Abstract :
Arack-RAIL Diesel-electric locomotive, said to be the first of its kind, has been built by the General Electric Company for the Manitou and Pike´s Peak Railway, replacing the tilted steam locomotives used on the cog railway since its completion in 1891. Instead of hauling its load, the locomotive pushes a 50-passenger car from Manitou, Colo., at 6,562 feet elevation, to the top of Pike´s Peak, 14,109 feet above sea level. The average grade is 16 per cent; the steepest 25 per cent. The new locomotive can provide traction at the wheels as well as t h e rack rail, but not simultaneously. It has two axles, weighs 20 tons, and is powered by three generating units, each rated 160 horsepower at an elevation of 1,800 feet. One control station is provided, and t h e same standard electric-drive equipment as is used in the company´s new Diesel-electric industrial locomotives.
