Economy in Light Power Units.
It is a trifle curious that at a time when railways the world over are seeking to turn out bigger and more powerful locomotives for main line working, there should also be proceeding a very serious search for an efficient light haulage unit for branch line operation. Light
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power units such as steam rail-cars offer great prospects for efficient and economical operation on lines of low traffic density, and as time goes by, light rail-cars will be increasingly employed by railways everywhere.
The Home Railways employ considerable numbers of rail-cars. The L. and N.E. system has in service 44 Sentinel-Canmell steam rail-cars, 11 Clayton steam rail-cars, and one petrol rail-car. Steam rail-cars on this system are worked by a driver and fireman, no guard being carried. They attain a maximum speed of 40 miles an hour, and their average fuel consumption works out at between 12lbs. and 13lbs.
per mile. The L.M. and S. Railway has 13 Sentinel-Cammell steam rail-cars in branch line working. On the Great Western system there are 39 steam rail-cars in regular employment, and, in addition, 75 steam auto-trains are run. These auto-trains consist of a small tank locomotive, with one or more passenger carriages attached at either end, the arrangement being such that, without turning, the train may be driven in either direction.