The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-30
THE BICYCLE RAILROAD.
An Experiment Which May Result in
RevolutiOnizing Transportation.

Albert Lee. in Harper's Young People.
Not far from Patchogue. Long island. at
a little village called Bellport, there il a
peculiar structure, a mile and a half long,
that looks like a trolley railroad. but is
not. Occasionally something black will
swish along past the upright poles and be
out of sight before you can see just what
it is, and il you ask a native about IL he
will tell you that that is the new bicycla
railroad. 1t is only an experiment now.
but the promoters of the enterprise assert
that within a year they will have their
bicycle trains running from one end OF
the island to the other.
At first thought it seems almost impos-
sible that a railroad train can be con-
structed to run on one rail, just as a
bicycle runs along a road. or that after
IL has once started it should be able 10
travel twice as fast as an express train
running on a two-rail track. Yet in prsc-
tice these conditions have been absolutely
fulfilled; the bicycle railroad has been run-
ming on its short spur for several months.
and any one who cares to may go down to
Bellport any day and see how 1T feels to
cover a mile and a half in less than ninety
seconds.
The theory that this new kind Of road
was built on is very simple. As the name
implies, it is nothing more than a bicycle
capable of carrying forty or fifty persons.
instead of one or two. These big bicycles
are then placed inside of a structure so
built that it will hold them, and hold them
SO securely that no matter what happens
the passengers can in no way be injured
or thrown out. This structure consists OF
a single steel track running along the side
of a line of upright beams which support
an overhead guide that serves to steady
the cars, and through which the electric
current is carried to the motor-for the
cars are propelled, heated and lighted by
electricity. Every car has two wheels. one
propriiing machinery is placed just above
the wheel. An invention has recently been
made; however. by, means OF which the
wheel, and will be capable of attaining a
speed of one hundred miles an hour.
As the cars are firmly held between the
upper and lower rails. no matter how
fast the bicycle train goes. II is impossi-
bic for it to run off the track-just the
same as 1t is impossible for a bullet 10 get
out of a gun barrel until ii reaches the
muZZle. There might be danger from col
lisions. but this has been foreseen, and
the road, when it is built, will be divided
into sections. When a train is in one sec
ton 1T will automatically cut off the cleo
trio current from the section ii has just
left, so that there will be thus no power
there to propel any other train. That
section will therefore be blocked" and
Suc0 an advancement IN IdliTOdQ1nG Is
called the block system" There is the
possibility, however, of a wheel breaking;
but even such an accident would not be
serious, because the cars would only settle
down one inch into a 'shoe" arranged for
that purpose, and slide along the track
until they stopped easily from their own
down far enough for the guide wheels to
lose their hold of the guide beam over
head.
We have all noticed what ~inconvenfent
and sometimes dangerous things are the
overhead wires of the trolley street cars
The cars go along reasonably fast, but
always have TO slow up at curves. On the
bicycle railroad the conducting rail over
except that which faces downward. and
along which runs the shoes that convey
the electric power to the motor inside the
car. There are several of these shoes
on the top of each car, so that no matter
how fast the train is going even around
curves cur at run ~ scppTneta, one %;,h at ne, teaS ,5no os tn nsn
and there will be no loss of power.
The cars In operation are almost noise
less. Each one weighs. with wheels. motor
and trucks. only six tons. The motor cars
ger coaches will hold sixty-six persons.
as Th the w sEtpoe ol 5asf ny Teri%0a %hi traip ran 'q be-,
tween New York and Chicago at the time
of the worlds fair. or the Empire State
express which runs daily between New
York and Albany, is two hundred tons,
with seating capacity for not over 200 peo-
pie. This makes an average weight or one
ton. or 1900 pounds, for each passenger.
1t is asserted that a train of bicycle cars
can be formed consisting of two motor
cars and three passenger coaches, with a
seating capacity of two hundred persons,
and weigh only two hundred pounds per
passenger. This calculation would make a
bicycle train carrying the same number OF
passengers as an express train only one
tenth as heavy
Some OF the further advantages which
the promoters claim for their system. and
which certainly look favorable on paper.
are these: there will be no locomotives.
with repair shops. with machinery and
tools, to maintain: no great terminal facil-
tiles 10 provide; no ties to renew; no con-
ductors, engineers or firemen, for the mo-
tormen will have full charge OF trains;
no water supply TO pay for: no fences to
build and maintain. for the road as IL
is proposed 70 build IL On Long island will
be elevated: no damage TO cattle; no flag
men at crossings: no coal stoves: no steam
heating; no snow 10 plough through; and
no clouds of dust to blind and inconveni-
ence the passengers.
IL would really seem from ali this that
quite a revolution is coming in modern
methods of railroad travelling But IL re-
mains 10 be seen whether the bicycle meth
cd can be successfully operated for long
distances