Fastest WW1 Train (100km/h) in Palestine, propelled by Aircraft Engine

[Olham 164]

Just found this during a search for Mercedes D.III engines.

The caption says it is a 160 hp engine from a Rumpler aircraft, propelling the rail carriage

with officers from Royal Bavarian 304 to Haifa with a speed of 100 km/h - enjoy!

 

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

good grief......thats amazing!!

[Olham 164]

... and maybe a bit carefree!

Imagine our safety measures today, before anyone would allow this.

The insurance companies would scream out loud: "We won't pay in case of accident!"

Back then, they simply did it.

Edited September 30, 2012 by Olham

[Wombat 1]

Not sure if they do it anymore, but many American railroads mounted surplus jet engines on modified flat cars and used them to clear snow from the tracks, mostly around switches. I saw one in action in Syracuse, NY in the early 60's.

I never heard of one running away and taking off down the tracks, nor setting fire to the cross ties, but maybe I just missed it....

 

Given an opportunity, some will mount any power source on any vehicle, with mixed results.

[Bullethead 12]

Old trains were quite fast when they had the room to build up speed and didn't have to stop at every little village station. Before WW1, they were already going over 200km/h.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_speed_record_for_rail_vehicles

[Lewie 7]

Well put in perspective 100 Km/h is a little over 61 mph so it's possible fast but not compared to some of the bigger, tall driver wheeled steam trains of England, Europe and America, some of which routinely did over 100 mph on regular sceduled routes. There was a 1950's jet powered train engine, not really for pulling a train though, it was experimental but I recall it going 170mph.

[Olham 164]

Well, it only said: fastest WW1 train - whatever that means.