Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-05-08
Louisa, May l, 1851.

IL
We lay before Our readers statement from Profess
sor Page respecting the Electro Magnetic Locomotive
and when we regard the fact that the highest power
attained before his experiments as less than hall
horse power, and that costing probably one hundrnd
times much it does under this new mode of app-
cation, cannot he Indifferent so great result and
the high promises with which it seems to be traught
Nat. Int.
Messrs. EDIToRs:-The Electro Magnetic Locomo-
tive made very favorable trip on Tuesday last more
especially when it is taken into the account that we
were constrained to make this trial with only one half
Tor little less) of the power the engines and hat
terry are capable of yielding. Each engine, calculated
upon the basis OF my stationary engine ought to give at
the lowest estimate l2horse power, which would make
the locomotive 24-horse power. The actual power |
have not been able to ascertain but the folio wing data
may serve TO give some idea of power.
The locomotive, with the battery fully charged
weighs ten and halt tons. With the seven passengers
eleven TONS Under The most Favorable arrange
ents eight pounds are required to start on per-
fectly level rail- and seven pounds will barely keep
ton in notion Ordinarily, upon railroads the allow
ance is ten pounds to on but this applies only to cars
unincumbered by machinery. The friction OF ocomo-
tive machinery renders its draught far greater and
can only be accurately ascertained by experiment in
each case. The magnetic locomo b e. the first of ito
kind ever made ismperpect, and from the newness and
stiffness OF all the work, it runs exceedingly hard We
will take 200 pounds, which is below the actual DOW
er required ito keep in motion level portion of
the road. horse power upon the usual estimate is
$50 pounds 2f miles an hour or 3 IS pounds mile an
hour. The speed OF the magnetic locomotive is we
will say, 10 miles an hour, on level road, lit has in fact
made more) and its traction 200 pounds. We have
then s75 pounds mile an hour Tor one horse, and
200 pounds Is miles an hour for the locomotive which
gives eight horse power. But the engine has more
than this. 1t has greater power at slow speed and
must have, by all reasonable esmatesI2 horse power;
which, as said before, is aboutone halt its proper ca
pacty. One of the most serious defect arises from a
want OF Insulation in the helces.
After the engine placed the road it was found
of fiva of tboh
these at the most important point in the stroke This
difficulty could not be remeded without taking both
engines entirely out-an undertaking Tor which had
neither time means as the track with which we are
accommodated is to be filled up for the pur-
poses of the Railroad COMPANY Another serious diff
culty encountered the breaking OF the porous cells
IN the battery, causing mixture OF the acids and
the ntercepton OF large portion OF the power. had
great difficulty in procuring suitable porous cells and
the manufacture OF such as needed was after great
expense, gwen up by two OF the best pottery establish
ments In the country as thing mpracticable 1t was
however, accomplished through the ingenuity of Mr.
Ar Davis, my engineer, but they made of weak
clay, and have now from frequent use become so much
impaired as to break from the slightest cause Before
we started two of them broke, and the defect was on
ly partially repaired Not tar from Badensburg two
more gave way, and detraced greatly from our
working power. On our return, about two miles from
Badensburg, three more way, and we were redu-
ced to al least one-half of our power. The running
time from Washington to Bladensburg was thirty nine
minutes. We were stopped on the way five times, or we
shonld nave prODaDy maze the run IN less than 80 min
utes Going and coming there seven stops and three
deays-hat is the engine was backed three times but
withoutg entirely losing Roadway Ii is a very impor
tant and interesting feature of this engine which de-
mouslrated years snce that the reversing pow
is greater than the propelng power is nearly twcs
as great When the engine is reversed the magnetic
electric induction is in favor of the battery current and
augmens its effects The defect OF the cells is easily
remedied. The trouble growing out of the oscating
motion OF the car can all be obvated by usi; rotary
instead OF reeprocatng engines. The greatest speed
attained on our Last trip was about nineteen miles an
hour and about more than in any former expert
ment.
CHARLES G. PAGE