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Dynamometer car

 
Dynamometer Car

 
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Dynamometer car
 
 
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A dynamometer car is a railroad maintenance of way
Maintenance of way

Maintenance of way refers to the maintenance of railroad Right-of-way . It can include procedures from the initial grading of the right of way to its general upkeep and eventual dismantling....
 car used for measuring various aspects of a locomotive
Locomotive

A locomotive is a Rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin language loco - "from a place", Ablative case of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine,....
's performance. Measurements include tractive effort
Tractive effort

Tractive effort is the pulling Force exerted, by a locomotive or other vehicle. The term is used specifically in railway terminology.The tractive effort value can be either a theorectical or experimentally obtained value, and will usually be quoted under normal operating conditions....
 (pulling force), power, top speed, etc. Although now, as advanced calculations make the dynamometer car join the ranks of obsolete equipment such as caboose
Caboose

A caboose or brake van or guard's van is a manned railroad car coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads....
s and steam locomotive
Steam locomotive

A steam locomotive is a locomotive powered by steam. The term usually refers to its use on railways, but can also refer to a "road locomotive" such as a traction engine or steamroller....
s, it was certainly a valuable asset when it was used.

first dynamometer car was probably one built in about 1838 by the "Father of Computing" Charles Babbage
Charles Babbage

Charles Babbage, Royal Society was an England mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer....
.






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Sp Dynamometer
A dynamometer car is a railroad maintenance of way
Maintenance of way

Maintenance of way refers to the maintenance of railroad Right-of-way . It can include procedures from the initial grading of the right of way to its general upkeep and eventual dismantling....
 car used for measuring various aspects of a locomotive
Locomotive

A locomotive is a Rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin language loco - "from a place", Ablative case of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine,....
's performance. Measurements include tractive effort
Tractive effort

Tractive effort is the pulling Force exerted, by a locomotive or other vehicle. The term is used specifically in railway terminology.The tractive effort value can be either a theorectical or experimentally obtained value, and will usually be quoted under normal operating conditions....
 (pulling force), power, top speed, etc. Although now, as advanced calculations make the dynamometer car join the ranks of obsolete equipment such as caboose
Caboose

A caboose or brake van or guard's van is a manned railroad car coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads....
s and steam locomotive
Steam locomotive

A steam locomotive is a locomotive powered by steam. The term usually refers to its use on railways, but can also refer to a "road locomotive" such as a traction engine or steamroller....
s, it was certainly a valuable asset when it was used.

History

The first dynamometer car was probably one built in about 1838 by the "Father of Computing" Charles Babbage
Charles Babbage

Charles Babbage, Royal Society was an England mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer....
. Working for The Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway

The Great Western Railway was a History of rail transport in Great Britain that linked London with the south west and west of England and most of Wales....
 of Great Britain
Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
, he equipped a passenger carriage to be placed between an engine and train and record data on a continuously moving roll of paper. The recorded data included the pulling force of the engine, a plot of the path of the carriage and the vertical shake of the carriage. The work was undertaken to help support the position of The Great Western Railway in the controversy over standardizing the British rail gauge
Rail gauge

Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel Rail profile that make up a single Rail tracks. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a gauge of , which is known as standard gauge or international gauge....
.

Trivia

The 1930 movie Danger Lights
Danger Lights

Danger Lights is a 1930 in film Film starring Louis Wolheim, Robert Armstrong , and Jean Arthur.The plot concerns railroading on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St....
 includes footage of a dynamometer car in operation.

External links

  • - Comprehensive details of how a dynamometer car is used for performance testing
  • photos of some prototype cars.
  • Details (including publicity article from February 1951) of the Victorian & South Australian Railways' dynamometer car
  • building a model of a dynamometer car.