Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-09
Electricity vs.. Steam.

From tha Boston Herald.
At recent meetings of the American In
StitEte Of Electrical Engineers. first in Nsv
York and later in Chicago. q discussion
took place on eleg.rjc traction under steam
railway conditions, this matter having been
first openea by a paper prepared by DR..
Charles Z. Emery. The gentlemen who
We're present at these gatherings were
practical men. many of whom possessed
a wide and thorough knowledge OF railway
practice, as carried on ba.h by steam loco
motives ans! electric motors. There was. a.
might be supposed, considerable L.ffer-
eTTce OF opinion as 10 how far electricity
could generally be utilized on steam rmI-
roads, though with a tOlerab,e agreement
that, TOR suburban passenger tranSpOr;st
ton, there was no reason why il should
not shortly take the place cf the ordinary
steam traction. But when it came to the
question CT long distance traveI-rhat is
the equipment of a great railroad system
covering thousands Of miles with electric
motive power-the weight of opinion
seemed to be that there was little present
reason for believing that such a change
could wisely be made.
1t was pointed cut, in the first place.
that the expense would be very large. and
that it woulG be hard to convince railroad
managers that they were justified in going
10 this greatly increased outlay by the saw
ing in the costs of operation which would
result t.herefrOm. The cost OF maintenance
when transmission lines. trolley lines and
trolleys are taken into account, would
probably be quite as great with electric
motors as with locomotives The saving
in fuel would undoubtedly he cursi,ier-a bic;
but, taking the saving in both fuel and car
riage ard in the decrease in the total load
thus hauled. the gain. taking the average
OF railroad experience, would result in 4
saving of less than per cent in operating
expenses. 1t is sometimes assumed that
an electric motor train would be lighter
than the train Cf cars now ordinarily en-
ployed, but it is to be apprehended that
this would not be the case TIE tendency
Of the times is toward increasing the
weight of passenger cars. because the
heavier vehicles are easier riding, and
hence more agreeable to passengers. 1t
would be just as easy to have light cars
with steam engine as with an electric
motor, and the fact that they are not used
in one case makes it evident that they
would not be employed in the other
ON the question CT speed, there seemed
to be some difference Of opcnion, but. ap-
Parently, the general view of the engin-
eers was that an electric motor had vet
TO be constructed that would prove more
servtceable in this respect than some of
the steam locomotives that are in daily
use There were, of course, other points
brought UP for discussion. such as the va
fsattonS in demand for electric power in, a.
large railway system, and the difficulty of
properly meeting these; but. as We have
S2lG. II 's not probable. Judging by the
general conclusions reached, than anv rail-
way company in the country doing a gen.
eral business over Il large area will i'm
meCtately reconstruct its entire system by
GlSplacing steam locomotives and intro
dliclrS electric motors in their place.