The sun., 1896-01-19
ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES.
SIGNAL SUCCESS OF THE LOOo-
MOTIVE USED IN BALTIMORE.
the Same Rosd-A 1.8OO-Ton Train
Started from n stnudstiii without n
slip OFT the wheeIs-Gsreat Speed Possible.

Prom the Commercial Trureners Home Mage zine
Within the past few months an experiment
in electrical iocomotion has been made at Bal.
timore which promises to have far-reaching
effect in the world Of transportation. In nm arti-
Gle by DR.. Louis Duncan. published In the Au.
gust number Of the Home Mdydsinc. brief men,
tion is made of the possibilities of the Baltimore
electric locomotive-possi which the
ninety .six-tonner has In every way exceeded
In recent tests, having on several occasions ex-
erted a drawing power beyond that of any
steam locomotive. Before this there had been
considerable talk among experts that while
electricity would serve admirably for street
railway purposes, II was not available for the
heavy freight traffic of railroad. The Balti-
more locomotive knocked every Leg from I'M
der this argument on Oct. q, when n train
1900 feet long. weighing 1.9t0 tons, was
started from q standstill. 1t consisted OF n
freight train of twenty-eght loaded cars and
two Idle steam locomotives coupled to a freight
OF fifteen loaded cars and one idle locomotive.
In starting there was not sputter. spark, or
slip OF the wheels; the train moved Off as II
under ordinary circumstances. quickly reach
ing q speed of twelve miles an hour. and was
pulled through the tunnel without difficulty.
The electric locomotive exerted a starting
drawbar pull of 90. 900 pounds. and a continu.
Gus pull of 10000 pounds throughout the trip.
This is the record of the locomotive up to date
So far no tram has been found that will hold
together that is heavy enough To cause the
locomotive to slip its wheels. and II Is evident
that the full capacity Of the engine has been
by no means reached Another test recently
showed that the locomotive could reach speed
of nearly sixty miles an hour.
The locomotive is one of three with which
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad will pull or
Of baltimore. His tunnel % was S, constracted a ted
for the purpose Of giving the railroad an outlet
to the north: Prcviou, to this the Baltimore
and Ohio trains were ierri,.d across the harbor,
thus losing considerable time and entailing II
c:onsderable financial outlay The saving Of
Baltimore and Ohio to compete with the rival
The tunnel is 7,;,aO feet long, % feet high.
and 22 feet wide. hcng the longest soft earth
tunnel In the world. Its total cost will approx.
mate S7,5O0,00O. Work on the excavation
pleted tunnel was ready for use early in 1895.
1t runs under Howard street. one of Balti-
mores principal thoroushfarcs. 1t was driven
with comparatively little trouble; there was
hardly no interference resulting 10 traffic on
the street T., a6oye' except & q, one point where
building was wrecked as a result. The CON
tractors built II new college to replace the one
that collapsed: Vertical shaft; from the sur
lars of houses along the thoroughfare. so that
the street was never blocked by excavations.
one from the first. and finally led to tho adop-
tion Of electricity as Il motive power. 1t was
use ordinary steam locomotives. but when it
was considered what IL sitting hole the tunnel
would become with so much smoke and steam
1t was evident some other method of trnnspor-
tatiOn must he sought. else the travelling pub
lie would not patroniZe the road. Many plans
tention was paid to the cable system of hauling
trains. but 1t was deemed iinpracticahle in this
instance. and rejected: The General Electric
Company then came forward with proposi-
tion to equip the tunnel for electricity. and
this suggestion carried the day. and three lee
trio locomotives We're ordered built. The other
two are now IN course or construction in Sche-
nectady. y. ".
The electric locoomotiye operates over q line
open air. from the power house on he south to
Huntington avenue on ths north. There are two
tracks in the tunnel. three mt the south end,
and four from the north through the Mount
Royal avenue arch. and two tracks far as
laed Sr the ssa s g1s s
eight per cent. from the south to the north
makes the work OF the electricity all the more
The operation of freight trains through the
tunnel begins at the main tracks at the south
s wshot sSprnS 2e "sd on then
pushes it through us far ns the Mount Royal
avenue portal. the steam engine doing no
work. After passing out OF the tunnel both
steam and electricity are used to take the train
NJ the heavy FradM as far as Huntington ave
nue.. The entire distance Is covered h. an ar-
erage speed of fifteen miles an hour. At
Huntington avenue the electric locomotive un.
S"ups % fr% tms II tr1 , trains VIII
as TO avoid possible danger of accidents which
might be caused by cars leaving the track in
down on the" at the rate OF thirty miles an
hour. The passenger trains will he pulled
from the Lombard street station at the south
end to Bolton street.
The item of most general interest in this
connection Is. of c"nr-e the electric loc'mo;;
such n giant engine: yet though the nincty-siN-
tonner is still somewhat Of AN experiment. it
ure 4
way decisive triumph for American electrical
and engineering skill. The work of bnilding
cral Electric Company at its works at S"hcnec-
tadv. The engines are made To run in either
largest steam iocomotiv"s. They are sym
mctrical. even handsome. In Appearance To the
eye of an engineer and ar" not disiiGured by
the series Of hump, and bumps TO which, we
are accustomed, on the steam locomotive. They
arr not playihinga, as the following dimcn-
on driving wheels. lo.. 900 pounds 90 tons,
number OF driving wheels. eight: drawhnr
pull. 1000 po'.nds; starting drawinr pull
amcter of drivers. q: inches outsi lie Of tires:
length. 10 feet: hciRht to top Of cab, IA feet \
inches: extreme width, 9 feet u. inches.
The locomotive consists of II ~hec, steel rai
set upon two trucks. each of which rests upon
two lairs Of 5",inI!' % wh..is rhr cab Is lin IL,
irlck. Oi motors there are four. ont tn each
axle. being the largest railway motors in the
woril. They are rated NJ 30 hnr," power
zach. They rest ui"n ci",s!mrs. hung uruiI
springs upon the sid" frames Of III" truck.
The armnturc OF III" motor is n@ mounted
rpon I'll" axle Itself. bnt uuon slrc'" th'out III
which the axle nassr-. When the current is
turned int" ~" mut"r the arnarrc ,"v"!Ncs.
and communicates its motion io the ,,h"rl Is
n nose method. Shrunh ont" Tie ends "f The
sleeve Is a cast steel .la", each arm If winch
carries two cushions Of ruhhcr In each
wheel are rcCcptaClcS int which these arms aIc
pressed Az the arnntul" rOtnl"S ihe AIMS ui
me star rcvulNr and the wlrcls on tho axle, arr
propelled forward. This method "l susu"n.
sion allows the armnturr to rcNolNr .rce,y and
adjust itself to any un"ycnncss Of TIE trhi \.
All the GOOD features "f hearings and lubriCNt,
ing methods known 10 tlc lest steam praCtic,
arc embodied in tlIr locomotives. which nr'
fitted with regular o"illrr-. safety chains. d."
The cab l. shrathcd inside witt, wool. II
has windows on all sale. to Civ" nu unobstrucl-
cl view. set up on one rn'i l. u controller
turninc the current int" tE" motors. 50 that
the greatest pull is cNcrtc,l ~ the train starts
and 40 power is wasted. The motion Of tn,
motors may b" instantly reversed by pulling Il
small reversing lever. pr"trllling through I'll,
! top of the controller. Above he controller
+; ara the Instruments which tell the driver tn,
! amonnt and pressure Of thc current that motor,
! are taking. A Slot in the floor enables him II
! keep his eye on the Commentators of the motors
There il II slOping shield On each side nf Ill,
! cab forward and aft. Onc shield carries h;
| headlight and bell. III" ctlcr - headlight an.
! whistle, The locomotive il fitted with SAN