The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-11
INDUSTRIAL.

According to the Philadelphia Inquir-
er, the anthracite trade has received
with apathy the announcement OF the
formation of Il new coal combination
and the severe restriction in mining
operations. There has been no rush 10
buy coal. a few orders have come in
for small cargoes TO patch out stocks,
but this has been about all the buying
The weather has been too mild to cause
an active retail demand and wholesalers
have such considerable stocks on hand
that they are under no necessity of buy :
ing now. Prices have really been ad-
vanced to the circular adopted by the
sales agents, and are held there. 1t is
not considered probable any change VIII
be made before April. The western
trade is also dun. The restriction of
the week has enabled the companies TO-
get good many cars that We're stand
ing upon the tracks unloaded and avail
able for service once more. But 1t viii
be necessary to restrict the output
sharply for the balance of the month in
order that the excessive stocks at stor-
age yards shall be reduced to an ordin-
airy working supply. While so much
unsold coal remains above ground prices
can hardly be advanced much. and un-
til the weather becomes colder the de-
mand cannot become large.
-:-:-
The new electric locomotive upon
which George Westinghouse, jr., has
been working for months past. has ut
last been completed by the Baldwins
of Philadelphia and will soon receive
a trial on the Turtle Creek branch of
the Pennsylvania railroad in Fast Pitts
burg. 1t is described as an odd-lookng
ccntrivance. To the ordinary eye 1t APP
pears very much like common box car.
1t is thirty feet long and of the same
width and height as the box freight
car. But there the resemblance stops.
The new electric locomotive Is painted
a handsome dark green and striped with
broad bands of gold. There are WIN
dows on both sides, like those i'm an Or
binary passenger coach. The whole
thing is mounted upon eight wheels,
distributed In two four-wheel trucks.
As the new locomotive left the Baldwin
shops it weighed thirty tons. The West
nghouse company will add another
thirty tons i'm the shape of electrical
mechanism. making total weight of
sixty tons. This is near the weight of
an ordinary steam locomotive for pas
senger use. a great advantage of the
electric locomotive Is that to increase
the pulling power it is not necessary to
add TO the original weight of the en-
gine. Although the new engine is thir-
~ feet long, Il compartment only eight
feet square is all that will be required
for the electrical mechanism that APP
pears above the floor. That compart-
ment is in the forward end. The other
twenty-five feet of space can be utilized
for any purpose, such as u caboose for
trainmen II tool car. a smoking car.
or u work car. The interior is fitted up
plainly, but can be made quite comfort
able \ cowcatcher is attached in front.
and also an electric headlight that will
make the track bright as the MONDAY
for nearly half Il mile. This locomotive
will carry no coal. no boiler. no tender.
no iirebOx. no water to make steam. The
only thing viii be the powerful motor
somewhat on the order of the motor
used in trolley cars, but very much
larger. One man will run 1t. lie will
be called the driver instead of an ensi-
neer or n motorman. No fireman will