The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-07-18
STEAM YET in THE LEAD
EXPERIMENTS WITH ELECTRIC Mo-
TORS THUS FAR DISAPPOINTING.
The Erie Makes Fast Run with
with Passenger Train.

For some months the railroad fraternity
has been watching with interest the ex-
periments the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company has been making in running its
trains some of its branches by cleo
tricity. and wondering whether electricity
was TO take the place Of steam as the
motive power for trains. Now ii is stated
that the Pennsylvania will likely postpone
further experiments in that direction. 1t
has been demonstrated that, all things con-
sidered, IL was more expensive 70 haul
trains by electric motors than by steam
locomotives. In all probability it will be
some time before the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company does anything further with
electricity. 1t now has one line. that from
Burlington to Mount Holly, in operation,
but owing TO a number of details which
have not been supplied by the electrical APP
paratus manufacturers the test which was
TO have been made some time ago has been
delayed. This road is giving satisfaction,
as far as the service goes. but owing to
there not being enough traffic TO run trains
at more frequent intervals the cost of OPP
Grating is greater than it would be If the
service was greater.
There was considerable talk last year
about the company making the Camden
& Atlantic road a trolley one, and the
matter was so far discussed by the di-
rectors and officers of the company that
an estimate was made of the cost of op-
Grating an electric road from Camden to
Atlantic City. 1t was found that If the
present system of electricity was adopted
that the cost of operating would be greater
than if the road was operated by the old
reliable locomotive. unless the trains were
run at frequent intervals. 1t was also
found that If the trains were run every half
hour that the cost would be greater than
it is now.
The new discoveries on which expert
ments are now being made are closely
watched by all railroad men, for II they are
successful it will cause a complete change
in the electrical roads now in operation.
Coal and Ore Traffic Increasing.
1t is stated that in the last ten days there
has been a great Improvement in business
with the Ohio roads which haul coal and
ore. At Toledo Cleveland and Erie so
much has business increased that the dock
facilities are taxed to their capacity and
it has been impossible to secure the men
wanted for the work. The Columbus &
Hooking Valley could work more men to
advantage. A conservative estimate places
the ore tonnage handled this season at To-
ledo as equal to the total of last year, and.
while the coal shipments were light in the
carly part OF the season, they have been
so heavy in the last ten days that it is
believed the tonnage of last year will be
exceeded in 1886. NJ. S. Corners. supern-
tendent of the Columbus e. Hooking Val
ley, says that at no time in It's history has
the road been doing the business in July
that ii is this year. At present five $500
ton vessels are loading with coal at the
Hooking Valley dock at Toledo. and four
boats loaded with ore will arrive next
week. The Erie & Pittsburg and Pittsburg,
Youngstown & Ashtabula divisions of the
Pennsylvania lines are handling about 500
carloads of ore every twenty-four hours.
NHA nn0 nd mr. hrrc on, he
land & Pittsburg division is quite heavy
and increasing daily. On the Pittsburg &
Lake Erie and Pittsburg & Western the
,-c,.r- honr