Anyone ever hear of this??? I read this on Nascar.com
The Searles Radius was developed in the early 1900s by the Union Pacific Railroad engineers that laid down the tracks in Charlotte. The radius was designed to enable steam engines to go around the mountains at a continuous speed safely.
"They wanted to be able to run the steam engines wide open, because it takes so long for them to build up speed, and developed this radius to allow that, without the train coming off the track.
~~ Marty Smith's Racing Mail Bag Column
http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/features/last_lap/08/17/lastlap_mailbag/index.html
The Searles Radius was developed in the early 1900s by the Union Pacific Railroad engineers that laid down the tracks in Charlotte. The radius was designed to enable steam engines to go around the mountains at a continuous speed safely.
"They wanted to be able to run the steam engines wide open, because it takes so long for them to build up speed, and developed this radius to allow that, without the train coming off the track.
~~ Marty Smith's Racing Mail Bag Column
http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/features/last_lap/08/17/lastlap_mailbag/index.html