The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-11
STEAM IS SOON TO 60.
Electric Locomotive is Nearer Here
Than Supposed.
That Is the Opinion Of f. G. Elliott OF
Pullman Company.

1.-THE electrical locomotive will be here
sooner than most people think, said C|E
Elliott. chief electrician for the Pullman
company, the other evening as he talked
with me while waiting for the limited TO
continue its journey westward. "In my
position cannot talk too much nor tell all
] know, but / can say that the electric loco
motive is far moro practical than the un-
Initiated have been led to suppose.
"Is the Pennsylvania railroad to adopt
the electric locomotive soony" / asked.
"Now, can't tell you that The Penn
sylvania railroad, like all the other rail-
roads, is keenly alive to the possibilities OF
electricity. They will adopt IL sooner than
you may imagine, but / cannot say how
soon that will be Think of the saving Of
running expenses. say there are 800 loco
motives on the division between here and
Altoona. That means 800 engineers and
300 flremcn and 300 boilers. Now, 150 boil
ers instead of 800 in four or six stations in
that distance will mean IA wonderful saving
in the number of men. 1t will take less
fuel and will mean as much power, for
There will bc less waste. This alone VIII
cut down running expenses 80 per cent
"Then, did you ever think Of the fact
that there are four points at which the
drivers of steam locomotive are power
less? Well, shero are. There arc dead cen
tcrs whenever the piston stands straight
from the cylinder. This occurs twice in
every revolution, hence four times whep
both sides arc counted. That cannot hap
pen in the electric locomotive, for the pow.
er is applied IN circular direction and is
continuous"
(Which is the stronger, an electric or a
steam locomotive"
II don't know whether II has been rem
orally published or not, but that point has
been pretty well settled, and il was decided
not long ago at that. The Baltimore and
Ohio people were curious as to that very
point, and about year ago, just after they
got their big 80 ton electric engine at work
in tho Baltimore tunnel, they decided TO
try it In u wrestle with q steam engine.
A monster engine, weighing IA much as
the electric machine, was produced, and tho
giants were fastened together back to back.
"The word was given, and the men in
control of each monster threw on the pow
or. There was a wonderful putting and
snorting by the steam engine, but the cleo
trio locomotive, making no noise and
smoke, pulled the steam fellow right of
his feet and dragged him away. That con-
vinccd the B. and O. people about the re-
spcctiye strength OF the two powers.
'lt is hard To say yet which method
will be the popular one in long distance
lines, the underground or overhead trolley.
The underground system is considered very
favorably by those who are familiar with
IL. The line in Washington is one Of tho
very best trolley roads in the country, and
II has the underground wires. The third
rail is well liked by the elevated railroad
people IL SENS adapted 20 their kind of
work
cts too early 20 say just when the movo
by the railroad companies will begin i'm
earnest, but TO deny that they are seriously
considering the move IL 60 deny tho facts.
The progress made In working with cleo
tricity warrants my assertion that we will
have the electric instead of the steam loco
motive before most people think we will
There Is so much tn bc gained by the
use Of electricity generally that It's uses are
only dreamed Of now. Yes, we are going
20 light the Pullman cars by self generated
electricity soon. We have been working
upon the method OF having generators Mt
tachcd to the axlcs OF tho cars md will have
it I'm practical shape before many months
No, cannot say how soon. That's one OF
the things l must not ."--Pittsburp
Dispatch