Evening star., 1896-12-28
AN ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
It is to Be Operated by the Third-Rail
System.
Probability That II Will Take the
Place of the steam Engine
Rapid Rate of Speed.

That there is to be complete revolution
in the means of Iropelling trains on the
great trunk lines of this country and that
steam will give place to electricity as soon
as the problem of producing that motive
power on large scale economically is
solved is the opinion of the officials of the
Baldwin locomotive works in Philadelphia,
as stated by one Of them to a Star re-
porter yesterday:
'It is our opinion" the official said, that
il is but question of time when electric
locomotives will be used to haul passenger
and freight trains on all the various trunk
lines ir the United States, If not in the
world, and in order to ascertain Just what
can be done in that direction We have had
built an electric locomotive. which, pro-
vidcd It is run on tracks of proper weight
will be able to develop a speed equal to
more than 100 miles an hour.
There would be no especial reason for
making an electric engine that will run as
out steam engines that are capable of max
ing ninety miles an hour. one of which runs
daily between Philadelphia and Jersey City
over the tracks of the Reading and Jersey
Central companies unless the effect of the
substitution would be to lessen the cost of
operating.
Already In Use.
tives have been built and operated with
success. there being two or three I'm the
service of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company at the Belt Line tunnel in Bal
timore. and at one other place in tina, city.
where they have performed all that the
contract stipulated they should do. These
are all run by the trolley system, which,
for very heavy trains and long distances.
as, for instance, between Washington and
Philadelphia, is considered impracticabIe
by most trunk line managers, on account
of the expense attached.
Take. for example. passenger train OF
six or eight heavy coaches and Pullmans,
such as are run every day and many times
a day, between New York and Philadelphia,
or the latter city and Washington. With
trolley wire would be entirely worn out
after q train had made one round trip, SO
that it can be easily seen that the expense
on this account removes it from the field
Of consideration.
The Third-RaiI System.
cat this time the most practicable sys-
tenn for moving very heavy trains. such as
have already been referred to. seems to
be that of the third rail. and 1t is by that
system that experiments are now being
made with the engine We built, at the
works of the Westinghouse Electric Com
pany in Pittsburg. We have been inform
ed. though not officially. that the engine
has shown that it can produce a speed
equal to over 100 miles an hour. but
would rot guarantee it to do that on any
track unless the rail weighed from 100 to
125 pounds to the yard. q kind of rail of
which but little, II any, is used on any Of
our railways, but which it will be neces-
sary to substitute for the present track
when railroads get ready to put electric
in service If they want to
make faster time than can be made by To-
comotives as at present propelled.
1.-THE new locomotive Is totally unlike the
steam locomotive so universally used on
railways. and In general appearance. Is
much like an ordinary passenger coech.
except that 1t Is not intended to carry nor
Is 1t provided with any accommodation for
passengers excep. those necessary to op-
crate 1t.
Description Of the Ensine.
at fs the first OF its kind in the world. Is
thifty-tWo feet In length. and weighs 5000
pounds. The spread of the tracks IN seven
feet: diameter of wheels, forty-two inches
and Il h Arranged for four 80 o0-horse-power
motors. two on each truck, and is equipped