The Electric Traction Speed Trophy is currently in secure storage, awaiting eventual display, but in the meantime we have some better pictures of it from various angles, plus a transcription of the engraved text. Our thanks go to David Mason for the generous donation of this historic artifact.
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(FRONT)
SPEED TROPHY
AWARDED ANNUALLY
BY THE PUBLISHERS OF
ELECTRIC TRACTION
AS A TOKEN OF MERIT TO THE
INTERURBAN ELECTRIC RAILWAY
MAKING THE FASTEST SCHEDULE
SPEED
IN REGULAR OPERATION
BETWEEN TERMINALS
WON BY
1925
GALVESTON
HOUSTON ELECTRIC RAILWAY COMPANY
Average
Speed (total elapsed time) 40.3 M.P.H.
1926
GALVESTON
HOUSTON ELECTRIC RAILWAY COMPANY
Average
Speed (total elapsed time) 40.3 M.P.H.
1927
CHICAGO
NORTH SHORE AND MILWAUKEE RAILROAD COMPANY
Average
Speed (total elapsed time) 41.8 M.P.H.
(BACK)
1928
CHICAGO
NORTH SHORE AND MILWAUKEE RAILROAD COMPANY
Average
Speed (total elapsed time) 41.8 M.P.H.
1929
CHICAGO
SOUTH SHORE AND SOUTH BEND RAILROAD
Average
Speed (total elapsed time) 44.9 M.P.H.
1930
CHICAGO
SOUTH SHORE AND SOUTH BEND RAILROAD
Average
Speed (total elapsed time) 45.6 M.P.H.
1931
CHICAGO
NORTH SHORE AND MILWAUKEE RAILROAD COMPANY
Average
Speed (total elapsed time) 48.01 M.P.H.
1932
CHICAGO
NORTH SHORE AND MILWAUKEE RAILROAD COMPANY
Average
Speed (total elapsed time) 51.27 M.P.H.
1933
CHICAGO
NORTH SHORE AND MILWAUKEE RAILROAD COMPANY
Average
Speed (total elapsed time) 51.27 M.P.H.
And then in 1933 they ran out of space to engrave anything more on the trophy, so it was presented to the North Shore to keep.
There was some discussion at the time about how the fastest speed should be measured. The editors decided to use just the schedule speed between terminals of the fastest train on the line. Then the speed is the track miles divided by the schedule time in minutes, without deducting for time spent at intermediate stops. Actual on-time performance was not considered.
William D. Middleton's article on the speed trophy (Trains, April 1967: 24-28) has the trophy going to North Shore as a third-consecutive winner, which the article suggests was the standard for permanent possession. The "ran out of space" might be accurate, although is that documented somewhere? It's likely that Electric Traction saw the fate of the industry and didn't add on to the base, where small plates engraved with later winners could be rotated on and off in the manner of the Stanley Cup!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know the actual top speed North Shore Line trains in regular service? I know the Electroliner reached 111mph, during a test, but for regular service, I don't really know.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delayed reply. Our North Shore experts report that the generally accepted maximum speed for the standard cars, with a three-car train near a substation on level track, was 82.5 MPH.
ReplyDeleteI rode the Electroliner's railman seat in 1962 and could watch the speedometer. It sat on 80 mph most of the way.
ReplyDeleteAaron Isaacs
The 111mph in John Horacheck's (sp?) article was with the field shunts operative. Unfortunately,they found that at that speed they consistently over ran the crossing protection (the train was on the crossing before the gates were down) so the shunts were disconnected, and the equipment eventually removed. I recall Howard Odinius saying that the 'liners were just slightly slower than the standard equipment, when a 'liner was in the shop and he had a "substitute liner" he found he was always waiting for time in the station, because he had pulled a bit early.
ReplyDelete