The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-08-24
ELECTRIC TRACTION.
How the Cars Of the Jersey
City and Bergen Company
Will be Operated.

The Jersey City and Bergen Railroad
now has at its Montgomery street depot
three. OF the cars which IL proposes to run
on the Montgomery street route by cleo
trfcity. The new cars we're built by the
John Stephenson Company, Of New York,
and are Of the same style as those now IN
use on that route
They stand IN the rear OF the shed, over
an excavation which has been made be-
tween the rails ID order to enable the
workmen TO get under Them in order to
supplied by tue Thompson Hous ton
Electric COnpanT, OF Boston. Three
hundred lines Of street cars IN this coun-
try and Europe are equipped with the
motors Of this company and are said to be
entirely satisfied with tue practical work
lug Of the Thompson- Houston system
The motors are placed under the car
about midway between the platforms.
and are of sufficient power TO drive two
cars up the steep grade Of Montgomery
street at the rate of twenty miles
an hour. The electricity is generated
by ain eighty horse power engine
in the works OF the Jersey
and Fremont streets. The current is
transmitted TO the trolley wire, which is
strung on cross wires, supported by posts
on each side Of Montgomery street.
CURRENTS AND WIRES.
The positive current Is taken from the
trolley wire by a long contact bar which
is on the roof of the car. This bar is in
by means of wheel. There is a set Of
springs which nanipuIates the trolley
wire SO that fhe bar accDu1moF
dates itself TO the position Of the wire.
The electric moter current is conveyed
from the trolley bar to the two
motors by hidden and In
sulated wire After the motor current has
been utilized il passes sdown 70 the rails,
from which it IS taken by little supple
n1entary wires joining the rails and con-
yeyed underground to the negative wire,
which carries the current back to the
generator.
The negative wire is placed below the
ground midway between the rails. The
negative wire Is No. 0. OF copper, and the
supplementary wire of No 6 copper wire.
Each car is provided with q
safety switch which Is overhead at
both ends OF the car The motor
current can be cut off instantly by means
Of these switches. The car is stArted By
an appliance which resem bles an orttin-
airy brake. The speed Of the car can be
regulated By controlling this stand.
There IS another appliance connected with
the break by means Of which the
car can be reversed instantly. Each car
has the speed REGULATING aud reversing
device at both ends. Each platform is
provided with two gates. Those en- the
front platform VIII always be
closed and no one except the
motor man viii be allowed there
The motor current passes through box
called fuse box. This box IS situated
close IN the wheels. In this box is a fusi-
bic sttip wnich Is melted il the motor cur
rent becomes too strong. and the err I'M
mediafely comes to d standstsil This fnsi-
BILE strip can be replaced in a half minute.
TIGHTENING AREEsTER-
There Is also a lightning arrester on
each car. which has never been known to
failto do its work satisfactorily Eiec
trio cars have been struck many times,
but IN each instance the lightning
arrester. rendered the bolt harmless.
Several cars have been struck when the
passengers did not know it. This light
ming arrester can be replaced IN ten min
utes.
Mr.. E. n. Bliss, chief mechanical and
electrical engineer of the Thompson
Houston Electric Company is in charge
of the work of fitting the cars with
the motors, aud he also has
charge of the construction of the
other electrical features Of the Mont
Comery street line. He would have had
the Montgomery street line in operation
now bnt for the inexcusable legal inter-
ference of some property owners along
MONTGOMERY street.