Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-25

The enormity of the invention that
will produce such speed can scarcely
be realized. In an instant the world
shrinks and becomes one-third the
size it is considered today. Distant
points draw near; San Francisco is
only comparatively around the corner.
and New York is across the way from
Chicago For today, with the steam
locomotive, though we hear of records
of a mile a minute. it must be under
stood that the average speed to be de-
pended upon is only thirty miles an
hour-really insignificant when the 120
miles an hour of the new electric eX-
press is considered. Now it takes
thirty-one hours to go from New York
to ST. Louis: with a lightning express
it will take only a few hours longer to
go from New York right across the con-
tinent to San Francisco. 1t seems like
a page from a fairy book to know that
this vonderful locomotive has already
been constructed.
Naturally at first thought surprise
might be expressed that every rail
road system did not adopt the light
ming express now that it has become a
reality. But Il >
will show the millions of dollars that
must be expended before even the most
enterprising railroad could be properly
equipped for the new express and the
motor power of the road exchanged
from steam to electricity. There is a
great central power house, with its
wonderful machinery for generating
the current; the third rail of copper to
carry the current the distance of the
road the entire new roadbed made
necessary to assure safety for the ter
rifle speed: the cost of the new loco
motive and rolling stock and other
endless expenses.
1t cannot but be matter of time
when these vast changes must be made
in response to popular demand, but the
outlay of unlimited capital cannot
come in a day or a week.
David l.. Barnes, the electric expert
of the Baldwin & Westinghouse COM
panies, says the change in equipment
would cost hundreds of thousands of
dollars. The entire signal systems of
railroads, he says. must be changed
before the lightning express can be
conveniently adopted. Now these sig
nails are in places only a mile apart.
while with the new electric marvel it
will require a clear way of one and
half miles to stop the express. There
must be no grade crossings. The track
must be elevated.
In speaking of the speed features of
the great locomotive Mr.. Burns said
THE collectors are of the sliding con-
IN o. ho &c
certain at high speeds and gives too
little area or bearing surface for the
condition of the current The surface
is too small both in the bearings of the
wheels and at the surface of contact
between the wheels and the conductor.
The local conductors themselves are of
steel so as to have more wearing sur
face and cost less than copper.
There will be no difficulty in collect
ing all the current with sliding con-
tact for a speed of over 100 miles an
hour, WHILE continued Mr.. Burns, Il
may say that very high speed electric
railroads are yet in their infancy. The
greater number of problems connected
with such services are pretty definitely
settled. Those that remain are re-
ceiying daily attention, and when
railroad companies build a safe and
suitable rOadbed the !. locomotives and
the power to drive them are ready for
immediate application without the
risk OF losses from experiments and un-
certain construction.
The electric express only awaits the
roadbed and equipment to leap across
the continent. And that is the minor
part. only requiring capital The en-
cheering part has been practically
solved"