Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-10-11
ELECTRIC LIGHTS ON TRAINS.
"A New English System of nlumina.
ton Cheaper Than Oil or Gas.

"A New English System of IlluminA.
ton Cheaper Than Oil or Gas.
One of the most lucrative professions
Of the day is that of the oeulist. The
American eye is sadly out Of gear,
and we are told it will be more so as
the point is reached at which the Gu
mulative effect of the abuses to which
it is subjected asserts itself. No more
ruthless way Of impairing the eyesight
could be discovered than that of read
ing by the light of the ordinary railway
lamp. Even with the best light it
would be better not to read at all
under such conditions of vibration and
oscillation as exists in moving cars;
but if we feel that we cannot alto
gether afford to waste the large pro-
portion of our time we spend in tray
cling, 1t is a source of satisfaction to
know that we now do such reading by
a light that inficts the minimum in
jury on the eye. An admirable train
electric lighting system has been sub
1ected to years practical test in Eng
land with the most successful results,
according to the St. Louis Globe-Demo-
crat. There has for some time been
a considerable amount of prejudice
against electric lighting for trains on
the score of expense, but the details
given concerning the actual working
OF the system referred to show that not
only is its Illuminating power more
than adequate to all needs. but that it
is cheaper than any other method for
car lighting. 1t is easy to install and
still easier to operate, as the working
of the whole plant is automatic
The system embraces dynamo and
accumulators, or, as Americans pre-
fer to call them, storage batteries,
which, for convenience, are generally
placed in the baggage car, although in
some cases, such as with Pullman and
Wagner cars. it is more convenient to
place a small set Of accumulators rlil-
der each car, SO that in the event of
such car being detached from the main
portion OF the train for any length of
time, the lamps in the car may be sup
Piled from their own set of cells. In
the report of the working Of the sys-
TEN on the London, Brighton & South
Coast railway for the last twelve
months, it is stated that the electrically
seryiceable than gas-lighted trains,
principally because the extra haulage
necessary to run the latter to the
charging stations was saved. The for
mer were always ready to go any
where and there was no need to in
Qulre and calculate whether the reserve
power was sufficient for the journey.
The electric lighted trains are estimat-
service than gas-lighted trains, which,
taking the cost of building a train of
ten cars even at only $4,000, means
saving Of some Importance in the con-
struction of one hundred trains. The
report gives figures comparing the first
cost, weight and maintenance per train
of ten cars, of gas, oil and electric light
according to actual tests. The first
cost Of gas, including travelling cylin-
ders, buildings, engines, ETC., was about
$3,25O to $500 per train; Of oil about
$500 per train, not including cost Of
buildings, ETC., for cleaning and repair
ing lamps: of electric light, $4,000 The
price includes undergear, and when
once equipped the train is independent
and carries it's own lighting plant with
1t, and can be sent anywhere at any
time. The weights of the respective
plants are: Gas, 3 tons cwt; oil,
z cwt; electric light, tons Is cwt.
The cost of maintenance was: With
gas enough to give fairly good light,
5000 per train of ten cars per annum;
with oil the expense varied from $3.50
to $3.50, according to the quantity of
oil and amount of labor used; with the
electric light the actual cost of main
fenance on thirty trains on the London
Brighton railway for the whole year
was $2436O. Figures like these will
appeal forcibly to railway directors.