The San Francisco call., 1896-11-22

There has just been turned out by the
Baldwin Locomotive Works and the West
inghouse Electrical Company, working in
conjunction, lightning express electric
locom otive that runs 120 miles an hour.
Here for the first time in any news
paper is the initial announcement of this
latest electrical marvel which will bring
San Francisco within two and half days
of New YORK. Were it not that this WON
derful speed had been attained and that
the electrical express locomotive stands
ready in the yard OF its builders to dupli-
cate the performance the statement might
be received with distrust.
Still while not in the least resem bling
the conventional locomotive in outward
. appearance. this one is considered the
most complete in the world. The frame
is made of ten-inch rolled steel channels,
surrounded by a haif-inch rolled steel
plate, covering the entire floor. This plate
is an important detail, as it gives great
strength to resist blows in collision, and is
intended to protect the lives of passengers
in cases of wrecks and derailments, in the
way the heavy steam locomotive protects
the ordinary train.
This frame is carried on two trucks
which have all the easy riding features of
. car-trucks, that is, soft springs, swinging
motion and free movement. The four
wheeled trucks differ greatly from passen-
ger car trucks, inasmuch as they are made
to stand the heavy strains and thrusts
from the powerful motors.
This is positively the first electric
express engine. The few electric loco
motives that have heretofore been
built have all been to haul freight trains
or to run at low rate of speed.
Perhaps the most interesting feature
from a railroad standpoint is that the
trucks are of the swiveing type, which
permits the locomotive to pass around any
curve that can be passed by a regular
freight engine car, which is performance
not possible with steam express locomo-
tives. The geared connection between the
electric motors and the axles permits the
use OF any sort of gear ratio that is suita-
BILE to the desired speed, and makes this
locomotive adapted to all mechanical de-
tails for slow or high speed. By reason OF
the peculiar and simple construction OF
the trucks and the geared connection be-
tween the axle motors the same locomo-
tive is adapted for both the direct current
and the Tesla system.
In this almost human engine every
point that will reduce loss of motion even
by fraction of second has been care
fully considered. The oriving-whsels are
80 arranged that they may be coupled
with parallel rods when the train to be
hauled is heavy, as such rods will not per-
. NIT one pair of wheels to slip without
slipping the other. This is OF the utmost
importance especially at starting. The
weight of the locomotive is 10000 pounds,
while in length it is 81 feet over the pilots
The motors are directly beneath the car
bed, between the two trucks of the light
ming electric express. and are ''iron-clad"
consequent-pole motors. These motors
are entirely incased in thin steel shells, so
that they are practically free from in
Jury under ali normal conditions OF SER
Vice
The armatures are laminated, and are
made up of thin slotted disks of steel. In
the slots are placed the armature wires.
The communicators are OF the best forged
copper, with mica insulation. The motors
have the highest grade OF insulation.
Power is furnished from a central sta
ton. 1t is communicated to the electric