Erie Railroad - Erie Railroad Lake Line - 1913 Performance
From the February, 1914 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine
Comparison of Work of Erie Railroad Lake Line Steamers.
The "Marine Review" in its January issue, took up the subject of the Erie Railroad's Lake Line Steamers. One of these articles (the one herewith presented), discusses the marked saving in fuel by the Erie boats, under the mechanical supervision of Messrs. Babcock & Penton, Consulting Engineers, New York and Cleveland, to whom President Underwood in 1910 intrusted the duty of improvement of the fleet. The other article, which is held for the March number, shows by chart reproductions, graphic signal and engine movement recording apparatus on the steamer George F. Brownell. Both articles are instructive and entertaining and should be perused carefully by our readers.
The first article reads as follows:
"The "Review" presents herewith a summary of the comparative work of each ship of the Erie Railroad Lake Line and of the fleet as a whole based upon operation for the season of 1910 and for which acknowledgments are due to C.S. Goldsborough, Manager, New York. For readiness of comparison the results have been plotted in graphic form both as to speeds and fuel.
COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE CHART, ERIE RAILROAD LAKE LINE.
"In the diagram 1910 speeds are represented by the solid line and work of not only each ship, but of the fleet as a whole is apparent at a glance. It will be seen that the fleet average is 10.6 miles with high at 11.4 miles and low at 9.0 miles. It should be understood that the speed is derived from total mileage divided by total hours under way, and includes checks for fog, river work, etc. In the work of improvement a fleet average of 11 miles was aimed at.
"The fleet average as now constituted is shown by the dotted line. It will be seen that while two ships still fall below the desired average the fleet average is well above and in fact higher than desirable either for best economy or for conditions of operation and 0.5 mile higher than 1910. No ship shows a falling off. Ships Nos. 2 and 3 cannot be brought up to the average economically but they are among the smallest of the fleet and do not, therefore, affect operation to the same extent as larger units. The increase in fleet average is 4.7 per cent, with individual averages ranging from 0.9 to 22 per cent.
"The fuel performance is also shown graphically. The height of the unshaded areas represents average trip fuel for 1910 and the shaded areas the trip fuel for 1913. Tonnage can be read directly from the diagram and also the reduction percentage. The diagrams are numbered to correspond with the speed diagram and the fleet average is also shown.
"If the increase in fleet speed is taken into account the reduction percentage, which, as shown on diagram, is 38 percent, would be about 45 per cent. The coal used in port would of course not be affected by speed changes.
"In actual weights the reductions since the improvements were taken in hand amount to over 28,000 tons.
"Further reductions are expected as the speeds are harmonized and also from changes in methods of operation which experience has suggested but additional figures will probably not be given out.
"Additional interesting information is found in the increase in trips per ships of 15.3 per cent for almost exactly the same period of operation. Cost of lubrication, although one of the smallest items of operating expense, was reduced from 9.05 cents per hour's run to 3.6 cents without in any way altering methods or reduction in efficiency. The coal figures are exact; the total charged to the ships and the total car weights agreeing almost exactly so that if any error exists it is necesssarily in weighing cars.
"Details of the work carried out are witheld but it is stated that much of the improvement is due to the system of notation employed in keeping records. The log form carries much information not found in the forms usually employed and each log as turned in is at once analyzed and transferred to a continuous record sheet which shows at once comparative work for individual trips and the average of trips to date, and any departure from previous readings examined into without delay. Propeller constants for various trims have been established by numerous observations and serve as checks not only on mileage but on engine revolutions and speed. About two hours covers the work entailed but since the entire season's work of each ship is complete with the analysis of the last log all that remains is to collect the footing and extensions to arrive at the collective performance. The effect is to keep the plant and personnel at high efficiency and to indicate at once in what direction to look for any falling off.
"While the results attained are not looked upon as finality they form an interesting conclusion to a remarkable series of engineering data, the more so because of the unusual liberality of the Erie line in giving out information of a nature usually difficult to obtain."
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