Considerations in the development of a high-power rectifier locomotive

HIGH-POWER rectifier locomotive design considerations center, first and foremost, around the traction motor. To compensate for the cost of the rectifier equipment, the d-c traction motor must be of a design that enjoys high production and consequent low cost. To be competitive in road performance with contemporary locomotives powered by modern 25-cycle a-c commutator motors, which have the inherent ability to deliver high power at high speeds, the motor selected for the rectifier locomotive must have comparable characteristics. The peak outputs required per motor for short periods on a passenger locomotive are around 1,500 horsepower. It is the ability to deliver power of this magnitude per axle that permits the modern straight electric locomotive to maintain the high-speed schedules that characterize electrified railroads along the Eastern seaboard. In high-speed passenger service it is desirable that the rectifier locomotive be able to duplicate or exceed the performance of present locomotives equipped with 25-cycle commutator motors.