Karl Gölsdorf
Encyclopedia
Karl Gölsdorf was an Austrian
engineer and locomotive designer.
, the son of Louis Adolf Gölsdorf. Even as a schoolboy he was introduced to locomotive design by his father, the chief mechanical engineer (Maschinendirektor) of the Imperial and Royal Southern Railway
(k.u.k. Südbahn). From 1880 to 1884 he attended the Vienna Technical High School
and completed his diploma with distinction. In 1885 he joined the Wiener Maschinenfabrik (Vienna engineering works) as a design engineer. In 1889 he became head of assembly for locomotive construction. On 1 November 1891 he joined the design office of the Austrian State Railway as an engineer-Adjunkt and began his creative work there.
pitch on steam locomotives had no real disadvantages. A study visit to England
in 1899 was to heavily influence the use of form in his designs.
Gölsdorf became especially well-known as a result of his inventing the radially-sliding coupled axle for steam locomotive
s, the so-called Gölsdorf axle
. The first engine to be equipped with this was an eight-coupled steam locomotive in 1897, the Class 170. The ten-coupled Class 180, whose first, third and fifth axles were able to slide sideways in the frame, demonstrated that, in almost all cases, locomotives with multi-part frames and complicated articulated designs would be superfluous. From that time forward this type of construction became the standard for heavy goods locomotives.
From 1893 to 1916, Karl Gölsdorf was the chief design engineer of the Imperial Royal Austrian State Railways (kaiserlich-königlichen österreichischen Staatsbahnen or kkStB) and developed 25 different classes of steam locomotive (in 47 variants) during his career. Amongst his designs were such well-known types as the Class 30 operated by the Vienna Stadtbahn, the Atlantics of classes Class 108 and 310. Notable 'special' designs included the rack railway
locomotives of Class 269 for the Erzbergbahn and the narrow gauge
Yv for the Ybbstalbahn
.
Karl Gölsdorf continually utilized the emerging technologies of the time. His Class 310 locomotive of 1911, a six-coupled express locomotive with a four-cylinder, superheated compound engine, was one of the most elegant of its day and, since the reactivation of no. 310.23 in 1986, currently the most well-known product of the Austrian design engineer.
As a result of his inventions, in 1910 he was made a Doctor of Engineering at the Hanover Technical High School. In 1913 he was appointed as department head. Karl Gölsdorf was an active member of the German Railway Administrations Union and also brought his expertise to bear as the co-publisher of the paper Eisenbahntechnik der Gegenwart (Railway Technology Today). His collection of photographs earned special fame in connexion with this; it is owned today by the Deutsches Museum
.
, Austria, of an acute throat infection and not, as incorrectly reported in media at the time, from the consequences of an accident with a locomotive.
Two members of Golsdorf's magnificent 310 class survive in preservation today, one in steam. 310.23 is owned and operated by the Strasshoff Railway Museum.
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
engineer and locomotive designer.
Early Life
Karl Gölsdorf was born on 8 June 1861 in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, the son of Louis Adolf Gölsdorf. Even as a schoolboy he was introduced to locomotive design by his father, the chief mechanical engineer (Maschinendirektor) of the Imperial and Royal Southern Railway
Austrian Southern Railway
The Austrian Southern Railway was an Austrian railway company established in 1841...
(k.u.k. Südbahn). From 1880 to 1884 he attended the Vienna Technical High School
Vienna University of Technology
Vienna University of Technology is one of the major universities in Vienna, the capital of Austria. Founded in 1815 as the "Imperial-Royal Polytechnic Institute" , it currently has about 26,200 students , 8 faculties and about 4,000 staff members...
and completed his diploma with distinction. In 1885 he joined the Wiener Maschinenfabrik (Vienna engineering works) as a design engineer. In 1889 he became head of assembly for locomotive construction. On 1 November 1891 he joined the design office of the Austrian State Railway as an engineer-Adjunkt and began his creative work there.
Inventions
In 1893 he invented an effective starting system for compound locomotives. Until then the locomotive starting systems in common use in Austria, with its sometimes taxing railway lines, did not enable trains to be started reliably. Also thanks to Gölsdorf was the practical idea that a higher boilerBoiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
pitch on steam locomotives had no real disadvantages. A study visit to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1899 was to heavily influence the use of form in his designs.
Gölsdorf became especially well-known as a result of his inventing the radially-sliding coupled axle for steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s, the so-called Gölsdorf axle
Gölsdorf axle
The Gölsdorf axle system is used on railway locomotives to achieve quiet running and low wear-and-tear when negotiating curves. It comprises a combination of fixed axles and axles that can slide radially, all within a single, rigid locomotive frame....
. The first engine to be equipped with this was an eight-coupled steam locomotive in 1897, the Class 170. The ten-coupled Class 180, whose first, third and fifth axles were able to slide sideways in the frame, demonstrated that, in almost all cases, locomotives with multi-part frames and complicated articulated designs would be superfluous. From that time forward this type of construction became the standard for heavy goods locomotives.
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
locomotives of Class 269 for the Erzbergbahn and the narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
Yv for the Ybbstalbahn
Ybbstalbahn
The Ybbstalbahn is a narrow-gauge railway of the Austrian Federal Railways with a track gauge of , located in the Lower Austrian Mostviertel....
.
Karl Gölsdorf continually utilized the emerging technologies of the time. His Class 310 locomotive of 1911, a six-coupled express locomotive with a four-cylinder, superheated compound engine, was one of the most elegant of its day and, since the reactivation of no. 310.23 in 1986, currently the most well-known product of the Austrian design engineer.
As a result of his inventions, in 1910 he was made a Doctor of Engineering at the Hanover Technical High School. In 1913 he was appointed as department head. Karl Gölsdorf was an active member of the German Railway Administrations Union and also brought his expertise to bear as the co-publisher of the paper Eisenbahntechnik der Gegenwart (Railway Technology Today). His collection of photographs earned special fame in connexion with this; it is owned today by the Deutsches Museum
Deutsches Museum
The Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany, is the world's largest museum of technology and science, with approximately 1.5 million visitors per year and about 28,000 exhibited objects from 50 fields of science and technology. The museum was founded on June 28, 1903, at a meeting of the Association...
.
Death
Karl Gölsdorf died unexpectedly on 18 March 1916 at Wolfsbergkogel whilst staying in SemmeringSemmering
For the town of the same name, see Semmering, Austria.Semmering is a mountain pass in the Eastern Northern Limestone Alps connecting Lower Austria and Styria, between which it forms a natural border.-Location:...
, Austria, of an acute throat infection and not, as incorrectly reported in media at the time, from the consequences of an accident with a locomotive.
Citations
The saying that "you can't save a ton of weight on a locomotive - but you can save a kilo in a thousand places" (Man kann an einer Lokomotive nicht eine Tonne Gewicht einsparen - wohl aber an tausend Stellen ein Kilo) is attributed to Gölsdorf.See also
Two members of Golsdorf's magnificent 310 class survive in preservation today, one in steam. 310.23 is owned and operated by the Strasshoff Railway Museum.
Sources
- Hans Steffan: Dr. Ing. h.c. Karl Gölsdorf †, Die Lokomotive, April 1916, S. 69 ff., Wien 1916 http://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?apm=0&aid=lok&datum=19160005&zoom=2&seite=00000069&ues=0&x=18&y=9
- Richard Spiro: Die Gölsdorf-Sammlung im Deutschen Museum in München, Die Lokomotive, Dezember 1926, S. 227–229, Wien 1926 http://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?apm=0&aid=lok&datum=19260005&zoom=2&seite=00000227&x=17&y=7
External links
- There is a relevant English-language forum at Railways of Germany