Hermann Lemp born: Heinrich Joseph Hermann Lemp (August 8, 1862 – March 31, 1954) was a

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

- American electrical engineer; he is credited as the inventor of the modern system of diesel electric traction co-ordination and control. Born and educated in Switzerland, he emigrated to America aged 19, hoping to work with T. A. Edison. He joined Edison General Electric and worked with Edison on electrical projects, including one of Edison's first

electric locomotive An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or on-board energy storage such as a Battery (electricity), battery or a supercapacitor. Locomotives with on-board fuelled prime mover (locomotive), ...

s. A short while later he joined

Elihu Thomson Elihu Thomson (March 29, 1853 – March 13, 1937) was an English-American engineer and inventor who was instrumental in the founding of major electricity, electrical companies in the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Early life He ...

, of the Thomson-Houston Company. That company became part of

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1892, incorporated in the New York (state), state of New York and headquartered in Boston. Over the year ...

(GE), to which Edison acted as consultant. He met

Rudolf Diesel Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel (, ; 18 March 1858 – 29 September 1913) was a German inventor and mechanical engineer who invented the Diesel engine, which burns Diesel fuel; both are named after him. Early life and education Diesel was born on 1 ...

on his visit to the USA in 1911, and was an invited observer at the trials of Diesel's direct-drive locomotive in 1912. The diesel engine was too powerful for the mechanical gears. Lemp, with his colleagues, persuaded GE that diesel traction had a future, but that a non-mechanical transmission system was required. The proposed transmission was electrical, using the diesel engine to power a generator that supplied current to the

traction motor A traction motor is an electric motor used for propulsion of a vehicle, such as locomotives, electric vehicle, electric or hydrogen vehicles, or electric multiple unit trains. Traction (engineering), Traction motors are used in electrically powe ...

s. However, such a system would need a device to coordinate engine and generator output. He invented one, patented in 1914. This patent provided the basis for the systems used by many other locomotive and diesel makers. GE did not enter the locomotive field then, but did authorize the purchase of Junker's patent for high speed diesel engines, and the manufacture of some small experimental locomotives. However, GE's later, successful locomotives used Lemp's improved system, patented after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The first GE diesel electric locomotive was a demonstrator, made to Lemp's specifications by a trio of GE,

ALCO The American Locomotive Company (often shortened to ALCO, ALCo or Alco) was an American manufacturer that operated from 1901 to 1969, initially specializing in the production of locomotives but later diversifying and fabricating at various time ...

and

Ingersoll-Rand Ingersoll Rand Inc. is an American multinational company that provides flow creation and industrial products. The company was formed in February 2020 through the spinoff of the industrial segment of Ingersoll-Randplc (now known as Trane Technol ...

, who made, respectively, the electrical equipment, the body and the engine. This machine started trials around

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in 1924, sales of similar locomotives starting from 1925. His system of control is also used in other applications apart from railways, such as on giant earth-moving equipment. Lemp died at his home in Ridgewood, New Jersey, on March 31, 1954.

References

Railway Gazette ''Railway Gazette International'' is a British monthly business magazine and news website covering the railway, metro, light rail and tram industries worldwide. Available by annual subscription, the magazine is read in over 140 countries by tran ...

(London) Diesel Traction Review (supplement)- two articles in same: 'The Early History of Electric Transmission Control', October 1952, p 254-256, and 'Diesel-Traction Inventor' (Herman Lemp obituary)' June 1954 p124. * Descriptions of GE locomotives in Pinkepank 'Diesel Spotter's Guide' Kalmbach Publishing.
Self-propelled vehicle Patent 1,589,182 at Google Patents
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lemp, Hermann 1862 births 1954 deaths Locomotive builders and designers Swiss emigrants to the United States