Get the true story of New York Central's 1966 high-speed tests straight from the source! Many never before published photos and diagrams enrich the story of America's high-speed rail record.
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What happens when you take military surplus General Electric J47 jet engines and mount them onto the roof of a standard Budd Rail Diesel Car? On a stretch of arrow-straight mainline in northern Ohio in 1966, the New York Central Railroad set the American speed record for railroad travel. Searching for real-world data on the mechanics and stresses of high-speed rail on its infrastructure, the railroad built this sophisticated "rolling laboratory" in its Collinwood Shops in order to collect the information they needed. No stranger to progress and innovation, railroad president Alfred Perlman was in the left-hand seat when the historic record-setting run was made. Besides setting a speed record, the New York Central learned valuable data that would help them prepare for the future of passenger trains in America. What's more, they did it on their own dime, without government assistance. How did they do it? What did they discover?
For the first time ever, design engineer Don Wetzel teams up with editor Hank Morris to bring you the true story of the New York Central Railroad's 1966 high-speed rail experiment. Bookmark this store as we prepare to share even more information about this ground-breaking experiment. Engineer Don Wetzel shares his experiences and technical reports from his personal collection supporting the advancement of high-speed rail. Also available soon will be the original promotional film made by New York Central in 1966, with a new introduction by Don Wetzel.
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Don Wetzel has been involved in railroading for most of his professional career. He worked for the New York Central for 17 years (1950-1967), the Norfolk & Western Railway for three years (1967-1970), and then started Quest Corporation, which he ran until he retired in 1992. Quest is now owned by his son, Kurt, and produces engineered-to-specification force measuring electronic systems (scales) and railroad equipment. Don says, “I’m quite proud of the fact that I invented, patented, and marketed the pulsing locomotive ‘ditch lights’ now used by CSX, Norfolk Southern, and many other U.S. railroads.” Don and Ruth now live in Strongsville, Ohio. Don’s other hobbies include boating—he owns a twin-engine boat—and he also owns and rides a vintage 1970 Harley-Davidson FLH motorcycle. Don also has a commercial pilot’s license with instrument, multi-engine, and bomber ratings.
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Hank Morris retired after 20-1/2 years as an editor on the staff of Control Engineering magazine (published by Reed Business Information). He has written over 200 published feature articles on various topics of technology. Hank was the editor of the National Railway Bulletin, (published by the National Railway Historical Society) until illness forced him to step down. He is presently the Publications Director for the Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society. Prior to becoming an editor, Hank was a designer/engineer at Zenith Electronics for 9 years where he was responsible for the mechanical engineering of Zenith’s line of tape recorders. Hank and his wife, Carol, reside in Chicago, Illinois.
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| Otto M. Vondrak is a graphic designer and illustrator who grew up in suburban New York. A graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, he is an active member of the Rochester Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society and of the New York Central System Historical Society. A life-long railroad enthusiast, Otto has co-authored two books on railroad history and several articles related to the hobby of model railroading. Otto is also a partner in the popular RAILROAD.NET on-line community. |
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