Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-19
ELECTRO MAGNETIC TRACTION.
The PrnctfcabiIity of the System
AdoDted by the lexington Road.

The PrQCt1c0b1llty OF tne SYSTEM
Adopted by the lexington Road.
Several days ago a statement was pub
lished in The Star in which Engineer Com
missioner Powell expressed doubt as to
the ultimate success Of the system of rail-
road propulsion which is in operation by
the Electro Magnetic Traction Company on
a portion OF North Capitol street, which
forms a part of the line of the lexington
road. Commissioner Powell based his opin-
ion on what he believed was the liability
of the systems getting out OF order, owing
to the fact that there are SIX projecting
points at distances OF fourteen feet be-
tween each pair Of groups. The repre-
sentatives OF the company deny that there
is such liability, and state that the sys-
tenn has been in operation since September
last, and they quote the opinion expressed
by Mr.. Schoepf, the vice president and gen
eral manager OF the Ecklngton road. In
letter 10 the District Commissioners. In
this letter Mr.. Schoepf stated that the sys-
tenn had been in operation on the expert
mental line on North Capitol street Tor a
number of months, and the company was
willing to test 1t to much greater extent,
believing that 1t involved no more of an eX-
pertinent than does the system for the in
stallation OF which permit mas been
granted the Metropolitan Railroad Com
pany. The printed publications of the
Electro Magnetic Company claim that they
can guarantee to install five miles OF the
road with Its double track construction in
perfect order within 1UO days from date OF
such order. The length OF the lexington
road from 7th street to Florida avenue is
one mile, and from the latter point to
Brookland two miles, making the entire
length from It'll street to Brookland three
miles.
The Electro Magnetic Company state
that the car which is in operation by their
system on North Capitol street has, since
the installation of the plant, run over 5000
miles, through violent rain storms, heavy
SHOWS and ice and is today in active serv
ice and is giving satisfaction.
In reference to the doubt implied by
Commissioner Powell as to the probability
OF the contact points upon the surface Of
the road being liable to arrangement, they
state that their experience has proven that
such fears are wholly groundess. During
the six months that their system has been
in operation on North Capitol street, they
state that there has Eeen but one single
stoppage, and that OF few hours, which
could in any manner be attributed to the
SYSTEM and that was directly chargeable
to the negligence of an employe. They fur
Their maintain that the labor required for
the maintenance Of the equipment has
been found to be very slight. and the cost
for material for renewals has been prac-
tically nothing. Owing to the lack Of pave
ment on NORTH Capitol street, they say
that the contact points are exposed TO
shocks and jars which would never be eX-
perienced upon q paved street. and as
vehicles of all kinds have used the track,
they reach the conclusion that the contact
points are about the last things where
failure of their system would be expected.
The double track construction of system
owned by the Electric Magnetic Traction
Company Is follows:
The cast iron boxes are placed at a dis
lance Of about fourteen feet apart between
the two tracks and the electromagnetic
switches working both tracks, are placed
In the same box. The collecting, energiZ-
Ing and return contact plates are then set
in the center Of each track upon blocks of
marble or terra Gotta, as the description of
the pavement may call for. All the con-
nections are made in cast iron water
tight dish underneath the blocks.
The advantages Of the arrangement are
claimed to be not only great economy in
construction, but enabling the whole sys-
tenn to be installed with small interruption
to traffic on the road. The simplicity of
construction. 1t is urged enables this sys-
tenn to be installed with great rapidity.