The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-13
AN ELECTRIC RAILWAY.
The Latest Use to which Electric-
ity Has Been Put.

ity Has Been Put.
IGalignani's Magazine.
Many attempts have been made to ap.
ply the motive power obtained from elec-
tricity to the working of locomotives, but
no satisfactory result was obtained.
. However, step forward has been made
in this direction in Berlin with apparent
} success. There are two lines of rails laid
down, which, as in a narrow-gauge line,
return into themselves in ring-shaped
curve The length is about three hun
dred metres. In the middle is an isolated
third line, consisting of an upright con-
tinuous iron plate The locomotive. car
ries two rollers, with which it stands in
connection with the isolated middle line.
The essential portson OF the locomotive
is formed by an electro-dynamlcal ma,
chine, one pole of which is connected
w,rn me NIL. MIL lin. linz: and tA9 other with
the pair Of outer rails through the outer
wheels. Similarly the machin>' W wnlen m
produces the current stands IN "a :" 'ii"
chine-room in connection through one
pole with the middle line. and thtougN
the other pole with the outer par OF !'.,s
When, Therefore, the dynamlcal "",achine
in the locomotive is on the railway, the
electric current produced in the machine
son. runs through it and causes it to ro-
tee and to impart its rotary motion to
che wheels of the locomotive, and the lat
!. ter continues to move until the current
is interrupted. Even an imperfect state
of isolation on the part of the rails does
not materially affect the action OF the
machine.
l When the locomotive is moving, its
conducting wires form much better con
S ductors than the damp earth. Ii the
e current is interrupted, the damp grounc
$ is not sufficient conductor to keep thu
!, dynamo electrical action going. The
= magnetism of the machines producing
the current consequently disappears anc
e the result is that the subordinate stream
] through the earth is also inter
IS rupted. A great advantage is possessed
:, by the transmission of electric forc'
IS from the fact that the locomotive
G whether moving slowly Or quickly, al
e ways works up to its full power--al
l. effect which has hitherto been an un
solved problem in mechanics Whel
n the machine that gives the power has Il
+. do much work and so goes slowly, tn
counter-currents it produces are also cor
J. respondingly weak, and the curren
= through the conductors thereby under
| goes an increase in strength to a simila
It extent.
4 BY this means the electromagnetic
e and, corresponding to this, the attractiv
e power of the machine, are increased. Th
y dvnarlo-electric locomotive has the furtl
er advantage that it carries in itself til
J. power which can be employed as a brake
10 lnasmuch as it becomes itself the primar
IS or cuurent-prodncing machine when it rc
] tates more rapidly than the actual mi
S chine. In judging of the performance
e. Of the electric locomotive in the Berli
~ Exhibition it must be remembered thu
OF il was not constructed for the purpose
which it has been applied-that is,
1g propel the three elegant little passengC
W carriages which are attached to it. Fac
rp carriage holds from eighteen to twent
persons, and all three are drawn IN lro
e. one to two minutes round the circuls
r. railway of 300 metres in length.
OF The locomotive was originally made fl
Id the purpose of drawing up Goals out
~ the pit. Nevertheless its performanc
to are very remarkable, and render it &c
tain that there are many cases in whiC
q electric locomotives may be employt
sh with advantage. The question OF the e
at tent to which electro-dynamite locom
ne tives may possibly be employed is as y
he difficult to decide. Apart from the que
he ton of the possibility of a sufficient isol
ton, it depends on the conductive resi-
he ance of the rails. According to DIR. 81
N mons view, this requisite on long IA
ways may be partly satisfied by settil
he up, from time to time, new primary dy
amo-electric machines, which won
maintain the necessary electric tens
between the middle and the outer raj