. American engineer and railroad journal . r-ing electric and steam operation on the basis of ton miles perannum each is able to make and also the relative weight ondriving wheels and not as to their total weight. Operating Efficiency of Steam Locomotive Limited By Oper-ating and Traffic Conditions, and Not by the Locomotive.—Theoperating efficiency of a steam locomotive in freight service isso low, averaging about 3,000 miles per month, that it is general-ly thought due to limitations, per se, in the locomotive, whereasit is mainly due to operating and traffic conditions, which limita-tions w


. American engineer and railroad journal . r-ing electric and steam operation on the basis of ton miles perannum each is able to make and also the relative weight ondriving wheels and not as to their total weight. Operating Efficiency of Steam Locomotive Limited By Oper-ating and Traffic Conditions, and Not by the Locomotive.—Theoperating efficiency of a steam locomotive in freight service isso low, averaging about 3,000 miles per month, that it is general-ly thought due to limitations, per se, in the locomotive, whereasit is mainly due to operating and traffic conditions, which limita-tions would apply with equal force to the electric locomotive, sothat, barring some increase in speed, the electric locomotive canmake no greater mileage than its steam competitor in equivalentservice, consequently its splendid ability to perform almost con-tinuous service cannot be realized in practice for reasons afore-said. Let the rectangle A, B, C, D represent a day of 24 shaded area A, B, x, y that portion of the time for which. the mechanical department is responsible—22 per cent., the areaX, y, q, z, the average time the locomotive is performing usefulwork—28 per cent.—i. e., actually pulling trains, 3,000 miles permonth, 100 miles .per day, while the portion of the diagrambounded by q, z, C, D the period or balance of the time thatthe locomotive is under steam, with crew, and ready to go, andrepresents the time at terminal yards, side tracks and awaitingorders, etc. (50 per cent.). It is just here that our electrical friends make the great mis-take of claiming greater capacity for the electric locomotiveover its steam equivalent. It is conceded that under electric conditions the area A, B, x, y may be reduced as much as one-half and perhaps, owing to greater speed, the area x, y, q, z maybe increased, but the lost motion period due to traffic andoperating causes will be relatively the same for both. The percentages are from an actual three months test on atr


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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectrailroadengineering