NS "RESEARCH" Car 36

[NW Mailing List]

Bob,

I don't see where anyone has answered all of your questions about NS 36, so here is some information on the NS research cars in general, gleaned largely from contacts within the NS Research and Test Department.

Basically there have been two types of track geometry cars used by various railroads and government agencies: Fairly lightweight (generally self-propelled) cars and heavy-weight cars that can deflect the track like a locomotive or loaded freight car.  The NS has favored the latter as giving more realistic measurements of actual track conditions.

NS 31 was an early self-contained track geometry car converted in Southern Railway's Haynes Shop, Spartanburg, South Carolina and designated R 1 on the Southern.  It was self contained in that it incorporated the sensing and measuring instruments, the data recording equipment, power unit, and extra weight to deflect the track.  The extra weight caused problems with truck frame cracking, so this car was superceded by NS 33 and 34, and put out to pasture in the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke.

Currently, there are two sets of NS track geometry cars, NS 33 and 34 in one set, and NS 36 and 37 in the other set.  These two sets operate over critical NS tracks three times a year (up from two times a year previously).

NS 33 AND 34 (Placed in service Aug. 9, 1999)

NS 33 has a rich history.  It was constructed in 1950 by Pullman-Standard as UP 5441, an Overland Route, 44-seat coach, which was acquired by the Alaska Railroad in 1971.  Retired in 1987, it was sold to St. Louis Car where the NS purchased it in 1994.  Roanoke Shops Passenger Car Shop and the NS R & T Dept. rebuilt it into a track geometry car.  This car contains the recording and processing equipment for the data supplied by NS 34.  NS 33 weighs 144,100 lb.

NS 34 was originally built by EMD in 1965 as N&W SD35 1530.  In 1977 it was rebuilt into RP-E6 road slug 9921.  Placed into long term storage in 1993, it entered service as NS 34 in 1998.  It contains the sensing and measuring equipment for track geometry and rail profile (rail wear), the power supply for NS 33 and the weight to deflect the track.  It weighs 378,500 lb.

NS 36 and 37

This set of cars differs from NS 33 and 34 in that NS 36 contains the sensing and measuring equipment as well as the data acquisition instruments, and it has been weighted in order to simulate the track geometry encountered by a loaded freight car or locomotive, somewhat like retired car NS 31, except that support car NS 37 contains the power supply for NS 36.

NS 36 has an interesting history also.  In 1924 It was built as Santa Fe business car 32 (later renumbered to 55 -- see attached photo).  In October 1983 Conrail acquired it and had Amtrak's Beech Grove Indiana Shops to convert into Conrail track geometry car CR 21 (see attached photo of CR 21).  In 2000 the NS acquired CR 21, along with associated cars CR 22 (which was sold) and CR 24.  CR 21 became NS 36 Track Geometry Car, and CR 24 became NS 37, the power and support car.

I am attaching a rare view of NS 33 and 36 together.  Rare because they are seldom in the same city together.  In this scene they appear to be in the Coach Yard shed in Roanoke.  The objects in the center of the roof areas are video cameras that record the track and right of way to the rear of the moving train.  The rearward facing lights illuminate the interior of tunnels as well as the track and right of way after dark.  The cameras are fairly wide angle so that they show much of the countryside.  The N&WHS Archives has several hundred of these video tapes, and they are a big hit when they are shown at the Thursday evening "pizza parties" during the Archives monthly "work" sessions.  The scenes from these videos are reminiscent of what some of us saw from the fondly remembered observation car on the rear of the Powhatan Arrow.

Also, trackside observers may see research car NS 32, which is equipped with dynamometer couplers and data acquisition devices to measure locomotive performance -- a modern version of N&W Dynamometer Car 514780, nee N&W 4900, that starred in so many steam locomotive tests.  N&W 514780 is also in the VMT in Roanoke.

Gordon Hamilton

---- Original Message ----- 
  From: NW Mailing List 
  To: NW Mailing List 
  Sent: Monday, August 13, 2007 10:37 PM
  Subject: NS "RESEARCH" Car 36


  While ogling engine 736 in the Roanoke yard last week (8/10/07) I notice NS "Research" car 36 waiting nearby. Please forgive my wild speculating, but she looks to my untrained eye to be a converted business car with an observation platform rear end, the addition of an inspection window protruding from her side midway down her length and some sort of instrument or detector suspended from her forward truck outboard of the wheels and rail.  Her window configuration might indicate that she may have at one time served as an executive lounge and sleeping car and may have contained a dining area and galley.  Her platform end has large rear facing "picture window", a door and the usual rear end red marker lights.  In addition, she has several large rear-facing headlights which would seem to indicate that she may occasionally be operated in reverse.  

  I'm probably the only dummy who doesn't know but can someone please explain her purpose and how she might be operated?   She is old enough to have been converted and renamed and renumbered.  Any idea of her history?   Thanks,  Bob Brown


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