1966: M-497 ‘Black Beetle’ New York Central Railroad Jet Powered Train, set the still-standing US rail speed record of 183.68 mph (295.60 km/h) link in comments [1276×937]
I assume this was all for speed? Seems like fuel efficiency and power are out the window, but I know nothing about the engineering concerns involved. Anyone knowledgeable have thoughts about this?
idrilirdi
The shinkansen does a regular 200mph (320km/h) and in tests got to 275mph (443km/h) in a normal track and 375mph (603km/h) on a maglev track.
Why has a 1966 train that never got anywhere past experiment the US record? Are there no high speed trains there?
NKP765
I remember hearing from an old New York Central employee that the M-497 was deemed successful for what they intended to get out of it. Pure speed. However, the project was scrapped not only due to safety concerns for the physical plant and people living near the tracks, but scrapped because of two major hurdles. One being other trains, this was tested on the Toledo-Chicago main and freight moved around it. In service it would have to dodge these freight trains and somehow maintain that high speed. The other hurdle being major cities like Toledo, OH. It’s hard to maintain quick speeds when the route starts getting curvy and has to cross other railroads outside the test zone of Butler, IN to Stryker. Especially since the test zone was chosen because it is one of the straightest stretches of track East of the Mississippi River and didn’t cross another railroad.
jaykirsch
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-497_Black_Beetle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-497_Black_Beetle)
rozumiesz
I assume this was all for speed? Seems like fuel efficiency and power are out the window, but I know nothing about the engineering concerns involved. Anyone knowledgeable have thoughts about this?
idrilirdi
The shinkansen does a regular 200mph (320km/h) and in tests got to 275mph (443km/h) in a normal track and 375mph (603km/h) on a maglev track.
Why has a 1966 train that never got anywhere past experiment the US record? Are there no high speed trains there?
NKP765
I remember hearing from an old New York Central employee that the M-497 was deemed successful for what they intended to get out of it. Pure speed. However, the project was scrapped not only due to safety concerns for the physical plant and people living near the tracks, but scrapped because of two major hurdles. One being other trains, this was tested on the Toledo-Chicago main and freight moved around it. In service it would have to dodge these freight trains and somehow maintain that high speed. The other hurdle being major cities like Toledo, OH. It’s hard to maintain quick speeds when the route starts getting curvy and has to cross other railroads outside the test zone of Butler, IN to Stryker. Especially since the test zone was chosen because it is one of the straightest stretches of track East of the Mississippi River and didn’t cross another railroad.
Anonymous
Looks like the engines came from a B-36