MOTORING ON RAILS

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21050, 29 December 1933, Page 4

MOTORING ON RAILS

ITALIAN COACHES In Italy, fleets of rail motor-coaches ("littorinas") are being placed on State and privately operated railways. A well-known company builds the "Littorina," with 43, 64 and 80 seats. Having examined all European and American types in the field, the design was adopted in order to secure economy by eliminating unnecessary weight. The weight per unit of load carried is the minimum, requiring the minimum power output for propulsion. Because of the low weight, with maximum power transmission efficiency, very high speeds are possible even on lightly metalled lines —up to 74 miles an hour on lines that do not permit of more than 25 miles an hour with ordinary trains. The "littorina" consists essentially of two bogies—one carrying the engine-gear box unit, transmission and driving axle on true motor-car lines, and a trailing bogey—with the necessary frame and bodywork. The power plant is a six-cylinder, four-stroke, petrol engine, developing approximately 120-h.p. at 2,000 r.p.m.; power transmission being via a multiplate clutch operated by compressed air to a four-speed gear box with short propeller shaft to the driving axle. The rear axle casing encloses a freewheel device, which allows of clutchless gear-changing, and bevel reversing gears permitting the four speeds to be used when running in either direction. All driving mechanisms are mounted on roller and ball bearings and lubricated by oil circulated from a gear pump located in the bottom of the axle casing. In Italy, motoring on rails by the "littorina" has caught the public fancy for the convenience which it affords of swift, comfortable, safe travelling, with a frequency of service that the ordinary train could not afford.

Following experiments in the welding shops, Mr C. W. Brett, of Barimar, Ltd., suggests that a fashion of the near future will be golden-hued metal-work on cars Instead of chromium. The alloy he has in mind more particularly is known as tungum, which is of a rich golden colour. It is very resistant to corrosion, and is not attacked by sea-water or even sulphuric acid. It can be brazed, welded, soldered,, spun, and machined,