Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-09-12
An ELscra1c RAILWAY MOTOR.


w. NJ. Thomas, Of Cincinnati, Young
electrician Of great promise, ia now the
inventor Of new electric motor for the
same. The electric current is supplied
from stationary generator to two copper
wires laid between ordinary rails. few
inches apart, and trifle higher than the
rails. Tie wires are protected by an iron
tube, to which they will be attached by
proper insulators. In this tube or ripe is
an upper and lower slot extending its full
length, the lower slot being the wider, SO
that dirt falling on the wires may pass
through and the wires be kept clean and
protected from interference The other
Distinguishing feature of Mr.. Thomas in
vention is the motor, which has been con-
structed especially for railway purposes
and which enables him to overcome the in
duced current usually present in such mo.
tors, and which has hitherto always
been found very troublesome to inventors
The engine or motor has five wheels, the
two forward ones being simply an ordinary
truck, serving merely as supports as on
an ordinary locomotive. The rear pair are
larger, as ordinary driving wheels, and
through them the power is applied. Back
of them is the fifth wheel, somewhat
wedge shaped, and divided by an insulator
of gutta percha, 80 that either side touches
the wire before described, through which
the current flows, and swinging lightly
both laterally and perpendicularly in order
to turn curves easily or more easily to pass
over possible depressions or elevations in
the conductors. Directly above this wheel
is the electric cutoff, moved back or forth
Ey lever, for the reversing of the current
and nOpsauuput reyersnl ot fha pnn.ioY, NJ
the car. The details of taking up the cur
rent from one connecting wire, the passing
it to the motor and from that to the other
conductor, the power being in the mean
time transmitted TO the drivers by ordinary
mechanism, are ingenious, and have many
advantages, over previous appliances. The
new points are the lay ing of the conductors
and the construction Of the electro motor, by
which the secondary current, which has
always before seriously inteIfered with its
working, is reduced to about one. eighth of
what it has heretofore been. The model
being placed on the model railway, with
tracks about six inches apart, worked
beautifully and with the utmost precision,
reversing its motion with the reversal of
the lever of the cutoff For use on an
existing track, no change whatever would
be necessary to the rail of either street or
steam railways, the only addition needed
being the laying of the iron tubing contain
ing the conducting wires. The crossing of
tracks aid the necessary changing of
switches, which have been found very
serious obstacles by Siemens and Ellison,
are overcome by Mr.. Thomas by the use OF
flexible cables at those points, which, pass
ing under and over one another, furnish
the needed connections without the least
interference or difficulty. Beside the fur
nishing of power to the motor, the con.
Quoting wire may be at the same time used
for supplying electric lights, either to points
along the read or to the train.