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Welded Steel Engine Bed on New High Speed Train engine foundations is a matter of vital importance in ship con- struction. How this problem is met in other applications is therefore of ereat interest. On the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad’s new high speed streamlined passenger train, the “Zephyr,’’ the engine bed, as shown in the accompanying illustration, is of welded construction, fabricated from Lukens cromansil steel, a re- cently developed, high strength steel. This application is believed to be the first instance of the use of a welded steel engine bed on a motive power unit employed in main line railway service in America. The welded steel underframe sup- ports a load of approximately 60,- 000 pounds, consisting of a 600 horsepower, Winton diesel engine and generator which power the train, and the forward half of the power ear, This 30-ton dead load imposes severe impact stresses on its sup- porting bed under the operating con- ditions encountered in service. The stresses are of a fatigue nature, since they are repeated many times per nile, Te design and construction of Analysis Of Loads Indeterminate Because of the infinite variety of types of load to which the structure is subjected in service, analysis of the loads is highly indeterminate. Rail joints, switches and crossovers cause vertical impact, Acceleration and deceleration result in horizontal stresses of variable extent. Move- ment around curves at speed _ pro- duces lateral stresses. Combinations of the various forms of stress can eccur simultaneously, The require- ments of service are further compli- cated by the necessity of minimizing weight, Naturally, the working stresses are high. The design of the engine bed was developed by Lukenweld, Inc., divi- sion of Lukens Steel Co., Coatesville, Fa., in co-operation with the Edward G. Budd. Mie. Co.,. builder: of the “Zephyr,” and the railroad company. In developing the design, particular attention was given to the elimina- tion of rectilinear elements which would involve undesirable concen- trations of stress. Angles, channels and ‘picture-frame”’ correlations were avoided because they would re- sult in severe changes in contour which, in turn, would be incipient points of failure, Size Of Engine Bed It will be noted that the engine bed design utilizes extremely mod- erate changes in contour, not only to avoid concentrations of stress but also to introduce a high degree of re- dundancy, The mutual interaction of adjacent members is an important element in the functioning of the structure as a single unit rather than as a connected assembly of individ- ual members, The engine bed is 25 feet 3% inches long, 8 feet 8 inches wide, and fabricated from 5/16 inch plates of Lukens cromansil steel. It has a high ratio of load-carrying capacity to weight of metal employed, since it weighs only 6060 pounds and sup- ports the 60,000-pound load of en- gine, generator and forward half of Welded steel engine bed for supporting the 600-horsepower diesel engine generator set and forward half of the power car on the new high speed streamlined passenger train Zephyr MARINE REVIEwW—May, 1934 the power car, It forms the bed of the front half of the first car of the train, and is joined at the rear to the stainless steel structure forming the balance of the car. In addition to the engine bed, the crankcase of the Winton diesel en- gine is also of welded construction, fabricated by Lukenweld, Inc., from cromansil steel, The engine, devel- oping 600 horsepower, is of two- cycle type with eight cylinders, and is direct connected to the genera- tor, The complete engine, without generator and auxiliaries, weighs about 22 pounds per horsepower, which low ratio of weight to horse- power is largely the result of effi- cient design and fabrication in weld- ed steel construction. Ship Repair Contracts Recent ship repair contracts have been awarded as follows: C. H. Sprague & Son Inc., Boston has awarded a contract to the Beth- lehem Shipbuilding Corp, for repairs to the S. S. HAMPDEN, on a bid of $13,- 421, to be completed in seven days. The same company also awarded a con- tract to the Todd Dry Dock, Engineer- ing & Repair Co. for repairs to the S. S. COASTWISE on a bid of $10,728, to be completed in eight days. The Atlantic Refining Co., Phila- delphia, awarded a contract to the Kensington Shipyard & Dry Dock Corp., Philadelphia, for repairs to the motorship Point Breeze at a cost of $9688, work to be completed in seven days. The United Dry Docks Inec., New York, was awarded a contract by the American South African line for ‘e- pairs to the motorship Crry or Nrw YORK on a bid of $7613. The Cosmopolitan Shipping Co., New York, awarded contract to the United Dry Docks Inc., New York, for repairs to the S. S. Liprerry, on a bid of $9916. Todd Dry Dock, Engineer- ing and Repair Co., submitted a bid of $138,444 for this work, Expanding activity in the Gulf oil trade is emphasized by the recent contract awarded the Todd _ Ship- building & Dry Dock Corp., Mobile, Ala., by Walker & Daley, New York, for reconditioning the tanker ArpHa which has been laid up for three years. The ArpHa is being made ready for charter to an oil company for transporting crude and fuel oil between Gulf and Atlantic ports, The tanker Brra of the same line, a sis- ter ship, is also being taken out of lay-up, On April 6 the department of plant and structures of the city of New York received bids for repairs to the municipal ferryboat RicHmonp as follows: Brewer Dry Dock Co., $14,488; United Dry Docks Inc., $14,570; and Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., $14,850. 31