The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-02-27

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sive weight of the lead battery and the
comparatively small amount o4 power
developed bringing this means to .
serious disadvantage whom inclines Of
ordinary steepness had to be encoun-
tered. Accumplltogs have now been
produced OF much l6ss weight and far
greater power, and this result IL At
tanned without sacrifice Of durability.
The whole series of accumulators In
quarter tohss and the motor, gearing,
and accessories weigh about halt .
ton, bringing the total weight Of the
motive. power to one and three
quarters tons. The car, which has
been transformed out Of an old one
for many years running on the Green
wich and Westminster line, weighs
two and half tons-the modern cars
on the American line weigh only 81
200 pounds-and its load Of forty-six
passengers brings the total up to 81.
tons. Comparing the weight Of this
motive power with steam OF com.
presssd.air locomotives, which do not
weigh less than eight to ten tons, the
comparison shows we'll for electricity.
Another distinct advantage is that the
electrical power can be increased
when needed, as in gong up steep
gradients, to sixteen-horse power; and
the power can be diminished to one or
two horses ON levels, or shut off en-
tirely ON down-hill journeys. The
motive power is thus expended or
economical completely in accordance
with the nature Of the rOad. The car,
moreover, is put on two bugies; each
with four wheels, whereby the wheel
base IL diminished, and the cars can
turn corners and encounter curves of
very short radius. Another advan-
tage of this arrangement is that there
Is no such ovcrhanging, and conse-
quently no such rocking In travelling,
as there is in the ordinary cars, which
have their four weeels placed at short
distances from the center.
The experimental line at Millwall ia
q difficult one. The line mrkes q bend
of nearly right angle, and an actual
curve Of thirty-three feet radius has
to be passed. The inclines vary from
q level on the portion from the she'd
end to the curve, and rise thence from
one to forty to gradient of one to
seventeen at the opposite termination.
This steep incline has, consequently,
to be faced without run, a rush
being prevented by the sharp turve
intervening. The new car overcomes
all these difficulties and makes its way
up with surprising speed and steadi-
ness. It has been considered very
adverse to the economical use Of
stored electricity that so many trans
formations of energy had to be en-
countered; but the practical expert
ence of the Millwall experiments is
asserted to be that the running costs,
including Is per cent. for depreciation
of machinery and so per cent. on
accumulators, are about half the cost
Of horsing ON tram lines. The
car at Millwall can be run for two
hours with one charging of the accu-
mulators, starting. stopping, and
reversing every minute. The used
accumulators can be taken out and
the car supplied with fresh-charged
cells in as short q time as 10 occupied
by the changing Of horses. This oper.
alton is accomplished with ease BY
means of a trolly fitted with rollers.
The new car, as fitted, has q very
elegant and even a luxurious aspect
The accumulators are placed undei
the seats completely out of sight: the
motor is placed under the car ver,
neatly, and is only seen when looked
for. The interior is finished with four
twenty-candle power incandescenl
lights, and with pushes for electric
bells for communication between the
passengers and the conductor. The
travelling is perfectly free from vibra
ton or tremor of anykind, it is abso.
lutely faultless in that respect. Exist
ing rolling-stock of the various tram
companies, it has been demonstrated
by these experiments, can be easily
converted; and by the placing of the
car on two bogics the average weight
on each wheel is brought under one
ton, SO that no damage to existing
light tramway lines would be incurred
Every detail, mechanical or electrical
has been we'll thought of and vel
worked out.
There is one other question-that o.
cost; and this appears to be equally
satisfactory in its solution. The aver
age cost of steam locomotive WORKED
tramway would be ESQ to E8OO pei
car. For the electrical tramway th,
cost of six cars, including the charging
station, would give an average of E7O0
and the charging station would occup,
less space than the stabling of tel
horses. The absence Of smoke ant
noise, and the perfect nature of th,
control of the power, brings to q eli
max all the good qualities and qualifi
cations of electric motion.