Head's up: Ebay has a nice old post card of a UP McKeen car and trailer for sale. Ebay #131856369438 3/4 view, interesting detail of the trucks under the trailer.

Kevin K.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1909-RPPC-Union ... SwOVpXaz6k

McKeen cars... not steam, but nevertheless they're the ultimate Steampunk creation! Such cool cars.

That truck under the trailer is something else. Given the extreme rarity of McKeen survivors, I'm sure it's safe to assume no trailers survived...pity!

To make this fit under "preservation" better, do any McKeen engineering drawings survive in museums, libraries, or archives?

Steve Hunter

I believe there is a McKeen Trailer at the Illinois Railway Museum.

-Hudson

Au contraire! UP McKeen trailer T8 is preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum. I think it's the same type as the one in the photo; it may actually be the car in the photo. From what I understand, T8 didn't last too long with that spindly single truck and was converted to run with two small MCB trucks. IRM has the car on a pair that are a pretty close match to what it had in service. The car is currently in one of the museum's storage barns.

http://www.irm.org/gallery/album21

Why do I get the sudden urge to go out and watch the submarine races?

McKeen trailer T-8 was built in 1908 as a 31 foot baggage car. It was Union Pacific #T-8 and was retired in September 1934. How did the Illinois Railway Museum get it? The UP had nine of these trailers, #T-1 to T-8 and 499. McKeen built them between 1905 and 1908.

The story can be found here: http://www.irm.org/railwire/issues/rw182.html

UP #499 was not a trailer in the sense of the T-series cars. It was designed as a coach by McKeen using some of the design concepts of the motor cars.

It was produced by the Omaha shops of the UP at the same time that the Sacramento shops of the SP was producing the prototypes of the "Harriman" design passenger cars. Many of the "Harriman" standard designs for cars and locomotives had their origins with the SP engineering staff. I do not know if McKeen's design was being seriously considered or he was allowed to design and build it to appease him.

It had two 12" I-bean center sills for the buffing and pulling stresses. Also a single casting for the bolster to the end sills.

There was a write up about the 499 in the November 22, 1907, issue of Railway Age pages 727-728. Years ago I made a Xerox copy of the article and I have now scanned it.

Thanks, Frank! It is great to hear a McKeen trailer exists. While I have never seen a McKeen car in person, they've always been intriguing.

Not surprising that the single truck was replaced. I can imagine it might have been a little bouncy at speed!

Steve Hunter

Speed? I wonder what the world's speed record for a McKeen car was? I imagine, given no grades and reasonable curvature, they could get up there, but I would think all the unsprung weight on that ungainly power truck would give the engineer/motorman pause, especially with the engine bouncing around right next to him.

I bet they went faster after the U.P. converted them to conventional gas electrics.

If memory serves me correctly they were advertised to operate at 33 MPH.

Dennis,

We have record the car we are working to restore, the McKeen Car "Cuyamaca," a 55 Foot, 1908 construction, did hit speeds of 60MPH in Ogden, Utah while being delivered to San Diego, and was geared for 90MPH, but no record of that actually occurring. I do believe it might have been possible especially if they were going past the normal red line, to 450RPM which was only ever done at the factory, or presumably if McKeen was going for a speed test.