Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-07-10
WILL MOVE TRAINS.
Trunk Lines VIII Ultlmately Use Electro
Motive Force.

WILL MOVE TRAINS.
Trunk Lines VIII Ultimately Use Electro
Motive Force.
At the recent meeting of the National
Electric Lighting Association one of the
best authorities on the electro-motor, F.
J. Sprague. of New York, gave some in
teresting testimony concerning its pres
emit condition and future prospects.
The most unobservant can scarce have
failed to see that it is rapidly taking the
place of horses for street car traction,
and he thinks it will displace the cable.
The flexibility of the electrical system,
the ease with which it Is extended, its
adaptability to various conditions of serv-
ice, freedom from long continued
breakdown and the advances which have
been made in perfecting its apparatus,
would seem to insure its supremacy.
Will the electro-motor take the place
of the locomotives on trunk lines? That
Is question which has been guessed at
by those more or less competent Mr..
Sprague, perhaps IS capable as any au-
thority, answers: Probably not. accord
ing to present notions of trunk line
transportation and by present methods
of train dispatching." But he has a
plan to propose, or rather a prophecy to
make, indicating the point at which
motor practice is likely to trend upon
the domain of the locomotive.
1t is only question of supplying
energy along line and deciding what
is the best potential to work with. On,
Philadelphia, while he would not at
tempt, at least at present, to follow the
regular train service system by one
more adapted to electro-moters, a still
more expeditions and convenient one
could be supplied. Beginning by de-
scribing the existing conditions now
prevailing in the Pennsylvania railroad
service between the points mentioned,
he finds that from 8 a. m. to p. M, a
period of Is hours, 81 regular trains
leave the Jersey City station for Phila-
delphia. Twelve of these make only
one or two stops, according to the run
ming schedule. In addition to these
there are a number of local trains serv-
ing way stations. Taking the through
trains only, and allowing an average,
say, of five cars 30 a train, there are In
the 13 hours about los through cars
dispatched from Jersey City, or at the
rate of one car every IA minutes, and
of the through cars not making over one
or two stops there would be one every
10 minutes.
Surprising an additional track to have
been built, leaving the distance about
what it is now, say 80 miles, with the
grades eased and the worse curves rec
titled, and through cars could be dis
ofoh in
block system, and run through to Phila
delphia with not more than one stop al
fixed intervals, and att say, 60 miles ar
hour, making the trip in IL hours.
In other words. he would employ the
same number of cars as are now EN-
ployed by the railroad company in it.
express trains; but instead of sending
them in trains at long intervals, ht
would start two cars on the road t.
Philadelphia every Is minutes. Will
careful figuring he finds that with on,
station in the middle of the route tn,
potential at the farthest from the sta
ton would be 3,616 volts, and near tn,
station one-Linth higher. He says:
stCan we handle it? Yes, in time; bu
perhaps not yet. Nor is there any neces
sitF for doing SO; for if we increase tn
number of stations and 60 to a three
wire instead of a two-wire system; max
ing the track the balance of cirenit, W
would have the motor potential brough
down to ordinary street car practice
which is only the beginning of what vii
be done in the effective handling Q
potential&
$50, after all, it docs not seem such
serious electrical problem, and certainl
not one TO shrink from.
''The sTppcsitious case is well With
| the range .ef posi- bilities- A 6O-mil
express service every 10 minutes. liz
stead of a 10 to 45 mile service ever
hour, would reNelutionize travel. @
the comforts of such a system I nee
not speak. ThatIt will IL the not YER
| distant future be fact 1 know you al
agree with me i'm hoping. "-Scientif
AmericaE.