Diesel electric motive power for railroads

Recent developments in internal combustion engines have provided a source of mobile motive power for railroads which has shown economies over steam operation in some classes of service. The continuing development of Diesel engines gives promise of their further substitution for steam power, but in the application of this unit, performance characteristics must be considered carefully. The recently developed “streamlined” Diesel electric trains are rather limited in application, but the Diesel engine has an immediate field of application in switching and transfer locomotives. Electrical transmission of power from the Diesel engine to the driving wheels of a train has advantages which make it preferable to any other type of transmission as yet developed.