Southern Pacific Company

SUBJECT AREA: Land transport, Railways and locomotives, Steam and internal combustion engines

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Orphaned as a child, Hamilton went to work for Southern Pacific Railroad in his teens, and then worked for several other companies. In his spare time he learned mathematics and physics from a retired professor. In 1911 he joined the White Motor Company, makers of road motor vehicles in Denver, Colorado, where he had gone to recuperate from malaria. He remained there until 1922, apart from an eighteenth-month break for war service.

Upon his return from war service, Hamilton found White selling petrol-engined railbuses with mechanical transmission, based on road vehicles, to railways. He noted that they were not robust enough and that the success of petrol railcars with electric transmission, built by General Electric since 1906, was limited as they were complex to drive and maintain. In 1922 Hamilton formed, and became President of, the Electro- Motive Engineering Corporation (later Electro-Motive Corporation) to design and produce petrol-electric rail cars. Needing an engine larger than those used in road vehicles, yet lighter and faster than marine engines, he approached the Win ton Engine Company to develop a suitable engine; in addition, General Electric provided electric transmission with a simplified control system. Using these components, Hamilton arranged for his petrol-electric railcars to be built by the St Louis Car Company, with the first being completed in 1924. It was the beginning of a highly successful series. Fuel costs were lower than for steam trains and initial costs were kept down by using standardized vehicles instead of designing for individual railways. Maintenance costs were minimized because Electro-Motive kept stocks of spare parts and supplied replacement units when necessary. As more powerful, 800 hp (600 kW) railcars were produced, railways tended to use them to haul trailer vehicles, although that practice reduced the fuel saving. By the end of the decade Electro-Motive needed engines more powerful still and therefore had to use cheap fuel. Diesel engines of the period, such as those that Winton had made for some years, were too heavy in relation to their power, and too slow and sluggish for rail use. Their fuel-injection system was erratic and insufficiently robust and Hamilton concluded that a separate injector was needed for each cylinder.

In 1930 Electro-Motive Corporation and Winton were acquired by General Motors in pursuance of their aim to develop a diesel engine suitable for rail traction, with the use of unit fuel injectors; Hamilton retained his position as President. At this time, industrial depression had combined with road and air competition to undermine railway-passenger business, and Ralph Budd, President of the Chicago, Burlington \& Quincy Railroad, thought that traffic could be recovered by way of high-speed, luxury motor trains; hence the Pioneer Zephyr was built for the Burlington. This comprised a 600 hp (450 kW), lightweight, two-stroke, diesel engine developed by General Motors (model 201 A), with electric transmission, that powered a streamlined train of three articulated coaches. This train demonstrated its powers on 26 May 1934 by running non-stop from Denver to Chicago, a distance of 1,015 miles (1,635 km), in 13 hours and 6 minutes, when the fastest steam schedule was 26 hours. Hamilton and Budd were among those on board the train, and it ushered in an era of high-speed diesel trains in the USA. By then Hamilton, with General Motors backing, was planning to use the lightweight engine to power diesel-electric locomotives. Their layout was derived not from steam locomotives, but from the standard American boxcar. The power plant was mounted within the body and powered the bogies, and driver's cabs were at each end. Two 900 hp (670 kW) engines were mounted in a single car to become an 1,800 hp (l,340 kW) locomotive, which could be operated in multiple by a single driver to form a 3,600 hp (2,680 kW) locomotive. To keep costs down, standard locomotives could be mass-produced rather than needing individual designs for each railway, as with steam locomotives. Two units of this type were completed in 1935 and sent on trial throughout much of the USA. They were able to match steam locomotive performance, with considerable economies: fuel costs alone were halved and there was much less wear on the track. In the same year, Electro-Motive began manufacturing diesel-electrie locomotives at La Grange, Illinois, with design modifications: the driver was placed high up above a projecting nose, which improved visibility and provided protection in the event of collision on unguarded level crossings; six-wheeled bogies were introduced, to reduce axle loading and improve stability. The first production passenger locomotives emerged from La Grange in 1937, and by early 1939 seventy units were in service. Meanwhile, improved engines had been developed and were being made at La Grange, and late in 1939 a prototype, four-unit, 5,400 hp (4,000 kW) diesel-electric locomotive for freight trains was produced and sent out on test from coast to coast; production versions appeared late in 1940. After an interval from 1941 to 1943, when Electro-Motive produced diesel engines for military and naval use, locomotive production resumed in quantity in 1944, and within a few years diesel power replaced steam on most railways in the USA.

Hal Hamilton remained President of Electro-Motive Corporation until 1942, when it became a division of General Motors, of which he became Vice-President.

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1 company.

pequeña y mediana empresa small and medium-sized business

libre empresa free enterprise

empresa conjunta joint venture

empresa filial subsidiary

empresa matriz parent company

empresa privada private company

la empresa privada the private sector

empresa pública public sector firm

la empresa pública the public sector

empresa de trabajo temporal temping agency

empresa de transportes haulage firm

2 enterprise, undertaking.

se embarcó en una peligrosa empresa he embarked on a risky enterprise o undertaking

* * *

► nombre femenino

1 (compañía) firm, company

2 (dirección) management

3 (acción) undertaking, venture

\

empresa filial subsidiary company

empresa matriz parent company

empresa multinacional multinational company

empresa naviera shipping company

libre empresa free enterprise

* * *

1) company, corporation, firm, business

2) undertaking, venture

* * *

1) (=tarea) enterprise

2) (Com, Econ) (=compañía) firm, company

3) (=dirección) management

* * *

1)

a) ( compañía) company, firm (BrE)

b) ( dirección) management

- empresa de servicios públicos

- empresa privada/pública

2) (tarea, labor) venture, undertaking

* * *

1)

a) ( compañía) company, firm (BrE)

b) ( dirección) management

- empresa de servicios públicos

- empresa privada/pública

2) (tarea, labor) venture, undertaking

* * *

empresa¹

¹ = business [businesses, -pl.], commercial firm, company, corporation, firm, business enterprise, outfit, business interest, business firm, industrial firm, commercial enterprise, operating company.

Nota: Perteneciente a un grupo.

empresa²

² = enterprise, scheme, venture, quest, operation, undertaking.

* * *

1 (compañía) company, firm ( BrE)

empresa filial subsidiary company

mediano, pequeño¹ (↑ pequeño (1))

2 (dirección) management

la empresa no se hace responsable de … the management cannot accept liability for …

libre¹ (↑ libre (1))

start-up

public utility company, public utility

sponsors (pl) ( of an artistic event)

private sector company

public sector company

raider

masculine and feminine (Ur) self-employed person, sole trader ( BrE)

B (tarea, labor) venture, undertaking

nos hemos embarcado en una arriesgada empresa we've undertaken a risky venture

pereció en la empresa ( liter); she perished in the attempt ( liter)

* * *

◊ empresa pública public sector company

* * *

empresa nf

1. [sociedad] company;

pequeña y mediana empresa small and medium-sized business;

prohibido fijar carteles: responsable la empresa anunciadora [en letrero] post o stick no bills: advertisers will be held liable

empresa conjunta joint venture;

empresa filial subsidiary;

empresa funeraria undertaker's;

empresa júnior junior enterprise, = firm set up and run by business studies students;

empresa libre, libre empresa free enterprise;

empresa matriz parent company;

empresa mixta mixed company;

empresa privada private company;

empresa pública public sector firm;

empresa punto com dot.com (company);

empresa de seguridad security firm;

empresa de servicio público public utility, US public service corporation;

empresa de servicios service company;

empresa de trabajo temporal Br temping o US temp agency;

empresa de transportes Br haulage o US trucking firm;

2. [dirección] management;

las negociaciones con la empresa the negotiations with management

3. [acción] enterprise, undertaking;

se embarcó en una peligrosa empresa he embarked on a risky enterprise o undertaking

* * *

1 company;

gran empresa large company;

pequeña empresa small business;

mediana empresa medium-sized business

2 fig

venture, undertaking

* * *

empresa nf

1) compañía, firma: company, corporation, firm

2) : undertaking, venture

* * *

empresa n

1. (entidad) company [pl. companies]

2. (negocio) business [pl. businesses]

¹ = business [businesses, -pl.], commercial firm, company, corporation, firm, business enterprise, outfit, business interest, business firm, industrial firm, commercial enterprise, operating company.

Nota: Perteneciente a un grupo.

Ex. To a small or mid-sized business, information is critical for effective planning, growth and development.

Ex. Difficulties over access to these can arise when research project has been financed by a scientific organization or commercial firm who have an interest in maintaining security.

Ex. Among the companies offering 'Mice' are Microsoft, Vision and Apple, but more are anticipated.

Ex. The main form of knowledge transfer and the basis for decision making within corporations has not been a paper, a document or a detailed report, but a set of overhead slides and the discussions around them.

Ex. The European Development Fund finances projects in overseas countries for which European-based firms can supply equipment and know-how.

Ex. The 'Books at work' project in Kalmar in southern Sweden is the result of collaboration between trade unions, business enterprises and the public library.

Ex. The author compares the advantages and disadvantages of buying from the larger established companies and smaller outfits.

Ex. As an example, the University of Hawaii libraries have installed an online catalogue on which they will hang a special assortment of databases that are needed by Hawaii and Pacific business interests.

Ex. Collection and preservation of records is an expensive pursuit and the task of persuading cost conscious business firms that they ought to preserve their records is an unenviable one.

Ex. In libraries serving industrial firms, for example, the cost of not finding information may be high; this is why 'hard headed businessmen' add to their overheads by paying for extensive library services.

Ex. Some commercial enterprises subsidise satellite communications for academic institutions.

Ex. In the future, these files will be made readily accessible to other Glaxo operating companies through the use of computers.

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* a cuenta de la empresa = at company expense.

* administración de empresas = business administration.

* admnistrador de empresa = firm administrator.

* archivo de empresa = business archives.

* biblioteca de empresa = commercial library, industrial library, corporate library, company library, business library.

* bibliotecario de empresa = industrial librarian.

* comida de empresa = company dinner.

* como las empresas = business-like.

* conglomerado de empresas = conglomerate.

* contratación de personal cualificado de otras empresas = lateral hiring.

* curso mixto de clases y práctica en la empresa = sandwich course.

* dejar la empresa = jump + ship.

* de la propia empresa = company-owned.

* de toda la empresa = systemwide.

* director de empresa = company director.

* directorio de empresas en base de datos = corporate directory database, company directory database.

* documentación de empresas = business record.

* empresa afiliada = sister company.

* empresa comercial = commercial agency, commercial vendor, commercial business, business firm.

* empresa con solera = established player.

* empresa consolidada = established player.

* empresa constructora = property developer.

* empresa consumada = established player.

* empresa de búsqueda personalizada de ejecutivos = headhunter.

* empresa de cobro de deudas = debt collection agency.

* empresa de contabilidad = accounting firm.

* empresa dedicada a la venta por correo = mail order company.

* empresa dedicada al desarrollo de productos = product developer.

* empresa dedicada a los sondeos de opinión = polling firm, polling agency.

* empresa dedicada al proceso del cereal = corn processor.

* empresa de grandes derroches = high roller.

* empresa de investigación = research firm.

* empresa de la limpieza = cleaning firm.

* empresa de liempza = cleaning business.

* empresa de limpieza = janitorial business.

* empresa de medios de comunicación = media company.

* empresa de mudanzas = mover.

* empresa de nuestro grupo = sister company, sister organisation.

* empresa de nueva creación = this sort of thing, startup [start-up].

* empresa de ordenadores = computer company.

* empresa de reparto de paquetes = package delivery company.

* empresa de seguridad = security firm.

* empresa de servicios = service organisation, service agency, service company.

* empresa de servicios de información = information broker, broker, information broking.

* empresa de servicio social = social utility.

* empresa de servicios públicos = public utility, utility company.

* empresa de solera = established player.

* empresa de telecomunicaciones = computer bureau.

* empresa de trabajo = industrial affiliation.

* empresa de un grupo = operating company.

* empresa de viajes = travel company.

* empresa en la que sólo pueden trabajar empleados que pertenezcan a un sindic = close shop.

* empresa farmacéutica = drug company.

* empresa filial = subsidiary company.

* empresa hipotecaria = mortgage company.

* empresa industrial = industrial firm.

* empresa organizadora de congresos = conference organiser.

* empresa privada = private vendor, private company, private business, private firm.

* empresa pública = civilian employer, public firm.

* empresas americanas, las = corporate America.

* empresa sindicada = union shop.

* empresa televisiva = television company.

* empresa transportadora = shipper, shipping agent.

* en toda la empresa = company-wide, systemwide.

* específico de las empresas = company-specific.

* fusión de empresas = consolidation.

* gasto de empresa = business expense.

* gestión de empresas = business management.

* grupo de empresas = business group.

* guardería de la empresa = workplace crêche.

* información sobre empresas = business intelligence.

* intranet de empresa = corporate intranet.

* libro de empresa = organisation manual.

* mercado de la empresa = corporate market.

* mundo de la empresa = business world.

* mundo de la empresa, el = corporate world, the.

* mundo de las empresas = business environment.

* página web de empresa = business site, corporate site.

* para toda la empresa = company-wide, enterprise-wide.

* partícipe en la empresa = corporate insider.

* patrocinado por la propia empresa = company-sponsored.

* pequeña empresa = small business.

* persona de la propia empresa = insider.

* programa de prácticas en la empresa = internship program(me), internship.

* programa mixto de clases y práctica en la empresa = sandwich programme.

* propiedad de la empresa = company-owned.

* PYME (Pequeña y Mediana Empresa) = SME (Small and Medium Sized Enterprise).

* que afecta a toda la empresa = enterprise-wide.

* sitio web de empresa = business site, corporate site.

* trabajador cualificado contratado de otra empresa = lateral hire.

* ya parte de la empresa = on board.