To the American Railway Engineering Association: Your Committee on Economics of Railway Location reports progress on the subjects assigned to it, as follows: (1) Revision of Manual No changes in the Manual are proposed at this time. (2) Effect of Curvature on Cost of (a) Maintenance of Way, and The Committee has reached the conclusion that it is difficult to present information on this subject that would be of practical value. It would be possible to work out results for a larger number of factors at the end of extended research, tests and experiments; but the practical value of such results would be doubtful. It would be practically impossible to reconcile the conclusions that might be reached with the practical conditions of operation. For these reasons, it is the recommendation of the Committee that this subject be dropped. (5) Study and Revise to Date the Subject of Railway Locomotive Power The Sub-Committee assigned to this subject is making a study of locomotive tractive effort and the various processes proposed for predicting tractive effort at various speeds, in the expectation of revising the present section on "power" in the Manual, where necessary. When conclusions concerning methods for estimating tractive effort have been arrived at, it is the purpose of the Sub-Committee to test their correctness by comparing calculated tractive effort with the tractive effort actually attained in service, determining the latter by means of a dynamometer car. This work could not be completed in time for presentation with this report. It is therefore recommended that the subject be continued for the ensuing year. (6) Methods of Estimating Power, Speed, Time and Fuel Consumption The Sub-Committee assigned to this subject has only been able to formulate a procedure of study of the topic. It hopes to be able to submit the result of its study at the next annual meeting, and recommends that the subject be continued. Recommendations for Future Work (1) Report on the Economics of Railway Location as affected by the introduction of electric locomotives. (2) Report on suitable units for comparing costs of maintenance of way, equipment and transportation. (3) Study and revise to-date subject of railway locomotive power. (4) Study and report on methods of estimating power, speed, time and fuel consumption. Respectfully submitted, THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS OF RAILWAY LOCATION, A. S. GOING, Chairman. PROGRESS REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON STRESSES IN TRACK To the American Railway Engineering Association: The Special Committee on Stresses in Track, co-operating with a similar committee of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Railway Association, presents the following report of progress: The principal work of the year 1921 has been the reduction and correlation of the data of the field tests made in 1920. It will be recalled that tests were conducted on the tracks of the Illinois Central Railroad in Illinois, the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad in New Jersey, and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in New Mexico and Iowa. These tests were made on tangent track and curved track, several different curvatures being used. A principal purpose of the tests was to find the effect of curvature of track upon the stresses in the rail (including lateral bending stresses) caused by locomotives of different types run at different speeds, as compared with the stresses developed in straight track. The time required for the reduction of the large amount of data accumulated in the tests has been much greater than was anticipated. The work has been carried on steadily, however, and good progress has been made. It is hoped that the Committee will be able to present another report during this year. The results found indicate that information of value on stresses developed in curved track may be expected. Another line of work carried on is the investigation of rail joints. Laboratory tests have been conducted with various types of rail joints, the purpose of the tests being to find the way in which the joints act and to learn the magnitude of stress developed in the various parts of the rail joint at ordinary wheel loads-a type of investigation that it is believed has not previously been attempted. A few field tests have been conducted on the Illinois Central Railroad to connect up the laboratory tests with the action of the joint in the track under wheel loads. Interesting results have been developed in the rail joint tests. The Committee has a number of other questions under consideration. THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON STRESSES IN RAILROAD TRACK, To the American Railway Engineering Association: Your Committee on Records and Accounts respectfully submits report on the following subjects: (1) Revision of the Manual Proposed changes in the Manual are given in Appendix A. (2) Cost-Keeping Methods and Statistical Records The Committee submits a progress report on this subject in Appendix B. (3) Forms for Recording Data for Keeping Up to Date Records of Property Changes and Valuation of Railroads The Committee submits a progress report on this subject in Appendix C, and its recommendations are given under Conclusions. (6) Conventional Signs for Architectural Details The Committee submits a report of its work on this subject in Appendix D, and its recommendations under Conclusions. (7) Methods for Recording and Accounting for the Determination of Proper Allowances for Maintenance of Way Expenses Due to Increased Use and Increased Investment A sub-committee of this Committee has begun the study of this subject with a sub-committee of General Committee XXI-Economics of Railway Operation, but no results are ready for presentation to the Association this year. The Committee also reports progress on subjects (4) Study and report on the feasibility of reporting engineering data in graphic form and sumbit recommended diagrams; (5) Study and report on the feasibility of reducing the number of forms used in the Engineering and Maintenance of Way Departments, combining forms and simplifying those retained. Under Recommendations for Future Work is given the Committee's conclusions on (8) Recommend a carefully considered outline of the work for the ensuing year. A |