M-497 Black Beetle – experimental jet-powered railcar
The M-497 Black Beetle, an experimental jet-powered railcar, achieved a record speed of 183.68 mph in 1966 but was deemed commercially unviable and retired in 1977.
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The M-497 Black Beetle was an experimental jet-powered railcar developed by the New York Central Railroad in 1966. It featured two General Electric J47-19 turbojet engines, originally designed for the Convair B-36 bomber, mounted on a modified Budd Rail Diesel Car. The railcar was tested on a straight track between Butler, Indiana, and Stryker, Ohio, where it achieved a record speed of 183.68 mph (295.6 km/h) on July 23, 1966, a record that remains unbroken. Despite its impressive performance and relatively low construction cost, the project was deemed commercially unviable. The data collected during testing provided insights into the stresses of high-speed rail travel on existing infrastructure, but this information was largely overlooked as the New York Central Railroad was merging with the Pennsylvania Railroad, which was focused on the Metroliner project. After the jet engines were removed, the M-497 continued to operate under Penn Central until its retirement in 1977, after which the engines were repurposed for use in an experimental snow blower. The M-497 remains a notable example of early high-speed rail experimentation in the United States.
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