Practical Application of Alloy Steels to Locomotives

In the critical railroad situation, methods for reducing costs are important. The reduction of locomotive-maintenance costs by the judicious use of new ferrous-metal products is advised—those very products developed by steel-mill research for the industries aided by the railroads. The best of engineering practice should be applied to the design of built-up assemblies that will realize maximum strength and will reduce wear and tear of joinings, such as the integral bed frame for the locomotive foundation. The high initial cost of using nitrided steel and other special materials, as advocated in the paper, is expected to be justified by the reduced costs of maintenance and loss of service of locomotives.