The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-15
COMING HOIIpE row n.
Electricity on the Pennsylvania Rail-
TOHt..


a prominent official of the Pennsylvania
i'eln Vau COMPANY mas be-n estimating
Tie Il-Itial cost u Installing an cleDtIl-dI
tq-4rn.Oht, ana hc LAS affINeu al tue
Conclusion thai II me change were maze
IL Mtu.A ltsuit Ia sahIhS IN operating
eApeh@es VI IC.i per cent. annually.
rour metnous were USED 10 determine
Tie amOeht VI power required: rIrst, by
t~hIhB lac tOtal number vi LIIes run pr
year ~ all trains ana REDUCING to an
hourly uamc, and multiplying by the
power reQ1iieu fcr tram. InIs save a to-
TAI VI Ify,-5v noise power required. Sec
oLd, by taxing the yearly movement OF
freight ana passengers and reducing Il
10 an hourly Dasla, with proper aiOn D..
ances. his method resulted IN I.C. 40
horse power required. 1hird, by taxing
the hunter OF locomotives and multiply
lux Dy the aVetase power developed by
each, making proper allowance tor ell
gines not in use This gave result Of
l''i,JJo horse power required. and fourth,
by taking the coal consumption per horse
power Ter hour. This gave lil5.3 horse
pow or required.
The last estimate. being the largest,
ana. II Is thought, probably the most ac-
cuiate. was tahen as a basis, and % per
cent. was added TO allow for Increased
traffic nj certain seasons OF the year. and
again - per cent. 10 cover the heaviest
demands during the day at such times
r.
and as this was the amount estimated az
required celivere. on the track. il was
considered necessary TO have SO w horse
power 81 the stations.
The plan OF estimate then divides the
line into sixty sections OF forty-nye miles
each, ana GiVes each section a power
plant Of 600 horse power. the total cost
for the sixty stations Is given at $3.50 90.
The cost Of 1900 motors 10 take the place
or i,eyO engines was added. and the cost
Tor the entire electric equipment Of the
system amounts to Si3.520vO.
The cost for the operation Of this plant
was giYen az s2.12i 500. and subtractiug
Tins IRON The saving In operating ex-
penses. which was given at Ss.6a6 1927 the
mel annual saving would be A.SSl Gi2 -,
or more than u rer cent. on the total cost
OF the installation.
Continuing. the official said:
IT the claims made. as the result OF
these experiments. are well founded. cleo
tricity would prove cheaper and safer
would Increase the comfort OF passengers
ana render more raGid transit rossi BILE
Such being the case. why should Il not
supersede steam? II railroad managers
were convinced that these claims are true
a Transformation Of their lines would at
once be undertaken. hat they are not con-
WINGED. and will not be until they learn
the facts In their own way. and that may
we'll he by going slowly and irving a
ranch road here and another there until
they have obtained a sufficient amount
OF data from actual experience TO dispel
all doubt.
when that point q. reached the trars-
formation will bs rapid and the complete
~'i w"r field will
take pl.c. sta pscs equal 70 II not great
or th-r that ~ r.. street railways.
ALREADY the New New Haven. and
Hartford ard the Pennsylvania srr foel-
ing th"ir vav by exrerirentinp In branch
roads vi-h li~hi eruirnents This work
will 30 doubt r. followed IN nv ths e1rin-
mont II rcre inncr'nni branches with
HEAVIER rolling stock. until suNicient
ar'rr"t # rracticai dafs IS obtained to
irssffv \ cfnr-e ~ entire sv~ter1s. This
sar-c cour+e vii IN FL probability. he fo,-
lowed hv other railroads ard. 81. elec-
tri,.ifv nav r-f- strong fOcfHcld on
'ru1'r ''0e -ni'v-v- much sooner than us
most saneuine friends expect"