The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-10-18
THE BICYCLE LOCOMOTIVE.
Mr.. Boynton's Engine and Cars a
Success at Cony Island.

Mr.. Moody Boynton's bicycle locomotive,
built by the Portland Company full de-
scrIption of which has been printed in the
PRESS, delights every one.
Cony Island has the first standard gauge
Boynton bicycle railway in the world. The
first train of this new system, with about 1OS
invited guests, passed successfully over the
Sea Beach and Brighton railway on Satur-
day. This road has been purchased by the
Boynton Bicycle stockholders, and by
changes costing only $4,000, has been made
into double track road of standard-gauge,
ana without any change in gauge it permit
ed the regular trains of the Sea Beach Rail-
way to accompany the new motor both going
and returning from Grayesend TO Coney ISL
| and Saturday last.
This event is historical, and the ablest sci
entifc men join with the representatives,
officers and experts of railways present who
accompanied the train, in regarding it as the
Inauguration of new epoch in transporta-
tion. Two regular passenger cars of the
standard-gauge road we're crowded with the
passengers, who on arriving at Gravesend
assembled the two platforms, entered the
single two-story car of the Bicycle company
and occupied the 108 seats of car weighing
but five tons and but four feet in width, so
that another bicycle train could pass on the
standard-gauge track with ten inches space
between them. Palace cars require one and
half tons per passenger ON double track
roads; this car required 80 pounds per pas
senger. The engine, at Portland, had prov
ed it could 60 straight without friction, but
the car and engine were here to be tested
over sharp reverse curves and up grade OF
SO feet to the mile on a road that had cost
hundreds of thousands and had been aban-
doned High speed with train loaded for
the first time would have been crime, but
the speed was estimated at about 20 miles
per hour for portion of the mile and half
covered. The motion was one of entire
smoothness, and so free from any side action
or lateral motion of the old system that a
lady who cannot ride in an ordinary train or
carriage with comfort, was able to ride in
this train with perfect ease without her head
being affected. About one-third of the pas
sengers were ladies. Many distinguished
gentlemen were present, representing New
York interests: William Stephens, of the
Thirty-ninth street ferry; Congressman
Rice: Drs. Bell and Wesselhoft, of Boston
DR.. Hunken and lady. of Haverhill, Mass. ::
Mr.. Dickinson, of the j. B. Watkins Com
pany; A. K. Owen, OF the Mexican Pacific;
Captain Palmer, of the Royal British Navy;
and others from the engineering department
OF the army, from the New York elevated
roads, the Brooklyn elevated roads, others
from California and many other States,
whose names were not obtained.
The Staten Island Ferry Company and Sea
Beach Railway furnished free trans porta-
ton, and the guests arrived at o'clock
The excitement was great as the first train
run upon single rail on the bicycle princi-
pie left the depot of the Sea Beach road.
Cheer on cheer resounded as the sharp re-
verse curves and high grade were passed
and surmounted, and then, from the seats in
the upper story. of the train, as it crossed
the Howetruss bridges above the other rail-
ways, and ran over the 1000 feet trestle, the
beautiful panorama unfolded, embracing the
sea as we'll as Coney Island and Manhattan.
no one. seemed frightened-but we think
ladies who joined the party in the startling
innovation, riding upon single thread of
steel and guided by an overhead beam which,
ON the straight portion was found not to
touch when in motion, and on curves
FRICTION and with perfect smoothness.
The Boynton Bicycle Railway Company
was represented by their president, Hon. Z.
M. Boynton, their vice president, DR.. Bell
A. Stephens of New York, N. e. Dawson of
Washington, A. X. Owen of New York, and
others: The patents of this company cover
an entire railway system of engines, cars,
structures and every needed thing in varie-
ty, and similar patents have been issued in
nearly every nation having patent laws.
The ablest engineers regard the system,
when perfected, as the solution of the prob
lem of speed and economy in the carriage of
roads, to which it is adapted without any
change or interference.