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THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9. 1932.
THE BENNIE RAILPLANE
INSTITUTE TALK
TRIP TO CANTON VISUALISED
A mont interesting talk on the Bonnie Railplane, the invention of a Glasgow engineer, was given before an appreciative audience last evening, at the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders, by Professor W. Brown, M.A., B. Sc.. who illustrated his paper with lantera slides.
Mr. P. T. Farrel), who presided, thanked the lecturer, after which a discussion took place as to the merits of the Bennie Railplane, Among those, who took part in the discussion were Mr. C. J. Black- burn, Mr. F. P. R. James and Mr. F. C. Weller.
Introducing hla subject, Professor Brown said:
Most of the papers read before this Institution of Engineers and Ship builders are contributed by men who are engaged in the practice of one or other of the many branches of en- gineering. Their authors, naturally, and rightly, and their themea in their own daily life. The records they compile, the problems they discuss, the views they bring forward, the suggestions they have to offer, arise from their own every-day experience, And it is precisely the close relation. ship with professional practice that makes such papers of vital interest, and gives weight to the opinions ex- preased in thom.
the
The paper, or lecture, which I have honour to submit to you this evening is rather an exception to the general rule. For myself, I am not now engaged in, nor have I any close connexion with, practical engineering.
O and my subject, the Dennie Itailplane, has hardly yet reached the stage of catablished practice. Thia novel method of rapid transportation is just emerging from the stage of invention and experiment, nad the interest of it lies not in the present or the past, for it has no past and very little of a present, but in its potentialities for the future.
en
All modern railway work involves civil, mechanical, and electrical gineering. The proposed Benale Rail- plane includes all these, and adds Bome acronautical interest, as it uses air-propellers as its incans of propul sion. I hope then that what I have to say, and the lantern-pictures I have, to show, may prove general in terest to the considerable variety of engineers in this audience. 1 have the initial advantage over most of you--perhaps over all of you-of having mut the Inventor, Mr. George Bennio, (during my repeated visits to Glasgow in 1931), of having discussed the railplane with him, or having seca the splendid working-model in his city Office, and inspected the full- scale demonstration line in running
order.
Previous Talk.
Exactly eight months ago this even- ing, I gave an informal talk on t rallplane to the engineering students a news at the University. I sent paper report of it to Mr. Beanie, and A covering letter in which I mention ed the possibility that I might, to- wards the end of the year, be asked to give a similar lecture to this Ins titution. With a view to this, I ak- od him to send me as much technical data as he could,-facts and figures of all ports rolalivo to materials, dimensions, weight, coats, powers, re- cords of performance and efficiency; anything and everything that might enable me to offer an interesting and instructive paper to an audience of technical mon, and to answer intelll- gent questions in a satisfactory man-
ner.
Mr. Bennio acknowledged my letter, and promised to write later with re- gard to the points I had raised. Thus far, however, no fresh information has reached me, and in submitting what follows I am largely dependent on my recollections of what I heard and Baw in Glasgow over Afteen months ago. I trust however that the in-, terest of novelty may compensate for any deficiencies that may be observed ps regards technical details,
The Bennie Railplane. Developing his thems the lecturer continued:
tions, and
each is a compromise.
A Working Model.
The idea of the railplane originated In the fertila: brain· of Mr. George Bennie, a well-known Glasgow en- ginger, who has several other inven- tlens already to his credit. In a nor thern suburb of Glasgow, Mr. Bennio has had a full-scale demonstration rail-piano track erected over a short length of disused railway alding, and In his city office he has a wonderful working model in which all the opera- tions are controlled electrically from a switch-board.
The full-scale car has accommode-
tion for twenty passengers but with ordinary seating instead of arm-chairs it could take in double that number,
The body is largely of duralumnin, an alloy of aluminium which, with virtually the same strength na mild steel, but only one-third of its weight, has come into general use in recent years in the construction of aeroplanes and airships.
With motors and all equipment the car weighs only about four tons, and thus it has a carrying capacity about equal to its unloaded weight. Cona- traat this with an ordinary railway- train, where all the passenger's and their baggage may weigh only six or soven per cent, of the empty coachosl
The car is suspended from an over head monorail supported on tresties.
The track-wheels are of special de- sign,
running with the minimum of resistance on roller-bearings, and em- bodying a novel idea of bar. Bennis's to eliminate noiso, a solid ring of rub- ber inside the tyre. The samo dovico has been successfully tried-out on Bome of the underground railways in London, though thus far only on trail- ing wheels, and not on driving-wheels which have to transmit torque.
The track-wheels of the railplane have no function but to support the car, and run quietly and smoothly. They are used for neither driving nor braking, in the case of the railway train is proportional to the locomotive, the pull it can give to the weight against pressing the driving-wheels the raus. The tractive effort can be augumented temporarily, by using 62 said to increase the coeficient friction, and it may be reduced al- most to zero if from any cause the Bennio rail-plane
In the rail becomes slippery. But
condition of the rail makes no difference to the run- ning, and adhesive weight is of co value, as the car is driven, not through the track-whools, but by means of air-
acrews.
Striking Advantages.
This mode of propulsion has some striking advantages. Starting up is very smooth; the absence of all jerk- ing in decidedly attractive. Also, the reversal of the propellers, which can be done cally and almost instantane- cualy, makes a very gentle but offec- Live braka. Brake-choes, acting not on the wheels but on the track-rail, and on an inverted, rail on the under- side of the track-girder, provide more vigorous and positive braking. There friction brakes can be operated by hand and also by power, and the elec trical application of them can be made automatic, controlled by the signals along the track.
The demonstration line in Glasgow takes its power from the adjacent tramway system, which operates on direct current at 500 volts. The air- screws, one at each end of the car, are under the serica-parallel control usual on tramways.
Each moter has a normal rating of 60 horse-power, but is capable of a
over large-overload
short very perioda. The usual propeller speed in about 1,200 revolutions per mloute, and this should give the car a linear speed on the level of about 120 miles an hour. The demonstration line is only a very short ene, and it is im- practicable to get up any high speed, in fact not more than 26 or 30 miles an hour. But the figure of 120 miles per hour claimed for normal running conditions may be readily accepted, as it is based on the very accurate knowledge of air-resistance and pro- peller performance obtained from aeroplane experience and research. Aero-dynamics has now moat an exact science.
become al-
Internal Combustion. Wherever electrical energy, either D.C. or A.C. is readily available cheap rates, the Bennie Railplano would naturally make use of it; but in the absence of Buch, high-speed internal-combustion engines of the "aero" type could be used inatoad, no important difficulties in with weight or eliciency.
Such a car as is here used, of light weight, and head rail, would be from an over- be liable to sway a $ strong good deal, especially in wind. It would pleo swing out through a big angle when rounding 4 curve at high speed. These ten- dencies are however controlled by horizontal wheels, attached to the underside of the car, which came into contact with a guide rail.
On an ordinary railway, where the propulsion depends on the adhesion of steel wheels on amooth steel rails, a gradient of 1 in 100 is considered rather steep, at least where high average spoode are called for. On a vory steep gradient the tractive effort must be enormously increased while the force of adhesion is appreciably diminished. It is claimed for the Bennie Railplane that gradients up to 1 in 26 prosent no serious difficulty.
The ceaseless demand for improved transport, with greater speed, safety, comfort, and economy, has directed the evolution of railway traine, au- tomobiles, steam and motor-ships, air- ships and aoroplance, to their present remarkable stages of development. Each of these means of travel has its own special advantages and limita Where speed is the prime considera- tion, the aeroplans is an easy first. It has the further merit that no track need bo constructed for it, and in this respect it resembles the abip that ploughs the pathicas ocean. But though improvements are continually
it being devised, cannot yet be said that the aeroplane is by any means free from danger, and there are still many travellers who, with ample of portunities, are unwilling to trust themselves to the thrills of flying.
Long-distance trains in highly de- voloped countries provide luxurious accommodation, with an average speed of approximately sixty miles per hour, while the passenger-plane of to-day can give quite remarkable comfort, and an average speed about double that of the fast train.
To indicato in the fewest words the character of the Bennie Rallplane, we might call it an attempt to combine the speed of the aeroplane with the safety of the train. Hence the name "rali-plane". The new carrier is like an aeroplans that cannot fall, at any mile. speed or at no spood; though it has no wings, and in appearance resem, mile. bloa rather, a amali Kirahly,
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dised parts. Also, the ground would of commencing the journey practical- Double Lise Bennio Railplane £19,- be very little disturbed by the orcely at any moment without the neces- tion of a rall-plane overhead. Ins-kity of consulting a time-table, would 000 per mile.
These are the costs of new and in-tead of cuttings and tunnels and em- do much to attract passenger trafic.
For Kowloon-Canton? dependent construction, but one of the bankments there would be merely a
It is interesting to speculate on the chief ideas of Mr. Bennie is that his succession of small concrete founda over-head lines should be built along tions to support the treaties, white and abovo existing railways and even between these points, streams, roads, chances of seeing some day, Bernie and Canton, over the existing rail- roadways. The rail-plane would then exdating railways, and agricultural Rail-plane running between Kowloon
way. The only region in which The cars of the Benato nero-railway be used for the conveyance of passen laad would remain undisturbed.
With regard to the cost of main-¡ large, deviation would be necessary could be run in either direction with gers and light freights at high speeds, equal ease, but not with equal efl while the roads and railways would taining a rali-plane service, it should would be between: Yaumats:; and clency. The propellers are less efflfill carry the heavy goods at or be realised that for a given route the Shatin, and over that section the sero clent when running in reverse. Hence dinary speeds. This separation it is intended that the cars should fast traffic from slow trame he re-high speed of travel means that only line could follow very approximately Lerminals normally rus in one direction only. gards as of vital importance, especiala small number of cars would be re- the route taken by the motor FORL
y in highly-developed and congest-good way of example, Mr. The journey between the discussed with me the prob- would take just about one and this involves the provision of turn-table, or loop, at least at every ed country ko Britain. Of course,able service, if a rail-plane line were
In the
many cou Kopinion or the rail-plane track would need to de- erected between Glasgow and Edin- judres the Bernie terminas.
vital claim made for the Bennie vists from the road or raty wyer burgh, a distance of about fifty miles. Is both mechanically and economically Railplane system is remarkable over there are sharp bends, or over a car, accommodating say 40 passen sound. The stage of invention may gers, could do this Journey in 20 be regarded as practically over, and cheapness, both for construction and bridges, or tunnels,
Ground Work Minimised. minutes, and could be back at the the inventor and his associates are for maintenance, in comparison with ordinary railways. The following com As regards fresh construction over starting-point, ready for a second out-now mainly concerned with advertise parative figures for costs of cons hitharto undeveloped country, It ward-trip, in little over fruction are supplied by the inventor.should be observed that very little Hence, only seven
Double Track Fallway £60,000 por levelling would be necessary, as mo- necessary to maintain normally a ten- have received from governments and variations of ground-level minutes service, capable of conveying transport companies in many parts of Double Track Tramway £30,000 per would be balanced by using treaties each way about 240 passengers per the world encourage the hope that at of different heights, and these tres- hour. This high-frequency of service, no distant date as system may he Double Line Tube Railway £800,000 ties could be built-up from standar-and the possibility for the traveller widely adopted.
derate
hour.
ane hour, mont and propaganda. The large Cara would
number of Interested enquiries they