The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-14
NEW WAY TO MOVE STREET CARS.
Balance Weights Will BE Used ON wash
ingt0n Street.

The problem OF making electric cars climb a
steep hill has been puzzling the Rainier Avenue
Electric Company, but has been solved by J. P.
+. Kuhlmann, the company's engineer. The hill
in question is on Washington between Fifth and
Eighth streets, distance of 800 feet, on which
there is grade Of 16 per cent. As electric pow
er was not equal to carrying the cars up this
grade, some other agency had to be found to as
sist it. The distance is SO short that it will not
warrant the expense of a regular cable road, 80
that some other means had to be used.
Mr.. Kuhimann proposes TO use weights to
counterbalance the weight of the cars, 20 that
the electric power will be needed only to haul
up the passengers. In the space between the
two tracks he will place a conduit two feet wide
and two feet deep. In this he will lay a narrow
track of small rails, on which will run three
trucks carrying weights, which together
will be heavy enough to balance the
empty car. These trucks will be attached to a
wire rope the length Of the hill and to the other
end OF the rope grip will be attached, with an
automatic arrangement to which the drawbar
Of the car can be attached. This grip will move
in slot in the middle of the track similar to
that in cable track, except that the conduit
will be much smaller. The rope will run around
sheave-wheels at the top and bottom Of each
track, the circumference OF the wheels being OBJ
poste the slot in the center OF the track and OPP
posite the pulleys in the small track. The rope
will be made continuous by tail-rope attached
to the lower part of the lower ends OF the weight
and the grin.
When car coming down Washington street
reaches the top of the hill at Eighth street the
drawhar will be lowered into the slot, take up
the grip by an automatic arrangement and pro-
coed downhill, the weight of the car
and the electric power combined draw
ing up the weight on the small
track between the main tracks. On
reaching the bottom of the hill at Fifth street
the car will automatically release the grip with
out the necessity OF stopping or slackening
speed, and will proceed on its way down to Rail-
road avenue. The weights are attached to the
ropes on both tracks, so hatwhen the car de-
sends it also takes down the grip on the oppo-
site track. The distance is so short and so near
the terminus that 1t will not be necessary to
have more than one car OH this incline at any
one time.
On reaching the bottom OF the hill on its way
up the car again takes the grip, and is started
by the electric power. The tail-rope starts the
weights out of their rest on the level at the top
OF the bill. and the weights. aided by the cleo
tricity, haul up the car on the other track Mt
speed of six miles an hour. Automatic safety
brakes are to be attached to the weights and
grips, and will prevent accidents in case the
rope breaks.
If it should be found necessary to run ears
simultaneously on both tracks, the center con-
duit can be made deeper, and one set of weights
can be placed above the other, there being
separate set for each track.
The construction of the road will begin az
soon as the necessary castings can be made, and
will be finished in three months