New York Central and Hudson River Railroad No. 999

The steam locomotive No. 999 of the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad is considered the first vehicle to a speed of 100 mph has passed ( about 161 km / h).

In 1893 performed record-breaking run of specially built for this purpose locomotive even 112 mph (181 km / h) were measured, which also attracted outside of railwaymen circles worldwide sensation. However, experts doubt that this speed was achieved.

Formation

In 1891 was introduced on the 702 km long stretch between New York City and Buffalo, a new train, the Empire State Express. To competing Pennsylvania Railroad in advance of the World Columbian Exposition, the Chicago World's Fair to hit, effective advertising, came George H. Daniels, the person in charge of the railway company for the carriage of passengers to the idea of ​​carrying out the train a record run. He planned to exceed the " magical " 100 - mph limit (161 km / h), which was seen as risky projects, because this rate was about one third higher than the normal speed of the train and there were no experiences in this speed range.

After the president of the New York Central Cornelius Vanderbilt II and the Directorate had approved the plan, was built under the supervision of the engineer William Buchanan, the chief engineer of the train, especially for this record-breaking run a particularly fast locomotive - the costs eventually amounted to $ 13,000.

Technology

The construction of the new locomotive was preparing little problems, because it was based on the existing, also constructed of Buchanan locomotives of class I. Even these were considered very fast locomotives, and one of them was rumored ever come close to 100 mph. There were locomotives with the wheel arrangement 2'B ( "American " ), ie with a leading -axle bogie and two driving axles. This was the then prevalent in North America design for express locomotives.

For the record the locomotive driving wheel diameter of 1981 mm to 2184 mm was enlarged ( 86 inch) - the greatest driving wheels that has ever received a 2'B Locomotive - as the diameter of the wheels of the locomotive and tender. With these measures the speed and thus the stress of bearings and engine should be reduced in the planned high speed. The first time ever to a locomotive, not only the driving wheels are braked, but the wheels of the bogie, in order to ensure efficient braking, even at high speeds.

Because the cylinder dimensions compared to the class I remained unchanged, Buchanan increased the pressure of the boiler from 12.4 to 13.1 bar, so that the tensile force in spite of the larger driving wheels do not get too plummeted.

The boiler was carried out in the " Wagon Top " type, that is, he pointed in the area of ​​standing boiler a significantly larger diameter. The firebox was fitted with a " Water Table ", a transverse-mounted, forward inclined flat water chamber that significantly increased the radiation heating surface, so the most effective heating surface that is directly exposed to the radiant heat of the fire. The control was an internal control Stephenson with flat vanes, as has been used almost exclusively in the United States at this time.

The tender was provided with a water scoop device, could be taken up with the between the rails attached while driving water from wells ( see picture).

The record run

In April 1893, the locomotive was completed. First, the number 1000 was provided, but finally opted for the more easily remembered number 999 under secrecy so as not to warn the competition, the first tests were carried out. Everything was satisfactory, so that the speed increased more and more. On 9 May 1893, the 161 km / h were first exceeded scarce.

The following day, May 10, 1893, the official record run took place. The train consisted as usual of four six-axle express train passenger cars, each of which weighed about 40 tons. In addition to the passengers, some officials of the railway company were on board, including Daniels and Buchanan, as well as invited guests and newspaper reporter. The speed should be measured with the aid of stopwatches for measuring carriage did not exist back then.

The trip led by the Lokwechselstation Syracuse to Buffalo, which was about the last third of the total distance of the Empire State Express. About 60 km before Buffalo had a 23 -km stretch of road very carefully prepared and checked, and the supervisor had picked up the speed limit for this section. The gap was about 3 ‰.

With the stopwatch times 31-32 seconds per mile were measured in this section, the latter value corresponds to 112.5 mph (181 km / h), the former even 116.1 mph or 187 km / h A calculation shows that the driving force for this ride a power of about 2,200 hp ( 1,600 kW ) had to pay what they may have been due to their heating for a short time capable.

With this performance, the No. 999 remains to this day the fastest 2'B locomotive of all time; only a few years later, the design Atlantic ( 2'B1 ), which supplanted the American locomotives in front of the fastest trains originated.

In a time where the automobile had just been invented, there were no planes and electric railcars possibly existed as tram and commuter rail cars, the quick ride attracted worldwide attention, and the desired advertising effect exceeded all expectations. Following the record run the locomotive was issued as "fastest locomotive in the world " at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago and became one of the most famous locomotives ever. Even a stamp with a picture of No. 999 was issued, and more than 3000 miniature replicas of the locomotives were sold to amusement parks around the world.

Credibility of the speed information

As described, there was at that time still no accurate methods for measuring speed. For this reason, the velocity data for technical reasons are subject to some uncertainty. In addition, there was no documentation in the form of gauges and that all details were first made to measured velocities in oral form. It is possible that not only train employees, but also reporters and passengers have exaggerated somewhat in their enthusiasm. Skeptical Experts assume that the 100 mph of steam locomotives have actually been exceeded only in the 1920s or 1930s, and the actually achieved by the No. 999 and was measured by former professionals velocity according to some sources only at 82 mph ( 132 km / h ) located.

In the years after the record run, however, it has been in the U.S. more locomotives, the speed of some 100 mph should have clearly exceeded. The most famous of which is the Atlantic No. 7002 of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which is said to have reached 205 km / h on 12 June 1905. This appears for technical reasons impossible, as the fastest ride a steam locomotive but occasionally in American sources ever given.

Operational use and conversions

After the World's Fair, the 999 was used in the normal service schedule, but here showed weaknesses in the starting tractive effort, which were due to the large driving wheels. For lighter trains that could easily put them in motion, but the locomotive was too large and uneconomical.

By 1899 the 999 was used even before the Empire State Express, and other prominent features. Then, however, it was subjected to a radical transformation by provided them with only 1,778 mm measured wheel drive, which is also a new framework required. The wheels have been reduced to the usual level of 914 mm and the boiler pressure was reduced to 12.4 bar. The tender has been replaced by a more modern model and the class designation was changed from N to C-14.

In 1906 a further modification in which the boiler was replaced. Later the wooden cab was replaced by one made ​​of metal and finally the locomotive was redrawn in a change in the numbering system of 999 in 1086. In this form it ran until 1924 on a backroad in Pennsylvania.

Almost the locomotive would have been scrapped, but at the last moment someone realized their identity and the machine has been restored, where they also received another old tender. However, the locomotive itself could only be matched in color to the original, because except for a few items was from the record locomotive no longer present and the original proportions are changed greatly because of the smaller wheels and the boiler, which has a larger diameter than the original boiler.

In this form, the engine was still used for a while and it was shown in 1938 at the World Exhibition in New York and 1940 on a Railway Fair in Chicago. In the early 1950s, however, the path turned away from the steam power and the No. 999 appeared no longer suitable as a figurehead. 1952 the now somewhat run-down and used for shunting locomotive was finally retired in 1962, and finally handed over to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, where it still stands today. In the 1990s it was restored and thereby restored largely in the state that she had received under their "rediscovery" in the 1920s.