Morning journal and courier., 1885-06-09
Tuesday, June 9, Iss5.
A NEW WONDER.

Many inventors are at work on the prob- lem of how to best apply electricity to trav- ell by rail and especially to travel on elevated railroads. One of the most novel and inter esting plans that have been made public is that of Mir. John A. Enos, of Peabody, Mas sachusetts. MT. Enos intends to do away with the present system of roadbed. He will have single line of iron posts, with strong brackets upon one side, upon which the track is placed. This track consists of two rails, one directly under the other, an iron truss separating and at the same time hold ing them together. The upper rail is secure ly fastened upon continuous wooden bed which effectively insulates it from the iron frame work. The under rail is placed on the under side of the lower portion of the truss. The cars which are to run upon this novel road resemble somewhat the ''bob-tail'' cars which are run on many street railroads, though their construction is materially diff ferent. The strongest portion of the com mon street car is the bottom but in the cars for this road the roof is the strongest part, from which steel bands pass around the bot tom of the car, holding it up and rendering it firm and sufficiently strong to support any load which may be put upon it. The cars are to be suspended beneath the track by an ingenious arrangement from the top, by which the center of gravity is kept immedi- ately beneath the track. Upon the upper track is to run two-wheel truck, the electric motor being situated between the wheels and acting directly upon the axles. From this truck depends frame upon which there are two more wheels which cling close to the under side of the lower rail, thereby giving rigidity to the car sus- pended beneath.
 Many advantages are claimed for this style of railroad, and with reason if it will work well. The structure having but 8 single line of posts will not obstruct the streets or ren der houses and stores so dark as does the elevated road now in use. As each car will have its own motor, the heavy locomotive will be done away with and the danger in- separable from long trains of cars will be en- tireiy eliminated. The cars themselves will be much lighter than those in use on either steam or street railroads, and hence tn ere will not be so much dead weight carried The cars DelnS SuspeuOou Deueatu tuo GFhcAs will be easy to ride in, and the passengers will not be obliged to take so many steps in reaching the cars as when they are mounted upon trucks above the tracks. Using cleo tricity as a motive power there will be no noise, sparks, smoke, dust, etc., to annoy both passengers and people along the route. It is also claimed that higher rate of speed will be possible, as the lighter the road the greater speed can be obtained with safety Compared with street cars, also, the cost of running these cars, it is claimed will be much less, it being estimated that the motive power will not cost over $1 per day, whereas horse power costs about $7 per day for each street car.
 This is a rather attractive scheme. If it is success, and there is good reason to believe that it may be, it will not be long before the New York elevated railroads, which have been so useful and so wonderful, will be be- hind the times.