The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-28
THE ELECTRIC MOTOR
Successful Experiment by the
Baltimore Il Ohio Road.
IN THE TUNNEL At BALTIMORE.
Extension OF the Trolley princfpfe-The
Doom of the steam Locomo-
tive Fore@hadowed.
New York Tribune.

New York Tribune.
Baltimore, July "a train of fourteen
empty passenger cars ard a steam loco
motive was hauled through the Baltimore
a. Ohio's Belt Line tunnel By the big cleo
trio locomotive today. THIS was the first
srain pulled through the long tunnel 81
electric power. The run was made in
seven minutes. as fast and with - much
ease as the electric locomotive had rEE
through alone.
How far electricity will dispiace steam
On the great railways Of the country Is a
question that has been discussed with the
Iiyesisst interest for several years. Its en-
swer depends largely upon the success OF
such experiments as those which. after
two years OF preparation and announce
menf. are now being carried out in Bald
more. An electric engine equal IN weight
and power 70 the locomotives which drew
the heaviest express and freight trains or
the trunk lines has been constructed 90
handle the through traffic OF the Ball
more e. OHIO road inside the limits OF the
Monumental City. and II this unique and
wonderful machine fuItills entirely the ex-
pectations OF It's makers two more viii be
built Immediately for the same companys
service.
Readers Of the Tribune VIII remember
that the Belt Line, recently built through
baltimore for the transfer OF the Balti-
more & Ohio through trains. is about
seven miles long altogether. and passes
through newly constructed tunnel 7.f30
feet (nearly a mile and a halo long, z
feet wide and 2 feet high; but at present
u - proposed 10 Use the electric motors
on only a part OF this ilne-insl6e he tun-
mel and out on sections OF open track
which VIII make the distance over waica
they operate a trihe less than l5,osD feet
~ H.
this improved route wiil save sixteen IA n
utes Of time IN getting across town. hut
II is not in this feature Of the enterprise.
the rapid construction OF the tunnel aor
the various short bridges on the ,ine that
tho public ia chiefly interested. It's ele.-
trical equipment Is ali that most progress
sive people care 10 know about
The general principle Of the .roIiey Is
employed I'm the Baltimore experiment,
but the mechanism resorted to differs con-
sherably from that with which travellers
on electric street ears are familiar. In
stead OF wheel pressing upward against
round copper wire, the device wnica
takes on the current from the oyerh FAD
conductor Is a long. poinfed piece Of brass.
shaped Ike weaver's shuttle and called
a shoe" The conductor h an iron con-
duit upside down, and is made OF two
angular bars 50 placed as TO form a
trough IN which the shoe slides. A slot
IN the bottom OF the trough allows for
suitable connection between the shoe and
the motor below. The Belt Line Is a
double track road and each track has its
own electric conductor The return cur
rent. as with most street cars. passes out
from the ear wheels back through the
rails, which are bonded or connected
with copper wire Al the joints. The TWO
angle-iron troughs are supported by, but
carefully insulated from, crossoars OF
channel" IRON at intervals OF fifteen feet.
and the latter are also insulated from the
hangers. Inside the TUNE. the crossbars
are secured 10 the roof, but outside they
are suspended from a sort of cable run
ming In the same direction as the track
and fastened TO Orders or bridges vha,
span the roadway every $50 feet These
trusses are sustained by lattice steel
towers thirty feet high.
Another radical innovation IL i'm The
shape Of the connection between the slid
ing shoe and the engine, which clone re-
oeives the current and hauis the train.
The device used for this purpose Is not A
simple pole. but a acknowledged frame
tointed 10 admit of upward extension and
lateral Tit. Great fiexlhiiity and adapta-
bility TO the swaying and jolt,ng OF the
motor are thus obtained, although any
rocking forward or backward is effec .u-
ally prevented. Moreover. the electric
conductors are not hung directly over the
center OF the track, but little TO one
stde-in fact. very nearly over one =au:
hence. seen from the front or rear, the
trolley leans over az n considerable angle.
This arrangement has a special value I'm
The tunnel. where the iron troughs are
placed only 17is feet above the rails. mas
much as the freight brakeman's head is
In far less danger than IL they were d.
rectly over the middle OF the car out.
side by the way. the distance is Increased
20 twenty-five feet. but the troughs sin
continue 10 he laterary displaced
even there. each toward the other. so that
The two are quite close together.
Tho great engine which makes use OF
these appliances rests upon two trucks,
stands 1875 feet high. and vs. provided with
-Four $50 horse power motors. NomInally
its maximum capacity Is about I, 800 horse
power. les whole weight. ninetv-six tons.
moreover, rests on the driving wheels.
The machine Is arranged 10 push or pun.
and TO run in elther direction II was
built at the General Electric Compary's
shops in Schenectady. but the chief cleo
trical engineer OF thai company William
~ knight. Is said 20 be it's designer. The
brain work done for this one engine. Il
VIII be seen. has reality been done for II
three; and the pioneer embodies a great
many improvements in electrical mechan-
ism for which suggestions have been OBJ
sources. IEAE
thai have been tried elsewhere IN detail
have been brought together here n Is
said. as never before. One OF these nnv-
cities - tho method hy which the arrra-
ture ~ each Of the four motors srnparts
VS. rotary motion 10 its own particulsr
pair Of driving wheels Ordinarily tho
ar'nst is secured either 10 the axle .,r
gears Into the axle But IN this gfrantf,
Baltimore machine each armature is
mounted on a sleeve that loosely enoloSes
tho axle Y, carries. however. n each trd
i've stout arms terminating In blocks or
knobs which ft into holloNs on the in
terror surface 81 the driving Wheels
Rubber IS interpoSed az the points 81 con
tact - heishtcn the effect sought for
which Is to protect the arsnature from the
Jar of travel The system 81 spring sus-
pension Is also planned with a view 20
EASY and quick adjustment 70 -rreeulsri-
TIES ~ the track The motors are placed
- as 80 he readily accessible for exanoin-
stiaO whenever tho engine Is stationary.
SanohoNes. air brakes. Headlights. a bell
ana powerful gong belong u the eouip.
ment. and there IS ash a whistle 20 he
operated hy compressed air instead ~
steam. maximum speed ~ HTrv miles
~ hour - expected % De ,ieNclons,l I'm.
thirty viii probably rot often be cxcee.lei
~ practice.
The tunnel 10 20 zee brilliantly 1tghteaO-itl,
electricity ara rs e viii ~ entirely free
rom locomotive smoke aui c3n4e~S Z,
VIZ Ia pTacts-aAle - paint 70 white and
Keep = sweet srt clean A. al .l-,ss mis-
VIII NOT - che least a. the a9-sn.a.~es
secured by che substitution % tha ~
mode 81 traction for the OF sDf % has -
Important bearing OF the r,'uri-lasf r.ar.F
transit question IN Ell large cstfe@
The experiments now being na7e q, IA