Jets

Phil, for your comments:

WL653B choice -aside from naturally selecting a suitable size (and there probably was only one that fit) I think the reason was your latter one, they just learned how the tube would behave and stuck with it. They measured g forces at 90mph on the PRR and then put the tube on a shake table for several months looking for splashes, arc backs and bits breakage before they ran the ’49 car. Also they never got to a need for a substantially different capacity. I too looked unsuccessfully for a data sheet, but I only had web resources, the tube shows up but no data.

“600v” -oops, by 1560v I meant the total transformer winding. As a center tap rectifier only 780vac at a time is conducting and because of the sensibility of measuring AC as RMS and DC as average that translates to 702vdc. Allowing for transformer and tube drops gets you to about 650vdc. It shows that even if the cat sagged to 9kv you would still have 530vdc for the motors. On trolley car lines that was respectable even if not fast.

The 1914 car is pictured in “New Haven Power”, it was just a single car. I’ve come across a discrepancy in the car number however, AIEE 1955 says it is 4692 while NH Power says it is 4962.

I hope your E3B/E2C book gives a tube number.

Bill

<i>WL653B choice -aside from naturally selecting a suitable size (and there probably was only one that fit) I think the reason was your latter one, they just learned how the tube would behave and stuck with it.</i>

Might have been the 5U4 of ignitrons - a design that just worked so it stuck on FOREVER.

<i>They measured g forces at 90mph on the PRR and then put the tube on a shake table for several months looking for splashes, arc backs and bits breakage before they ran the ’49 car.</i>

Interesting but not surprising.

<i>Also they never got to a need for a substantially different capacity. I too looked unsuccessfully for a data sheet, but I only had web resources, the tube shows up but no data.</i>

I'm still poking at times. It'll turn up, eventually...

<i>I hope your E3B/E2C book gives a tube number.</i>

Sure does, and for the Metroliners, I have the gen-u-ine GE data sheet plus their ignitron pamphlet. (Best part of the book is the test proceedure in one section which states something to the effect of 'This is a complex and time comsuming proceedure that should be done in a quiet area of the shop" The E book I have is the entire propulsion system, including theory and more fun stuff like rewinding the motors. It covers just about everything.

Strill looking for the Westinghouse metroliner book and the Silverliner/Arrow ones (plus E33, EP-5 and the rest of E-60 and E-44)