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The oldest internal combustion rail car around?
http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=37825		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  buzz_morris [ Sat Mar 14, 2015 8:34 pm ]
Post subject:  The oldest internal combustion rail car around?
I have a question for the History Professors here to Ponder.
Whats the oldest surviving example of an internal combustion rail car?

Doodlebug, speeder, Bud Car, no matter.

However it had to be specifically manufactured and sold to run on rails, be propelled by an internal combustion engine, and still exists some where on this planet.
Author:  Ed Walters [ Sat Mar 14, 2015 8:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The oldest internal combustion rail car around?
How about the 1903 North Eastern Railway Petrol-Electric, surviving in the UK?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1903_Petro ... ic_Autocar
Author:  wesp [ Sat Mar 14, 2015 9:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The oldest internal combustion rail car around?
Dan Patch Electric Lines 100, a 1913 gas-electric box motor, preserved at the Minnesota Transportation Museum.

http://www.mtmuseum.org/roster.php?page=dpl100

Wesley
Author:  J3a-614 [ Sat Mar 14, 2015 10:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The oldest internal combustion rail car around?
Might not be quite the oldest, but Virginia & Truckee's restored McKeen car (1909-1910) would be in the running:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_a ... tor_Car_22
Author:  David Johnston [ Sat Mar 14, 2015 10:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The oldest internal combustion rail car around?
The Hall Scott gas motor car at CSRM has its original gasoline engine. It is Naveda Copper Belt #21. It was operational when it arrived at CSRM. I think it was built in 1910.
Author:  Dougvv [ Sun Mar 15, 2015 12:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The oldest internal combustion rail car around?
Hi,
The Rio Grande Southern Geese (2-7) survived. They were and were not built built for the rails. The power plant was an automobile but the RGS shops altered them heavily to carry freight so that part was new. The original axles for the automobile part were removed and small diameter wheeled trucks were manufactured. I think the original automobile differential was used.
With two (#2 and #5) with two 4-wheeled trucks and four (#3, 4, 5, 7)with three 4-wheeled trucks, this kitbash (with NEW cargo areas) could fit. RGS was the manufactured and it was more than adding flanged wheels to automobile axles.
I can see that they would fit AND not fit into this category.
RGS #1 was more along the lines of a model T with flanged wheels and Goose #1 was the next in the evolution (4-wheel front truck and automobile differential with flanged wheels.
They were late in the game though - 1930s.
FWIW.
Doug vV
Author:  Kelly Anderson [ Sun Mar 15, 2015 12:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The oldest internal combustion rail car around?
LO&S car #10 at the Strasburg Rail Road is the oldest mentioned so far (at least the car part is, dating from circa 1880). It was converted into a self propelled car powered by a Buffalo marine engine and a four speed manual transmission that was specifically designed for the car and patented in 1915, so the "self propelled" part makes her an also-ran in this company.

She is now powered by a diesel engine and hydraulic pump & motor combination that drives the original four speed (which stays in high gear).

She is running every week day until March 27th when steam trains start seven days per week.

Image
From Google
Author:  Dougvv [ Sun Mar 15, 2015 2:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The oldest internal combustion rail car around?
Hi,

The LO&E at Strasburg is a great ride. Thanks for keeping her ooperational.

Doug vV
Author:  buzz_morris [ Sun Mar 15, 2015 8:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The oldest internal combustion rail car around?
Interesting info.
It looks like the UK's NE Railway 1903-04 Gas-Electric 3170 is the winner so far, although McKeen 22 and Dan Patch/GE not far behind.
To bad so many of these units have lost there original engine/drive systems. I would love to have seen the “silent” chain drive on the McKeen car.
Lots of details on McKeen here
http://www.mckeencar.com/gallery-2/hist ... motor-car/
Author:  o anderson [ Mon Mar 16, 2015 10:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The oldest internal combustion rail car around?
I would venture to say that the gas car on the left in this photo is a potential contender. Other than being captive in the EBT shops, I know nothing about it.
Image

http://www.spikesys.com/EBT/roster.html
Author:  philip.marshall [ Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The oldest internal combustion rail car around?
I was also thinking of the EBT speeders, but I don't know when they were built. I can't imagine any of them are earlier than 1920 though, so they're probably not in the running.

In the realm of early narrow gauge speeders, there is also a 2-foot gauge Fairbanks-Morse gas speeder from the SR&RL -- this in addition to the three surviving automobile-based SR&RL railcars. None of these are from before 1920 though.

http://srrl-rr.org/FM_speeder.htm

-Philip Marshall
Author:  HudsonL [ Tue Mar 17, 2015 12:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The oldest internal combustion rail car around?
Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Rochester & Dubuque Electric Traction Company #100
(Whew! what a mouth full).

General Electric 1913.

Think of it as two GE Gas Electric Car cabs back to back.

Dan Patch Lines.

Attachments:
Dan Patch 100.jpg
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Author:  Dennis Storzek [ Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The oldest internal combustion rail car around?
Before anyone becomes overwhelmed by the antiquity of Dan Patch Lines 100, keep in mind it too has been re-powered, just not as recently as the gas car at Strasburg and the McKeen car in Carson City. Here's a link to some history:

http://www.mtmuseum.org/roster.php?page=dpl100
Author:  cjvrr [ Tue Mar 17, 2015 4:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The oldest internal combustion rail car around?
This Mudge equipped velocipede is about the oldest piece of motorized MOW equipment I know of;

http://www.sbdepotmuseum.com/home/mudge-motor-car.html
Author:  EBTRRM1 [ Tue Mar 17, 2015 5:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The oldest internal combustion rail car around?
Mr. Anderson, I don't know how long it been since you have been to the EBT but that speeder car has not been captive in the shop since 2007. It is one of the few pieces of EBT equipment that is currently operational. None of the speeders on the property are older than 1920.

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FM2.JPG
FM2.JPG [ 230.9 KiB | Viewed 29635 times ]
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