Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-05

1t Will Make Over Thirty Miles nm
Hour Hauling Passengers and Freight
From q

~ VIII MAKE over Thirty Miles m
Hour Hauling Passengers and Freight
From the Iron Age.
Ihe first electric locomotive Of any con-
siderable size in the United States and the
first practically operative high speed cleo
trio locomotive in the world, adapted to
the steam railroad. has recently been COM
pleted at the Lynn works of the General
Electric Company, and will shortly be ex-
hlblted at the worlds fair. Its completion
marks a distinct advance In electrical de-
Velopment 1t Is thirty-ton locomotive
designed for normal speed of thirty miles
an hour. primarily intended for operation
on elevated railways and for passenger
and light freight traffic on less important
steam roads. 1t Is of compact construction,
soidly and substantially built, and runs on
four forty-four-inch wheels. Its dimen-
sions are: Sixteen feet 6 inches long. II
feet inches high, feet inches broad,
having its draw bars 2 feet inches from
top of rail. the Manhattan Elevated rail-
road standard height. The draw-bar pull
is calculated at 1900 pounds
The propelling power is furnished by two
electric motors of especial design and con-
struction. each axle being provided with
one motor. The motors are gearless, and
are supported on spiral springs resting on
This method of suspension leaves the
wheels free to adjust themselves to the ir-
regularities of the road bed. and conse-
Quently the wear to both tracks and mo-
tors is diminished.
The motors are controlled by means of a
series parallel controller, set up in the in
terror of the cab. This device erlbodies all
the latest improvements made by the Cen
eral Electric Company. Under test 1t is
found that the series parallel controller al
lows Of more gradual and easier starting
OF the electric motor. and the speed can be
more delicately and instantaneously con-
trolled than In case of the steam locomo-
tive.
The truck. suspended from the journal
boxes. is constructed of heavy I-beams.
and forms the foundation for the locomo-
tive cab of sheet iron, of symmetrical de-
sign, and SO curved off as to diminish the
atmospheric resistance as far as possible.
The interior is finished in hard wood. The
sliding doors placed at each side of
the cab. and the windows are so arranged
as to permit of an unobstrueted view in
all directions. There Is ample space in the
cab for the mortorman's movements. and
1t affords him considerably better protec-
ton than that usually vouchsafed the
This locomotive has been designed for a
normal speed exceeding thirty miles per
hour. The use of these locomotives over
very long distances IL at present limited
only by the cost of long lines of electric
feeders; until the problem offered by this
ment must necessarily exist. But for
places comparatively near each other and
where traffic Is dense (the denser the better
the electric locomotive is peculiarly adapt
ed. for all the advantages of electric pro-
pulsion are available. unhampered by the
extreme expense involved in long feeder
lines.
The evolution Of the use Of the electric
locomotive will probably follow along the
lines dictated by expediency and favoring
conditions. At first they will probably be
used In elevated railroad service. and in
New York, Brooklyn and Chicago their adj
vent will be hailed with feeling Of deep
gratitude. They will then probably be
adopted as feeders to the trunk lines. both
for freight and passenger traffic. and to
operate short suburban lines where a rapid,
efficient service Is requisite. Their peculiar
fitness for switching purposes will advance
their use another step. and then slowly.
overcome they will invade the province of
the trunk line steam locomotive, and the
in the realities of life.