The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-07-22

Gov. Peek. President Braun. Of the Turn
err. and others mads speeches Of ssacemes
sInsr sl.crslc LOCOMOTIVE.
ne.e,s.ese. ~ o. n.eAlss rAas nay
Rsvoiussenise Raf1reoA1ng.
The Electrical Rssieu teils d the afss
electric locomotive OF any considerable
sire in the United States. and the hrss
practically operasivs high speed electric
locomotive in the veeld adapted 70 sAs
steam railroad, which has recently oeen
completed at the Lynn works o. the 0en-
eral Electric Company, and viii shortly
be exhibited at the Wofid's fair. Its com
pietion marks Q distinct advance IN cleo
ts1cal development
II il q 3O-ton locomotive. designed Tor
normal sp eed OF thirty miles IN noor.
primarily intended for operation on sas.
waited railways, and Cor passenger ana
light freight trsfhc on les Important
steam roads. It is Of compact construc.
ton, solidly and substantially built. ana
runs ON four 44-inch wheels Its dinen-
sions are: Sixtesn feet 6 inches long. II
feet inches high. feet inches broad.
having IT. draw bars feet inches from
ton of rail-the Manhattan Elevated rail-
road standard height. The draw bar pull
Is calculated at 1900 pounds.
The propelling power Is furnished oy
two electric motors Of especial design and
construction, each axle being provided
with one motor. The motors are gearless.
and are supported on spiral springs rest
ing on the side frames Of the locomotive
truck. This method Of suspension leaves
the wheels free to adjust themselves to tho
irregularities Of the roadbed, and conse-
quently the wear 70 both tracks and mo-
tors 10 diminished.
The motor fields consist Of massive iron
castings. to which the hollow field spools
are bolted. The armatures are of the IRON
clad type, having each separate winding
embedded In mica lined slot cut into the
curved surface OF the laminated iron
armature body. The axles of the locomo-
tive pass through the hollow shafts on
which the armatures are mounted. These
shafts rest in bearings Of the motor frame,
and are connected to the axles by univer-
sal couplings. which allow of freedom Of
motion in all directions. The commuta-
tors are of massive construction, and
there are four sets Of brushes 90 each COM
mutator.
The motors are controlled by means Of .
series parallel controller set up in the in
terror of tho cab. This device embodies all
the latest improvements made in this type
of apparatus by the General Electric Com
pany. Under test it 10 found that the
series parallel controller allows Of more
gradual and easier sta rting Of the electric
motor, and the speed can be moro delica-
tely and instantaneously controlled than
in the case Of the steam locomotive.
The truck, suspended from the journal
boxes, il constructed Of heavy beams,
and forms the foundation for the locomo-
tive cab. Of sheet iron. of symmetrical de-
sign. and % curved off 40 to diminish the
atmospheric resistance ~ far - possible.
The interior II finished in hard wood.
Two sliding doors are placed ct each side
Of the cab, and the windows are 20 A.
ranged ~ to permit Of an unobstructed
view in all directions. There Is ample
space in the cab for the motofman's move
ments, and l. Affords HIM considerably
better protection than that usually vouch-
safed the steam locomotive engineer.
The air for the brake II supplied BY
special electrical air compressor, which
also operates the whistles. This air pump
has an oscillatink cylinde Of inches dia-
meter with a6-iach stroke, supplying 5000
cubic inches Of air per minute at seventy
pounds pressure. The motor il similar to
the N. W. P. 2K in general appearance,
but II wound for higher speed. The nor
NAL speed Of the armAture shaft 10 675
revolutions, and Of the crank shaft of the
pump ITO revolutions. Tide dimensions of
the air compressor are: Length II inches,
width l61z inches. height Is inches. The
pump motor 10 controlled BY . special
rheostat. This. by an intermediate device.
Is automatically regulated BY the air pres
sure.
This locomotive has been designed for .
normal speed exceeding thirty miles per
hour. The use of these locomotives over
very long distances il ut present limited
only by the cost of long lines Of electric
feeders, and until the problem offered BY
this condition il solved, restriction OF Its
employment must necessarily exist But
for places comparatively near each other
and where traffic II dense-the denser the
better-the electric locomotive Is pecu-
liarly adapted, for here all the advantages
OF electric propulsion are available. I'M
hampered by the extreme expense In
volved in long feeder lines.
The evolution Of the use Of the electric
locomotive will probably follow along the
lines dictated by cxpediency and favoring
conditions. At first they will probably %
used in elevated railroad service, and in
New York. Brooklyn and Chicago alone.
their advent will be hailed with . feeling
Of deep gratitude. They will then proba-
bly, be adopted - feeders to the trunk lines.
both for freight and passenger traffic. and
to operate short suburban lines, where
rapid. efficient service Is requisite. Their
peculiar fitness for switching purposes
will advance their use another step. and
then slowly as the different problems pre-
scented are overcome. they will invade the
province Of the trunk line steam locomo-
tive. and the millennium Of railroad travel
will b within the realities of life.
Life Of Telegraph Poiss.
]. Q Mason, superintendent Of tele-
graph of the Northern Pacific ROAD, - in
the city on trip of inspection OF the lines
on the Coast He says that the line on
the Rocky mountain division il now be-
ing rebuilt, section being rebuilt every
YEAR s.TnA tfa IF taiaCrnuh po,0s in from