The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-03

seems to me that upon carefully con-
Structed road an electric train could attain
with safety speeds which would be impOss-
bic with steamcarS. As these latter have
several Tires made SO miles and often so
miles, ii would seem 10 me that speed of
40 miles, or even more, with the electric
cars. would not be outside the limits of
safety. | believe that the project Of u train
from here to Chicago at a rate of over hun
drcd miles an hour is feasible"
On this point | also have the opiuiOn Of
Dr. Louis \. Duncan, another well-kn0wu
electrical engineer. He believes that the
speed within the range Of safety is not less
than 100 miles an hour.
Within the next few weeks another re-
! maTkabie event Will take place at Whittins-
| VILE Mass. | refer to the completion of
| the first large electric freight locomotive
| ever built. Ii is TO haul cars over one and
half miles of track, aud rs il has been
/ tested and found absolutely successful, this
| engine Is no experiment The locomotive is
/ built IN square form with q platform for
| carrying loads, and cowcatcherS and draw
bars al each end. The power is furnished
| by large generator, located at the works
| OF the corporation and conveyed over a
trolley wire, from which il is taken by
| means Of universal trolley bar attached 10
| the locomotive.
| The total weight OF the locomotive is
| $4,000 pounds, ana the S eed when deliver
| ing 80 horsepower at the draw bar is about
| five niles per hour. This is sufficient to
| pull train Of from six to eight heavily
/ laden frelShtcars on a level. or an aggre-
| gate OF 200 to 800 tons. The construction of
| tie locomotive is Of the strongest kind The
motor consists OF wrOught-ron field mag
nets, which are bolted 10 magnetic yokes of
] cast wrought iron. One of these yOkes car
| rtes the bearings which support that end of
| the motor on the axle, while the other yoke
| IS spring supported from the other axle.
| ms keeps the gears always in line and
| meshng correctly with each other, and at
| the same time provides considerable spring
| support for the motor
1t is not likely that the roads terminating
I In New York viii take the lead in the actual
] introduction of electricity as a motive
/ power. Business is too good, or, in other
words, the failure Of an experiment would
| involve too vast loss. ] have talked with
| most OF the superintendent of motive
| power whose offices are in New York, and
have not found them sanguine concerning
| the immediate utility of the electric form of
| energy as substitute for the power that is
| in imprisoned steam. They ali say that the
day will come, but none think that it has
| dawned.
| In Massachusetts, the feeling is more hope
| ful. The Legislature has passed a bill
! authorizing the railroad companies TO SUBJ
| stltuie one form OF motive power for the
! other. and 1t Is said the Boston and Maine,
the Old Colony and tho Albany off" iais are
! nearly ready to do it. | have Just received
| letter from James 4. LAX d, who intro
duced this electric bill into the Legislature.
de IS member of the Committee on Rail-
| roads.
| Massachusetts" writes he, "seems to
have been the first to take the step In Its
| Legislature authorizing steam railroads to
! use electricity, and | predict that within the
| next five years you Will see many improve
! ments in the methods OF electrical power as
| applied to cur railroads Several years ago
agitated the question among railroad
ofhclals Of our larger corporations in
| New England and received but little
| encouragement until in conversation
| with the late James T. Furber of
the Boston and Maine Railroad. and
| while be was satisfied that it was about
time that the railroads were taking step
| IN this direction. lie was hardly willing 10
advise immediate action in the matter. but