Dracar

The Dracar was a self-propelled gasoline railcar built by the Drake Railway Automotrice Company in the early 20th century.

Dracar
Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf No. 100 in 1912
The passenger compartment of a Dracar
ManufacturerDrake Automotice Railway Company
Capacity44
Specifications
Car length56 feet (17 m)
Width9 feet 6 inches (2.90 m)
Maximum speed40 miles per hour (64 km/h)
Weight65,000 pounds (29,000 kg)
Engine typeGasoline-electric
Cylinder count6
Power output90 horsepower (67 kW)
Track gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Notes
[1]

Design

The Dracar[2] was 56 feet (17 m) long and could be operated from either end. The engine compartment occupied the front 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 m), followed by a baggage compartment, and then two passenger sections. As delivered to the Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway, the Dracar was built with a removable partition to segregate black and white passengers. The white or "first class" section could seat 30; the "colored" section 14. Both sections contained a restroom.[1] The design was based on cars built by the French Westinghouse company for the Arad-Csanad Railway in Hungary.[3] The St. Louis Car Company manufactured the car bodies and trucks.[3] The car was designed for 25 miles per hour (40 km/h) operation; its maximum speed was 40 miles per hour (64 km/h).[4]

Drake also designed a larger type with a maximum capacity of 73 passengers. This car was powered by a 140 horsepower (100 kW) engine.[4]

History

The Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway took delivery of several Dracars and employed them on 30–50-mile (48–80 km) runs. Examples included Muskogee–Henryetta, Oklahoma, Durant, Oklahoma–Denison, Texas, and Muskogee–Wagoner, Oklahoma.[1] By 1913 the MO&G had acquired five cars. Fuel efficiency was 3.3 miles per US gallon (71 L/100 km; 4.0 mpg‑imp). Each Dracar had a crew of three: motorman, flagman, and conductor.[4]

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See also

References
  1. "Drake Gasoline-Electric Railway Automotrice in Oklahoma". Electric Traction. VIII (31): 1125. November 1912.
  2. "Gas-Electric Cars for the Missouri, Oklahoma & Gulf". Railway Age Gazette. 53 (20): 928–929. November 15, 1912.
  3. "The Drake Gasoline-Electric Car in Oklahoma". Electric Railway Journal. XL (19): 1035–1036. November 16, 1912.
  4. "Report of the Committee on Equipment". Proceedings of the American Electric Railway Engineering Association: 615–616. 1913.
  • Media related to Dracar at Wikimedia Commons
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