The morning call., 1894-11-12
WHAT 1T COSTS.
Comparative Expenses of
Street Railways.
Interesting Comparisons by an Ex-
pert on Electric and Cable Lines
in San Francisco.

A local authority on street railways has
succeeded in gathering together several
interesting facts about cable and electric
railroads, which have popularity been re-
garded with considerable curiosity
Among other things he takes public
opinion by surprise with a statement that
electric lines cost more to operate than
cable roads.
In giving his views to Thomas Magee be
said: "The San Mateo electric road, as
operated to-day, requires as much horse
power to operate it as the whole origin al
Market-street system-that is, Market
street. Valencia, Haight, Hayes and Me-
Allister streets combined.
"lhe comparative cost of the motive
power of cable and electricity is very much
in favor of the cable road, provided the
mum Der of cars are in excess of say from
thirty to forty.
''NO single electrician can be operated
with less than from 10 TO 10 horsepower,
this ratio remaining the same no matter
how great the number of cars operated
from he one power plant, while the aver
age horsepower extended for each ca BILE
car operated here (San Francisco is less
than 3. The ratio of horsepower per car
decreasing as The number of cars operated
by the cable are increased; for example, it
would require from 10 to 10 horse-po wer to
operate an electric line OF one ear and from
500 to $50 horse-powe to operate the same
line with 30 cars. {.
SIN the case of able line it would re-
quire 30 to 20 horsepower to operate
single car line and about $50 horsepower
to operate 80 cars on the same line.
"On steep grade. where a single cleo
tric-car would require at least 30 horse.
power to propel the same, a cable-car
would require no more and perhaps less
than on any other part of the road, as the
cars returning down the same hill or like
hill would balance those going up. and the
power expended to propel either would be
nominal
rails used on the electric roadbed must
necessarily be heavier than those used on
cable, as an electrician empty weighs
more than cabe-car of the same capacity
and its load combined. With regard to
the cost of the same, electric-cars fully
equipped with TWO motors cost from $1,000
to $1,000, whereas cable-car of the same
capacity with grip and brakes complete
would not cost TO exceed $4,000. While the
| cable road Is cheaper TO operate. the cost
of construction is in favor of the electric
road.
Each single track of the present Market
street cable originally cost about 500, 900
per nile, but material-and rails espe-
cially-were expensive when the road was
built; rails costing at that time $40 per
ton can be duplicated to-day for $40.
Electric Toadbeds do not necessarily
need steel and concrete construction.
therefore electric lines similar to Mission
street can be built for half the cost of
cable lines, or about $4,000 per mile, sim
gle track, while that on Kearny street.
that is with concrete foundation, from
$4,000 to $50. 600 per mile. This is on the
basis of single track, but electric roads
seem TO be the most popular to-day. The
difference in the cost OF building them,
the speed obtainable and the electrically
lighted cars are all inducements to The
contemplating builders to use the same on
streets with gradients not exceeding one
in seven"