The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-08-01
FLIES Like THE WIND.

A Electric Car Operated BY the Third
Rail System.
Eighty miles an hour over the tam
gent between Nantasket Beach and
Hull, in Massachusetts,, was the sen.
ration to which Col. Heft, chief cleo
trician Of the Consolidated road, treated
his company of Investigators the other
afternoon, and this in an open car in
the teeth Of 15-knot breeze. At one
time it seemed as if the sharp blasts
wind were about to tear every inch Of
clothing from the body.
This exhibition of the possibilities OF
the subtle current in its application to
rail transportation was incidental to a
very satisfactory test of what is known
as the third-rail system, which has
been installed on the line of the South
Shore branch of the Old Colony di.
vision between Nantasket Junction and
East Weymouth, distance of 31s miles.
For the first time in the history of cleo
trical development surface car was
propelled by means of this new device.
In determining upon the extension Of
the company's electrical system to East
Weymouth the overhead trolley system
was abandoned and the third-rail meth
cd of contact adopted as the most read
lily adaptable to ordinary railroad re-
quirements.
The third rail is of a peculiar shape.
the end view resembling fattened A.
1t is laid midway between the two serv-
ice rails of each track. Each section of
the third rail is 30 feet1ong and weighs
% pounds to the yard. It is supported
by three ash blocks 10 each section. tho
blocks being let into the ties. Before
use the blocks are boiled in vacuum
pans with tar compound, and THIS
each poro is filled with insulating and
preventative material. The insulation
Is almost perfect. The continuity OF
the third-rai1 circuit Unsecured by at
taching each end Of one,rail to that of
the next by means of twotheavy copper
bands. The line between Nantasket
Junction and Weymouth is absolutely
distinct, electrically, fromsthat between
the flrst-named station and Pemberton.
1t is fed by it's own feeder2and provided
with its own automatic safety appli-
ances, which, in case OF carelessress or
accident to the naturalization. enter
into action and cut all electricity from
it. rendering it nothing mnreathan.a pc.
culiarly laid stretch Of track
Tho electricity is taken from thethird
rail by two sliding shoes hung loosely
from the car, one suspended between
the axles of each truck. Immediately
under the kingpin. by two links, which
allow it to slide easily over the top of
the third rail and make perfect.contact
with it all the time. The current ID
brought to the motors through tho
controllers and ciDcuit breakers and re-
turns to the track rails by the wheels.
The continuity Of the return circuit il
secured by using q. short, thick bond
Ct copper cable to Join together the
ends Of each pair ofstrack rails, tbe.end
Of the bond being fastened into tho
fange of the rail. Thedistance between
each of the two shoes on the cara IL 80
feet. No third rail being laid at itho
crossings, the circuit is, continued be-
tween the broken ends by means Of
lcad-covered cables. At the crossings
less than 30 feet wide zone of theshoes
Is always in contact; at wider ones
the impetus Of the moving car brings
the shoes into contact againsbefore the
car can come to rest
A good idea of the,advantaEe Of cleo.
tricity as a motive power compared
with steam may be gathered from the
fact that the two locomotives burn each
four tons Of coal per day, while no moro
than four tons per day burned in the
power house serves to generate suffi-
cient power to opera*e(the whole seven
miles of line between Pemberton> aud
Nantasket Junction by electricity.
It was on the return to Pember6on
that Col. Heft showed the possibilities
Of the current, and Observation-Disclosures
him will never forget their experience
of so miles an hour in an open, car
Hartford Times