucks. From what I understand of the Volk railway, there are bevel gears and Cardan shaft connection to a separate motor outside the truck.
Yes, the Brill 75 railcar has a motor truck which looks like PCC streetcar power truck.
http://satrains.8m.net/brill.html
https://tdu.to/112688.msg
MidlandMike How were the traction motors connected to those moving axles?
Because the movements were comparatively small, the axles had conventional axle hung nose suspended motors and the small angular movement was taken up on the rubber mounts on the nose suspension, just as vertical movement due to suspension travel was accommodated.
M636C MidlandMike How were the traction motors connected to those moving axles? Because the movements were comparatively small, the axles had conventional axle hung nose suspended motors and the small angular movement was taken up on the rubber mounts on the nose suspension, just as vertical movement due to suspension travel was accommodated. Peter
I thought nose suspension was to accommodate movement pivoting in the vertical direction.
PRR #4689 with rubber-tired truck replaced by Penny's truck.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2044474248954038&set=gm.10161311783740711&type=3&theater&ifg=1
A steam railcar of Detroit & Lima Northern, circa 1898.
I found this very informative page about the New Haven "COMET" of 1935 from a broken website "Mike's Railway History" from the UK. I suggest our fourmer or reader who is younger and healthier than me to save the page as HTML file before it's removed from the web.
According to this page, the Comet was heavier than a railbus or motor railcar at the time but I think it is better to post it here than open a new thread for it, thank you!
THE AMERICAN "COMET"
A Diesel-Electric Express of Remarkable Design
http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r012.html
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