Sperry Rail Service equipment question

I finally got to see a Sperry Rail Service car in person this weekend. Are these cars gas or diesel? Are they really old doodlebugs, or something newer? And what does SRS actually do out on the rails? Any info would be appreciated.

Jonelle

Some of them are converted doodlebugs they have diesel engines, one propulsion and one generator.
They check rail for cracks using a magnetic system that maps inside of a rail kind of like a sonogram.
Most of them are now being replaced by hi-rail trucks with same gear.

DutchRailnut wrote:Some of them are converted doodlebugs they have diesel engines, one propulsion and one generator.
They check rail for cracks using a magnetic system that maps inside of a rail kind of like a sonogram.
Most of them are now being replaced by hi-rail trucks with same gear.

All Sperry Rail Cars are Diesel powered some were still runing on gas power up into the early 80's. Most of the cars were former Doodlebugs a few were home chop shop builds of there own I don't recall the numbers of these cars. One of these is the one used in the NYCS Subway which was a converted 1930's era bus which is still being used today. Most of the Sperry Rail Cars them selves are between 60-90+ years old When I was on the SRS 125 she was built for the Lehigh Valley Railroad in the mid 1920's now shes in the scrap heap The lead power truck was powered by a Caterpiller 3304 Diesel engion with a top speed of 65m.p.h. All the Test equipment and 3 transformers were powerd buy a Catrpiller 3306 this was the main power for the car and all its equipment. There was also a Lambardia L34 Generator which was used for on board use which powered the lighting, and kitchen area. The L34 HAD to be turned on befor the CAT 3306 was turned off at the end of the day and Shut down 15 min after the CAT 3306 Was turned on in the morning or else the two could blow the fuses.

The car I worked on had 2 types of sound testing equipment Ultrasonic and electro-magnetic sound equipment.
The Electro-Magnetic testing serched like a side scan sonar serching for defects on the sides of the rail from the head to the web and was good for picking up cracks and pin holes. From what I can rember it was sensative but most ofton we would stop and do an ultrasonic test on it befor marking it and moveing along.

The Ultrasonic test worked like a sonar which pinged off of air bubbles in the steel its self. this would show as a high spike on the paper tape. This is how to read the tape. All tape rolls were keeped untill the testing was done on that railroad the tapes were then sent to Danbury and reviewed they mostlikley used this as proof of a defect being located in the chance that a an accdent should happen they had proof to cover there butts. This also helped in improveing new equipment as well.

Outher left side of rail head
|
| |----Center head of rail
| | |-----Inner gage side of rail head
v v v
| | | | | |

< | | | < | arrow is defect found by elcetro mag detector, while on the outher rail a defect is located by the Ultrasonic test in side the steel.

Sperry Rail Service has operations and contracts in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, Scandnavia, and Australia. There are several outher railroads world wide that they test but there few and far between and are raeley tested. Sperry Rail will load a rail car or hy-rail truck on a ship and send it any where around the world to do a contract job on a new railroad.

Me being the new hire had the following responsabilitys below:

An avrage day started about an hour and half befor the railroad Maintaince guy got to the seen. For me I was testing CSX so I would be up by 5:30a.m. and up and dressed with in 15min. Next was to go to the frount of the car unlock the doors check the oil and start the CAT 3304. After this it was time to head to the engion room check the oil and start the CAT 3306. After this I would run out test my brushes and pads make sure that they were lifting and droping right the oil them. I would then check the paint pot if needing to fill it we put 50% Sunburst Yellow paint mixed with 20% Diesel Fuel which was taped from a spickit on the fuel tank. I would then go off to pack up the camp car signs and derails. Do a head light and horn test then help out with geting the test bed equipment set up. We used an assilia scope a 0, 30, and a 45 which looked like stethascope on a wire which could be attached and dettached. The number one oil used for conductivity on the rail for Ultrasonic Testing was simple Babe Oil! By 6:45a.m. I would then reviewr over the paper work haveing to do with daley, weekley, and monthley maintaince and prep the crew with what we would be doing later that nite. By 7:00 a.m. are CSX Maintaince guy would be on the car geting the form D to make the next move. After Testing which was about 4:00p.m. 1-2 hours of maintaince would be done on the car. After that the crew had freedome to do what ever and go where ever they pleased.

Yipes! Lots of info!

Now my question is WHO'S doodlebugs were they? I didn't think there were all that many made, but I may be wrong. And when was SRS born?

JD

Sperry Rail Service began life in the late 1890's by Dr. Elmer A Sperry of Cortland, NY he loved to tinker with electronics and in 1880 took an intrest in the Transportaion field he built an Electric Industrial Locomotive, and Motor Transmission Machinery for Street Cars, and then founded the Sperry Electric Railway Company of Cleveland, Ohio he then sold his intrests to GE in 1894 and began work on electric automobiles powered by his patented storage battery. his greatest invention was the gyrocompass he then opened the Sperry Gyrocompass company of Brooklin, NY in 1910. He extenged his Gyro principal to guidance of Torpedoes, gyropilots for steering ships, and for stabilizing airplanes.


Althow Dr. Sperry is most knowen for his defect cars his efferts to build a car in the late 1800's was unsuccessful.

1923 Dr. Sperry began work on his next rail defect car.

1927 he contacts the American Railway Association to build a rail test car numbered 101. The car was constructed of metal faced plywood with a kalamazoo motor car bed which in turn towed a larger motorcar. Completeion of the car was on December 17, 1927.

1928 Dr. Sperry descoveres a new Principal of detecting transverse fissures knowen as the Induction Methoed which is still used up till 1960 when it was replaced with ulrasonics..

Electro-Magnetics was applied to SRS 101 on 10/28/1928 on the New York Central. This inspired the construction of SRS 102.

Sperrys First commercial testing was on the Wanash Railway on November 1928 and testing covered 130 miles from Montpelier, OH to Claeke Jct. IN by SRS 102.

1930 there are 10 Sperry Rail Defect Cars in Service.

Fact New York Central and the Union Pacific Railroads were the only 2 companys who did there own Rail Defect Testing. Union Pacific is the only company that dose not contract out to Sperry unless there in a bind.

Sperry Rail Service baught cars from the following railroads:
Lehigh Valley: 7 Cars
C&NW 3 Cars
Boston & Maine 1 Car
Sea Board Coast Line 3 Cars
B&O 3 Cars
New York Central 1 Car
Soo Line 1 Car
Rock Island 1 Car
New York New Haven & Hartford 2 Cars
Sperry Rail Service home shop cars built by Sperry from 1927-1999 46 cars

Builders for the Sperry Cars were:
Kalmazoo
Fitzgibbon-Crisp
J.G. Brill
Sperry Rail Service
St. Louis-EMC
Conv. SRS-Brooklyn
SRS-Danbury
SRS-Fairmont
Mack
Ford Louisville-SRS

More good info. I wonder if the B&M one is still around. My scanner sounds like the SRS car I saw is still in the Boston area right now.

SRS 403 is not homegrown but a converted New Haven railroad Mack FCD. it is currently in Danbury at Shelter rock road.
http://www.trainweb.org/elso/srs403.htm
it is almost always used in Subway enviroments.

The 403 was a populer one that was used in the NYCS Subway when I was still working for Sperry she has no liveing quarters on it the guys have a 4 door Jeep, Chevey Tahoe, or a Bronco for a company truck that would get them around.

Beaware that some of the Sperry Rail Cars when rebuilt had there bunks removed and the lounge area extended. It was felt that it was cheaper and easer to keep the crews in a Motel or Hotel than it was to keep them housed in the car. Cars that keeped there bunks were used in places like Canada or Mexico primarlily althow they could be found in the U.S. working in remote locations.

Now heres some common questions that some Railfans ask us from time to time I'll shead some light on these questions.

Q. How many people can work a Sperry Car?
A. 3 people can run an entire car but we tryed to keep 4 at all times. with the 5th being the R.R. Rep.

Q. What dose color paint dose Sperry use to mark the Rail Defects?
A. Sunburst Yellow paint for All Defects. White Paint for Joints and Bolt Holes. Braght Orange Paint in a spary can along with Orange Construction tape is used to mark the major defects.

Q. How far south dose a Sperry Car go in Mexico?
A. Mexico City

Q. Dose Sperry Rail Service operate out side of North and Central America?
A. Yes we do. Sperry Rail Servie operates in the following countrys: United States, Canada, Mexico, England, Sweden, Germany, France, Austraila, Spain, and several outher countrys as well.

Q. Has Sperry Ever sent cars to outher countrys?
A. Yes they have. The car I worked on SRS 125 Was loaded on a Ship and served in England and in France for 10 years befor being shiped back to work in the U.S.A. In fact 10 cars were sold to the Spainsh Railways and were lost 10 miles off the coast of Boston, MA in a storm the cars were never recovered.

Q. Do Sperry rail Cars have couplers?
A. No we do not carry a Coupler on the car the only time a coupler will be put on to the frount of a Sperry Car is just befor crossing into Mexico. The Mexican Railroads provide 2-3 Locomotives and tow the Sperry Car at 10 mph from place to place. We only turn on the generator in the main engion room to power the test equipment. This helps us save on fuel so that we can race back to the U.S. Boarder after testing.

A. what is the top speed for testing?
Q. 5 mph is the top speed that we allowed for testing althow the car can test at 10mp.h. any faster the test equipment stops working. If the Car should drop below 5mp.h. the test equipment stops working. Sperry Cars have to slow to 5 mph only while crossing Railroad Crossings, Switches, Dimonds, and while crossing swing and lift bridges.

Q. Sperry Cars have a lot of locks on them are there diffrent keys for all them locks?
A. Nope one key dose it all even opens the emploees locker some can even be used to start the company car. 4 keys are issued one for each emploee.

Q. How much water can a Sperry Car hold?
A. 700 U.S. Gallons of service water. This water is used to keep the bruches from over heating and it is also used spareingley for showers and cook.

Q. how much antifreeze is used on a Sperry Car?
A. about 70 U.S. Gallons

Q. How Ofton is the Oil Changed and how much is used?
A. Oil is changed once every 1-2 weeks on the head end of the operatos compartment, for both the CAT 3304 about 40 U.S. Gal of oil and Lombo L34 Generator uses about 10 gal of Oil, the Cat 3306 in the main engion room which poweres the generators is serviced once every 2 weeks and burns about 40 U.S. Gal. of Oil.

Q. How Much Fuel can a Sperry Car hold?
A. 1000 U.S. Gallons The cars are toped off once or twice a week.

Q. what dose the danger high voltage mean on the sides of the car where the service latters to the roof mean?
A. This is a reminder to thows who might be working on High Speed Electric Railroads that there are over head catinary wires over head.

Q. Do Sperry Emploees saty with the car in which they are assinged?
A. Yes and No. Sperry Emploees are moved about from car to car to fill in for guys who may go on vaction or if asstance is needed to fill in for anouther co-worker. You never know where your going to go and transfers are given 3 days in advance. Which means you could be in Chicago, IL on May 23ed 2005 be told pack your stuff becouse your filling in for someone else in Moscow, Russia on May 26th 2005 for a couple of weeks. You can tun down the offer if you want to but its best to take it if you want to advance and make double the pay rate for traveling! Beleve me its well worth it to see Siberia and not see a liveing sole with in a 1000
square mile radious!

Q. Can Sperry Rail Service Emploees ride in the cabs of Railroad Locomotives?
A. In General No they can not becouse of Insurence reasons. How ever rules can be bent in the case of an emergency i.e. car brakes down, emploee needs medical help.

Q. Can Sperry Rail Emploees operate Locomotoves?
A. No They Can not a Sperry Rail Car has the most basic operateing contols 1 Brake Handle, 1 Power Throttle, and 1 Lever for forward Nutral and Reverce. A Sperry Car has to come to a complete stop befor backing the car up.

Q. Can a Sperry Car tow any cars?
A. They have no Couplers on the cars.

Q. How many vactions can a Sperry Rail Emploee take?
A. Well you are intitled to 2 weeks of vaction after your first 3 months of service to make up your mind as to if you want the job or not. An emploee can get almost 1-2 months of vaction time if they have been there long enough.

Q. What is starting Pay?
A. $10.00 to start after 3 years of service your up to $12.00 and should be ready to take charge of your own car or truck. There is a share plan and bounuses given each year for the highest number of defects found based on what each car or truck in the fleet finds the money is split between the crew that has the highest number of defect founf for each year. Every crew competes for this cash prize every year. (Please note that this was going on when I worked for Sperry it may not be going on anymore)

Absolutely no offence intended, but $10-12?? Geesh! That isn't much is it, I mean, for such a specialized job?

$10.00 to start is not much but its higher than what outher Contract companys start out at. With in 3 years the avrage emploee shoud be at $12.00per hour this is where you are in charge of a car or hy-rail truck if you want more money you have to be one willing to travel about the world to get it!
I forgot to add that Sperry pays every out every 2 weeks direct deposit is mandtory!
They do hand out 2 meal tickits that need to be cashed in to buy your food so eather way you end up with about $800.00 dollars in hand for food they figure that one guy will eat $400.00 worth of food a week They figure in the total amout of food the avrage guy eats and the avrage amount of money it takes to wash your clothing at a near buy washeret as well plus gas for the company car if your crew is lucky enough to be provided with one. By the way you get reembirsted for for what every gas and maintaince gos into the company car or truck only if you keep the respeit slips to mail back to Danbury they add it to your next meal tickit. The 2 meal tickits are handed out every two weeks together with your pay stub.

Companys like LORAM start out at $8.00 per hour to start. I know becouse I was going to apply to them be for I saw the payrate that Sperry was goint to start out at. LORAM Provides 2 weeks Forest Fire Control to thows who end up on Rail Grinders for $8.00 to start its not worth it to get a crash corse in how to put out a Forest Fire befor it rilly gets going!

Hmmm, so while the hourly pay isn't too hot, the company does cover things like food and gas, which otherwise you'd be paying for yourself. I see. That makes the sting a bit less!

They also payed a full days travel time back to the job site if you were leaveing home to lets say go back to the car to truck. Or even board a plane to leave Portland, Maine on a temporary transfer to anouther Car in lets say Longbeach California. They do not cover travel time if your going home I found that out my first year.

The Company provided a Company Credit Card with no limit on it. Loard knows what the intrest rate was but it must have been a hell of a deal. Any ways We used that spareingley on things like new Tires for the company car/truck, and it was used once when we riped out are floor in liveing quarters down to the steel cross memebers and put a new floor down we used 2" Plywood with a flower pattern lanoleum tile to cover it. We replaced cabinets, chairs and and few outher things all the junk was dumped into a Gondola that the railroad spotted next to us by are host railroad who keeped 10 out of active service to put yard and office waste in.
If I can rember it the 10 Gondolas were mixed of 40ft and 45ft. Four of the Gondolas were the late Wooden WWII Composite side gondolas and marked for office waste only. The outher 7 were scattered about the yard lets see there were 5 marked for Scrap Steel only and the last 2 were marked for oil and fuel filters only. All 10 Gons had removeable lids that would be placed on them befor being cast off to be unloaded.

I piloted a Sperry car for a week about 10 years ago. it was a crew of 3 and they stayed on the car while I stayed in a railroad supplied hotel. I cannot remember the car number and I can't find the pictures I took. One of the guys was new, I believe his name was Kenny. The guy in charge was a black man, I believe his name was Dave. They were a good crew, fun to hit the bars with after a long day.

If memory serves, there were 3 different types of diesel engines, which I remember thinking was very odd. One was a cat, one was a Jimmy and I'm pretty sure the third was Italian, but for the life of me I can't think of the name of it.

I remember there was a color tv in the lounge that was never shut off, and when the engine revved and the generator was loading up, the colors in the tv would get funky and fade away (the lounge was right next to the prime mover and main gen.) It made me wonder what all those electro-magnetic waves were doing to me!

I piloted a Sperry car for a week about 10 years ago. it was a crew of 3 and they stayed on the car while I stayed in a railroad supplied hotel. I cannot remember the car number and I can't find the pictures I took. One of the guys was new, I believe his name was Kenny. The guy in charge was a black man, I believe his name was Dave. They were a good crew, fun to hit the bars with after a long day.

If memory serves, there were 3 different types of diesel engines, which I remember thinking was very odd. One was a cat, one was a Jimmy and I'm pretty sure the third was Italian, but for the life of me I can't think of the name of it.

I remember there was a color tv in the lounge that was never shut off, and when the engine revved and the generator was loading up, the colors in the tv would get funky and fade away (the lounge was right next to the prime mover and main gen.) It made me wonder what all those electro-magnetic waves were doing to me!

The 3 Engions on the Sperry car that I ran were Caterpiller 3306 main Generation engion in the Back engion room, Caterpiller 3304 which sat next to the cab operator, and a Lambordia L34 which was the generator used at night when the outher 2 engions were shut down.


The 2 Engions the Cat 3306 and the Lambo would load each outher out if they were runing at the same time. Thats why it was always important to ask if they were done useing the CAT 3306 befor shut down becouse they would lose all there computer data in the transfer of power to the Lambo.
There were 4 switches that had to be shut off on the circrit brakers once the CAT 3306 was shut down this had to be done befor the Lambo could be started i.e. makeing the power transfer go smothley or else the circits blow out. This was noticeable on the TV by the funkey colors as Blackdog seaid only if both generators were runing at the same time and if the cirit brakers were not set right.