The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1893-06-11
MOUNTAIN RAILWAY
How the Electrical Power Will
Be Applied.
The Dynamos and the Principles of
Their Operation.
A Plain Statements of the Laws which
Govern This Mysterious Power
Which Accompanies
So Much.

Prof. VIM. II. Knight, in the Pasadena
Star, publishes the following paper:
We are often asked "How does cleo
tricity accomplish it's work OF propelling
cars, and driving machinery"
In the first place the electricity must
be generated. This is done by means of
dynamo or generator actuated by an
engine or by water power. A dynamo
is constructed on the principle of an
immense horseshoe magnet made OF soft
or unmagnetized iron. The arms of this
magnet are wound with many coils OF
copper wire. If an electric current is
sent through this wire, the arms become
instantly and powerfully magnetized and
will attract a heavy iron bar to their
poles. This is called electro-magnetism.
The moment the current is broken the
arms are demagnetized and the iron bar
drops to the ground.
Now If you force an iron bar to sweep
past the poles of the magnet when the
current Is on, it will cut the lines of
force, technically speaking, and an
electric current corresponding in power
to the capacity of the magnet will be
conveyed into the bar, and if wires are
attached to the bar, they will conduct
the current to wherever it is wanted.
An armature Is simplya number Of
parallel bars arranged compactly round
q shaft, and made to revolve with great
velocity near and between the magnetic
poles, thus cutting their lines of force so
rapidly as to induce the flow of con-
tinuous current of electricity along the
conducting wire. For simplicity of con-
struction and efficiency of work, loops OF
wire are substituted for the iron bars of
the armature.
A motor is q dynamo in which the d.
rection OF the electrical current is re-
versed. Instead of the electricity flow
ing from the armature into the conduct
ing wire, the current which is generated
in dynamo is conducted into the cleo
tro-magnet and into the armature OF the
motor, and the loops of the armature are
powerfully attracted to the poles of its
electromagnetic. AS each successive loop
passes the center of one pole, by an in
genious device (Which is too complicated
to explain without diagram), its at
traction to that pole ceases and it is
drawn with equal force to tie opposite
pole, go that while one-hslf OF the loops
on the armature of the motor are con-
6bhubIy abtIACtCu w bAO th pOlOy bb6
other half are attracted with equal force
to the south pole.
1t is the force of this attraction which
keeps the armature Of the motor revolv-
ing, and this force Ia sufficient, when
the armature is properly geared to a car
axle, to turn the axle and thus propel
the car.
The system of electric car locomotion
then consists of
(a) A dynamo or generator in which
the armature is forced to revolve so that
its loops will cut the lines of force pro-
ceeding from an electro magnet, thus
generating current of electricity, and
[bl A motor, in which the revolving
loops OF the armsture are are attracted
to the polea of an elactrn- magnat
through whose coils the above current
is made to pass, thus forcing the arma-
ture, when pfoperly geArsd, to turn the
The current ;isT conducted .from the
armature of the, dynamo or generator
located in the, power house, to the over
head wire, thence through the trolley of
the car to be propelled to the field of
the motor, and also to it's armature,
which is geared to the car axle, thence
through the wheels to the rails on
which the car runs, and so back to the
power house, thus completing the cir
cult.
It is the Office of the motorman to
break this current when he wishes to
stop the car, or to complete it when he
desires to proceed; in other words, to
turn the current on or off at will.
Electricity is truly mysterious force,
but it acts under certain and uniform
laws which have been formulated by
scientists and harnessed to practical
work by electricians.
Its operation is illustrated on mag
nificent scale in Prof. loves mountain
railway, where both water and gas en-
gines are,employed to generate the cleo
trical current, and where the force pro-
duced not only drives the trolley cars up
the steep grades and around the numer-
GUS curves of the Rubio caflon, but also
moves the powerful winding machinery
of the great cable incline.