Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-04-12
STEAM STREET CARS.
Street Travel ReyOiuti0niZed = Steam
Cars Running Regularly.

philadelphia Cor. ". Y. Bulletin
AS Philadelphia was the first city in the
United States to introduce street railways,
it is now also the first to introduce gen.
eral system of steam street cars, cover
ing the most densely crowded streets of
the city, as well as those most sparse
ly settled. 1t is true, Baltimore. Phiia
delphia, and especially New Orleans, had
previously introduced them ON the out
skirts of the city and on certain lines, but
not on its greatest thOroughfares, such as
Market street in this city. 1t is there
fore Justly a matter of local pride on
which our people are entitled to claim
credit for superior enterprise. We are
given the following from President Nor
ton, of the Market street line, by whose
unremitting endeavors and experiments,
backed by his directors and the inventor,
the trial of Wednesday was made sue
cess, and to whom the public of this city
not only, but OF other crowded towns are
indebted. The amount of coal (anthra-
cite) used by these steam cars is Two and
one-half tons per week, costing less than
SO for motive power, while for the round
trip only one coaling and watering of the
machine occurs. This applies equally to
the Troy car and to the Baldwin. In
other respects, however, there are some
radical, and it may prove essential differ
ences between these two machines. The
former has its attachment with the rear
wheels of the car only, while the latter
attaches TO both fore and rear wheels,
thus giving 1t greater power by present
ing double the surface of wheel for fric
tiOn upon the track. The utility OF this
was shown on the trial trip. which &C.
CURED on a very unfavorable condition OF
the streets, the tracks being smeaTed with
black mud of almost the lubricating
capacity of grease. notwithstanding this,
howevrr. thc baldwin car ran smoothly
and steadily, without sliding of wheels
in stopping or starting, while the wheels
of the Troy car revolved rapidly with a
disagreeable accompanying jar to the pas
sengers when stopping or starting upon
these creased rails. Another reason also
exists for this steadier motion of the for
mer in the fact that it is considerably
heavier, while the after had rather of q
tipping motion when running rapidly.
Their weight is abont 5000 pounds, or
about double the ordinary horse car. A
part OF the directors favor one car and
aportion the other, but the Troy car has
SO far been given the preference, as 1t is
no doubt cheaper at first cost than the
Baldwin, upon which no price has yet
Occu ulduc. NC lnNtutOT, III duSWcI W
inquiries of other railroad companies, IL
the old horse cars can be used by re-
modling for these dummies, has said that
they can. Since the trial trip, these cars
have been used continuously, and with
OUT the slightest hinderance or delay,
except in one or two cases of greasy
tracks, when the sand tubes of the car
failed to work, and thus stalled the car.
One of the directors of the road To-
formed us that they have already taken
off ten horse cars for these seven steam
ers. and he believed that so soon as their
track should be cleared Of the horse cars
by the substitution of steam cars they
would make the round trip from Front
street to the Centennial Grounds in half
the present time. Real estate near the
Centennial is said to be worth more in
consequence, while the horse dealers are
already alarmed, one of the officers of the
company tell as, lest their occupation
shall prove to be gone.