I know that magnetraction appeared after the war. Wondered if any Lionel books or other reference material stated who got the idea of putting magnets in engine to make wheels "stick" to rails? Lionels chief engineer? Lionel technician? Outside inventor? Hobbist tinkering in workshop? Alnico material was formulated in Japan in 1931 that could give high magnetism strength for its size, thus did this give Lionel the eureka moment lightbulb inspiration?
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The magnetic track brake had been around on real trains since about 1900. It was a way to defy gravity and get more adhesion than the normal laws of physics would normally allow. Using magnets to improve tractive adhesion is not a very jump.
On the other hand, it was a big jump for Lionel. First they had to get rid of the zinc wheels and come up with the sintered steel wheels. Then the stainless steel axles had to be worked out to avoid shorting out the magnetic flux.
Magnatraction was not a cheep proportion and this was at a time when they were cutting other corners to save money. Lionel does deserve a lot of credit for there efforts in developing it.
A patent for Magne-Traction was granted to Lionel Chief Engineer Joseph Bonanno on June 10, 1958 and was first applied for on October 4, 1950.
Bob Osterhoff
First applied to NW2 switchers, as a production item, in '49....but not generally announced 'til 1950. Any locos with this feature prior to '49 would have been one off prototypes.
Guys,
The more interesting story here is did other companies follow and when? Did they have to wait until the original patent was up or did they do the corporate espoinage route? After all it was the late 50's!
Mike Maurice
If you add intrigue into the mix, it makes the story more thrilling, I'm just sayin'! Sort of like Spy vs Spy!
Guys,
The more interesting story here is did other companies follow and when? Did they have to wait until the original patent was up or did they do the corporate espoinage route? After all it was the late 50's!
Mike Maurice
If you add intrigue into the mix, it makes the story more thrilling, I'm just sayin'! Sort of like Spy vs Spy!
To the best of my knowledge, NOBODY else offered Magnatraction.
However, my Fama/MRC Swiss Om (O scale, meter gauge) locomotive has magnets in the power truck, but they don't physically contact the wheels, axles or steel track used. But, there is an magnetic effect to the track.
Rusty
Would have been fun to be the "fly on the Lionel engineering wall" to find out who actually first broached the magnetic idea. Somebody playing with a magnet around the track and went "ah-HA!"? So we won't really know the actual story of magnetractions birth. But I thought perhaps someone had read an account in some Lionel Roars, TCA, or some Lionel Irvington plant paperwork or an interview etc that gave details.
Ganted, we can sit here speculating on this thread who, what, when, where, until wheels fall off our engines.
Guys,
The more interesting story here is did other companies follow and when? Did they have to wait until the original patent was up or did they do the corporate espoinage route? After all it was the late 50's!
Mike Maurice
If you add intrigue into the mix, it makes the story more thrilling, I'm just sayin'! Sort of like Spy vs Spy!
To the best of my knowledge, NOBODY else offered Magnatraction.
However, my Fama/MRC Swiss Om (O scale, meter gauge) locomotive has magnets in the power truck, but they don't physically contact the wheels, axles or steel track used. But, there is an magnetic effect to the track.
Rusty
Although this is OO gauge and O. Hornby (Tri-ang at the time.) used a similar method called 'Magnadhesion'. This was used for many years, until nickel-silver track replaced steel and traction tyres took over.
Here it is highlighted in the 1962 catalogue.
The magnetic track brake had been around on real trains since about 1900.
Really? I'd love to see some supporrt for that.
In TM's Lionel A collectors Guide & History: Advertsing & Art, they mention A. Kagan of the Engineering Dept was identified with the development of magne-traction. There is also a formula listed to determine drawbar pull for a magne-traction equipped loco.
Nicole: Thanks for the Hornby/Triang advert, I'm guessing that would that have to be 3-rail. Something else: Lionel was importing Triang slotcar sets at that time. I wonder if a license for Magnatraction could have been part of the deal?
Steve, this is the first reference I ran into on google books. "Report of the Annual Meetring of the Americam Street Railway Asociation", Volume 24, 1906, Page 237. It said, in part, "in regards to the Westinghouse magnetic track brake...adds 3500 pounds of weight on the rail per truck...I understand that the West Penn Railway Company has taken off air brakes...and put on magnetic track brakes". Search West Penn and you will find lots of photos of their cars with track brakes. I think they operated to the end of service with magnetic track brakes only. His was maybe mid 1950s. The track brakes used motor current with heavy windings, rather that battery current with fine wire, to set the brake. The action of the track brake also applied shoe brakes. There was also a hand brake required to hold brake force after the car came to a stop.
Some of the boys from the burgh might be able to add to this. One West Penn car with track brakes was saved and is at the Pennysvania Trolley Musuem. One of the people involved in helping to save this car was famous toy train collector Lou Redman. May he rest in peace.
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