Nostalgia & History > Krauss Mafei on ebay

Well, not exactly but since there is discussion on these untis from time to time, I'd thought I'd give a heads up on this magazine article in a past issue of Trains. I have no affiliation with the seller.


http://cgi.ebay.com/Trains-Magazine-October-1961-Railroad-books_W0QQitemZ350100600265QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item350100600265&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ebayphotohosting

I have a copy of that issue in my lap as I type this. Good issue (as they almost always were from that vintage) with some good
info, photos, and cutaway drawings of the KM-1's but be aware it's all about testing in Germany before shipment, not about US
operations.

filmteknik Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have a copy of that issue in my lap as I type
> this. Good issue (as they almost always were from
> that vintage) with some good
> info, photos, and cutaway drawings of the KM-1's
> but be aware it's all about testing in Germany
> before shipment, not about US
> operations.


Austria, actually, on the Semmering Pass, the closest thing they had to approximate the Donner Pass. That is a great issue (I have a copy, too).

Ray

Ah yes...quite right; I should've looked more closely.

Feb. 1962 and Nov. 1962 have articles about their US performance. Then June 1976 discusses tests run with the Rio Grande units by the New York Central.

"Casey" Cavenaugh also has some color photos and commentary on the Rio Grande units in his "New York Central, Gone but Not Forgotten" book in the last chapter I believe. (Published by NJ International out of print.)



filmteknik Wrote:
Then June 1976 discusses tests
> run with the Rio Grande units by the New York
> Central.

I had wondered about the date on the issue as the KMs were delivered in Houston, Texas on October 31, 1961. Now I know the article was about testing done before delivery to the U.S.

This just occurred to me. If one of the advantages of the mech-hydro* drive is that no axle can slip unless they all do then I wonder if anyone had considered trying to couple axles on an otherwise conventional electric drive unit in some way. As an experiment (and *only* as an experiment) it would have been interesting to modify a C truck with extended length axles and apply cranks and connecting rods. (Anyone care to Photoshop such an animal?) Nowadays of course it is all moot because AC inverter drive allows these results to be achieved without mechanical complexity.

* Yes, I don't think a hydraulic torque converter in an otherwise fully mechanical drive train qualifies as a hydraulic transmission which to me would imply a pump and hydraulic motors so I'll call them mech (or mek) -hydro.