Ping Pong Chain Question

Mr. Met
Have you ever seen the passenger car located in the rest stop on the Long Island Expressway around exit 50? That's the type of car referred to as a "ping pong".

They were named "ping-pongs" because of their tendancy to bounce back and forth (buff and slack) when placed between heavyweight cars.

Built by the Pennsy, plans were to electrify the entire LIRR, and the pongs had the accommodations for Westinghouse electric propulsion equipment to be added. Hence, the crappy "shop trucks" that the Penn put under them. It was thought that they would be replaced with electric trucks in a few years...

The trucks finally started falling apart in the '70's, with shearing of the center pins being somewhat common. Perhaps that's why the chains were there -- have to look at one.

The most notable mishap was the loss of a truck near Forest Hills, causing the car to strike a bridge rail. This spelt the end of the Ping Pongs from service. After that, the Railroad realized they had to go, and sought some used equipment to replace them, notably the Silver Streak cars and the KCS cars that arrived and spent several years.

Clem

I would disagree with the use of the chains as anti-sway devices. Given that the car weighs much more than the trucks, all the chain would do is result in the truck being lifted off the rail on a good sway. Not like the trucks are anchored down.

Also, I thought the ping-pong name came from the round windows at the ends...

No.

The nickname had nothing to do with the end round windows.

Just the swaying.

Dave Keller

One of the AAR requirements for passenger cars was a means to keep the trucks with the car in case of derailment. Before locking center pins became commonplace in the teens and twenties, heavy chains connected to each corner of a truck's frame were commonly used (look on photos of old wood passenger cars from the 1890s-1900s). There was just enough slack to permit truck swivelling. It was even an MCB (AAR predecessor org) "recommended practice".

In freight derailments, the trucks usually went flying all over the place, due to no locking center pins, and no truck chains. Numerous passenger wrecks had fatalities or injuries caused by truck parts flying around, so keeping the truck with or close to the car became a requirement--in the photos of the derailed pings, notice that even though the chain is disconnected, the trucks are pretty much in line with the cars and the track.

Handbrake has nothing to do with it, nor are they there for "anti-sway"--that is taken care of by the side bearings; too much side bearing clearance and the cars rock all over the place.

Funny how certain types of railroad equipment can be used for decades (riveted steel passenger cars, steam locomotives, Alco diesel power, plain bearings, etc.), but once the old timers retire, and the maintenance is reduced, and the familiarity with the tried and true stuff is no longer there, it suddenly becomes "a hazard" or "dangerous". It's going to be real interesting to see how the operation of the 39 is handled by today's railroaders, once it gets operational. No modern "comfort cab" there!!

Greetings & Happy New Year All,
I believe H.F. Malone is correct. I had to dig through my old archives and came up with a ICC Laws , Rules and Instruction Manual from 1959.
Rule 223 Truck Center Plates, sub-heading C:
Truck Safety Chains: "A suitable safety chain of minimum consistent length shall be provided at each corner of all four-wheel trucks except where construction prevents truck sluing in case of a derailment."

KRO52