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June 1927
- I n 1923, Dr. Sperry began work on developing a method of locating internal rail defects. In 1927, he contracted with the American Railway Association to build a rail test car. Construction on this first car, numbered 101, began in June 1927.
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While many of the cars started life as motor cars few of the original parts survive, (it is interesting to see how the look of these cars evolved with time, where comparisons can be made because of multiple links, but it is worth noting that cars 140 and 143 - 149 were built new).
Jun 26, 2010 · In 1927, he contracted with the American Railway Association to build a rail test car. Construction on this first car, numbered 101, began in June 1927. It consisted of a metal faced plywood body mounted on a Kalamazoo motor car bed which was in turn towed by a larger motor car.
The late Dr. Elmer A. Sperry, who is famous as the inventor of the gyro-compass and the ship gyro-stabilizer, tackled the problem of internal rail defects and invented the detector car. A generator aboard the car introduced current into the rails by means of sets of copper brushes.
Homer Sperry developed the third current to get rid of preexisting magnetic spots in the rail that would interfere with magnetic induction rail testing. This was put into the rail from the second axle on the front truck.
While many of the cars started life as motor cars few of the original parts survive,   (it is interesting to see how the look of these cars evolved with time, where comparisons can be made because of multiple links, but it is worth noting that cars 140 and 143 - 149 were built new).
So, with the thought in mind that many others would also like to know more about the Sperry Car, in mid-May 1974, I set about arranging the necessary permission from the Sperry headquarters and CP Rail to actually ride a car.
Apr 1, 2024 · SRS 129 began as an Electro-Motive Company gas-electric car built in November 1925 for the Lehigh Valley Railroad as their number 29 (builders’ number 1376A133). The body was constructed by the St. Louis Car Company, and it as powered by a Winton gasoline engine. Overall length was 59’-4”.
