The Portland daily press., 1896-02-01

are getting over their surprise. 1t ia in
every way decisive triumph for Ameri-
can electrical and engineering skill. The
work of building the ponderous machine
was done by the General Electrical Com
pany at its works at Schenectady. The
engines are made to run in either direc-
tion. and rival in size and weight the
largest steam locomotives They are
symmetrical, even handsome, in appear
ance to the eye Of an engineer. and not
disfgured by the series of humps and
bumps to which we are accustomed on
the steam locomotive. They are not play
things, as the following dimensions
show; Number of trucks, two; weight
on driving wheels, 1872, 600 pounds (96
tons); number of driving wheels. eight;
drawbar pull, $4,000 pounds; starting
drawbar pull, $4,000 pounds; gauge,
feet 81 inches; diameter for drivers, so
inches outside Of tires; length, 80 feet;
height to top of cab, IA feet inches; ex-
treme width feet, 81 inches.
The locomotive consists of sheet steel
cab set upon two trucks, each of which
rests upon two pairs of 6s-inoh wheels.
The cab is in two carts, and each is sup
ported upon one truck. OF motors there
are four, one to each axle, being the
largest railway motors in the world.
They are rated at $50 horse power each.
They rest upon cross bars, hung upon
springs upon the side frames of the
truck. The armature OF the motor is not
mounted upon The axle itself, but upon
sleeve through which the axle passes
When the current is turned into the mo-
Gates its motion to the wheel by novel
method. Shrunk on to the ends of the
sleeve is cast steel star, each arm of
which carries two cushions of rubber.
In each wheel are reoeptacles into which
these arms are pressed. As the armature
the wheels on the axles are propelled
forward. This method of suspension al
lows the armature to revolye freely and
adjust itself to any unevennsss of the
track. All the good features of bearings
and lubricating methods known to the
pCou SUCSth pkAOpAoO nAO CA1 OOalpu III Ul6
locomotives, which are fitted with regular
couplers, safety chains, etc.
The cab is sheathed inside with wood.
1t has windows on all sides to give an
unobstructed view. Set up on one
end is controller. turning all the current
into the motors. SO that the greatest pull
is exerted as the train starts, and no
power is wasted. Tne motion OF the mo-
tors may be instantly reversed by pulling
a small reversing lever, protruding
through the top of the controller. Above
the controller are the instruments which
tell the driver the amount and pressure
of the current the motors are taking. A
slot in the floor enables him to keep his
eye on the Commentators of the motors
There Is sloping shield
on each end and each shield
carries headlight and bell, the other
headlight and whistle. The locomotive
is fitted with sand boxes and air brakes.
I'll compressed air for the brakes and
whistle is pumped into tanks by an os-
cillating cylinder air pump, operated by
a small electric motor. As the pressure
in the tanks decreases, an automatic de-
vice speeds up the motor, which stops as
soon as the air in the tanks is at the
right pressure.
Contact with the overhead conductor is
effected by means of a sliding shuttle
like shoe of brass, which is fixed to a
fexile support fastened to the top of the
cab. This trolley support is diamond
shaped and compressible, contracting and
| arranged to lean on one side or The other
as the locomotives run on one side or the
other of the overhead conductor. 1t is
however, rigid in SO far as movement for
ward or backward over the locomotive
is concerned. The current is brought to
the locomotive by cables connected to the
shoe fastened~to the trolley supporf
This shoe is detached automatically frol
the trolley IN case of accident.
The overhead conductors are simply
reversed iron conduits or troughs erected
on trusses in the open space over the
centre of the track. In the tunnel they
are attached to the arch and are set over
the center line of the space between the
tracks, This over headwork extends
from Henrietta street on the south to
Huntington avenue on the north, dis
tance of Is, 600 feet.
The height of the conductors above the
level of the top of the rails is seventeen
| feet, six inches in the tunnel, and they
are fixed little on each side of the CEN
ter line. This plan was adopted to avoid
the risk of striking brakemen who
might be standing on the top Of passing
freight cars. An additional preoaution
is provided in the shape Of continuous
wooden shields fastened to the iron STIR
rup which supports the conductors.
In order that the conductor may form
perfectly continuous circuit. each Sec
| ton is connected to the next by means
of a copper band. Between the conduo-
tors are laid the feeder cables, which
are connected at intervals to the over
head conductors.
The tunnel is lighted by large thirty
two candle power Edison lamps, fixed at
| intsryals of seven and one-half feet on