New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-15
THE CRISIS IN RAILROADING.
HOW STEAM RoADg SHALL MEET THE coMPE
Triton or ELECTRICITY.

| Triton or ELECTRICITY
The newly elected president OF the American
Institute 81 Electrical Engineers. Dr. Louis Duncan.
at the recent eetng Of that organization, discussed
the substitution Of steam for electricity In railway
nractice His treatment Of what he considers 20 be
/ "a crisis In the history OF ra!roading was broad
and intelligent leading periodical devoted to cleo
tricaI interests thinks that this talk may have been
too conservative 10 please enthusiasts. but that IL
evinced a disposition on the part OF the speaker to
use his extensive familiarity with the use OF eiec-
tr,cy for traction purposes without bias and simp-
" In the interest OF railroad stockholders
DR. Duncai first considered the proper policy for
existing stear roads TO adopt He agrees win
other experts IN saying that freight Is now more
economically handled In long. heavy trains than In
any other way and that such trains. Ike inlrcQuent
md heavy expresses can best be handled by steam
When the power on a line is being absorbed BY n
very few (perhaps only one or two) large units. u
does pay at present to use electricity But wnen
the load" or sum OF all the demands. In dstrb-
uted by great number OF smaller units az when
frequent short trains are run electric traction mas
! the decided advantage. Or four track roads. then.
he would put expresses two tracks. and continue
awhile to run them with steam. The other TWO
tracks he would equip with an overhead wire. pro-
vide the local trains with troleys and motors ana
conduct this branch OF the service electrically The
freight trains would use these tracks but employ
steam On two-track :oads. unless other changes
are made Dr. Duncan would not advice he Intro
ducton OF electricity. but he declares that !. such
lines wish to remain on dividend paying basis, 1T
is Imperative that most Of them either build ad-
ditionai tracks control tho electric roads that
parallel them Many companies 10 whom this ad-
vice rendered already realize. from the experience
OF the past year what n formidable competitor the
trolley has become. II Is pointed out BY way OF IL
lustratIon that en- one single llne-the Network
Central in ls92-the through passengers numbered
234 $50 and the local passengers H.T6g19 between 30
and ~ times rnany) Communication rates reduce
the prof, on this class OF business. but Its dimen-
sons are 20 considerable as to emphasize the remark
Just quoted. Or. Duncan adds. moreover: In Few
years electric roads will have absorbed practically
all Of the local traffic and Will begin 20 cut into
through transports ton. The steam. roads cannot
afford this. Their only safety In 10 make or cleo
triciy ally instead OF an enemy. and this before
II IN too late" Referring only to the passenger
business apparently. ne goes on TO Intimate that
ultimately all OF the ,raffic viii be done by cleo
triclty'; and. anima ted with this belief. ne regards
II imperative that the managers OF steam ROADS
keep constantly In touch with electrical progress
AS fer feeders and branches. 1t is evident for tho
reasons given that those having great length and
light traffic hardly be run with electricity to adj
vantage. but short ones. with large passenger
business and carrying little freight dixie summer
excursion lines. would gain by the substitution.
Only brief consideration Is given TO the matter OF
eQuippn9 entirely new lines covering long distances
But most OF the problems that are likely to arise
In such transportation. President Duncan thinks.
will be disposed Of in building and operating the
proposed line between Baltimore and Washington;
and he therefore considers that enterprise sgnlh-
cant For municipal rapid transit with frequent
service. whether elevated underground roads.
OF course the argument Is strongly In favor OF cleo
iricity preference for the direct current instead
Of the alternating, s expressed In this connecticut
but the objection offered to the latter is not treated
as very serious
The precedent established by the Baltimore and
Ohio road In equppIng Its cross-town line with
heavy motor is pronounced by the new president OF
the Electrical Engineers good one. only for
the many other tunnels throughout the country. but
also for switching In yards, especially when (as Is
often the case the two spheres OF usefulness so
close together geographically that the same motor
can be used In both.