Evening star., 1897-05-15
THE AIR MOTOR
How the System Now Being Tried
Here Worked in New York.
TESTS MADE BY An EXPERT.
Only Actual Experiences of the
Motor Referred To.
THE TIME VERED

In view of the experiments being
ma de by the lexington and Soldiers Home
! Railway Company with its air motor, a
| report regarding the work of this same
| me tor when it was tested on the LcnoN
| avenue line in New York is CT special in
| terest The report of these tests. sum-
| mary of which follows. was made by an
| expert VINO had every facility TO know what
was being done. In his report no comment
is ade upon the system employed in the
air motor. Only actual experiences of the
air motor are referred to. in order to show
hcw 1t operated when attempt
made TO run IL in New York.
This report covers the period from Sep
! tember %. lSd. to January 22 1857. The
| car noted in the report g. No. i02 is the
one Eow being experiment. with in this
| city. making occasional traps between the
Eckirgton power house and 18th aSd q
! streets.
| Some CT the experiences met 10y these
motors are noted in the following MEM
| orarda:
September "a. 1916: About half-past IL
pm. something exploded in the power
! hctse, where a party Of gentlemen were
| inspecting the air motor.
| September -: Car made first trial trip
| last night. Metropolitan railroad people
were On hand to witness 1t, but were told
1t would not take place. After they left
| the trial was made. Went down nicely but
| had hardly sufficient air to get back
September 2s-Between a::so and 1890 p.
| lh., the air car had another trial. There
was considerable lamp wick cdor from
the stove Motormen passing on other
| cars remarked that II the line was
equipped with such cars the residents in
| the streets would he obliged to vacate.
| Car made considerable noise If engines
! were pounding the tracks.
| September -9-Car lacked up. No trial
| since.
| October 5-Two trips last night the car
| being charged at each trip.
| October S-Air car people talking of re-
| ductng the size of the wheels of the trucks.
| Also of putting a pipe from 146th street 10
| 119th street, so that cars can be recharged
| at that point.
October 1.-Two trips made. Great COM
| plaint on the roughness of the car.
| October 12-In the trip of yesterday the
engineer in charge could not be persuaded
| to run up hill.
October 14-started at lis pm. When it
| had gone mile q gasket blew out. Car
| had to be towed in. Passengers frightened.
October i5-Four trips The first three
| trips carried passengers. The last trip,
! when travel was heaviest, passengers re-
| fused.
October 16-spent seven hours driving
| joints. Two trips made. On the first trip
| car behind was delayed.
| October 2D-Nine trips made yesterday
| ard three four today. The last trip
| car gave out at 135th street, and was push
| ed in by one of the electric cars. Motor
| man said the air had given out
| October %: Air car gave out at 10th
street, going south: pushed home.
| November IL: Considerable trouble with
| the reducing valve, which leaks. thus burst
| Ing the flexible hose connections between the
| reducing valve and the motor. Necessary
| to adjust parts after few trips, as every
| thing shakes lose. The cars are continual
ly blowing out the packing around The
piston rod
| November %: Fourth car arrives. Cars
| pushed in a number of times. Morning OF
| November n, about O'Clock 407 took
fire from the stove used in heating the air
and was badly burned. Estimated cost of
4 repairing the car 500.
November 30: Yesterday the air motor
| blew out. Had trouble from freezing, and
| the cars were pushed in several times.
This morning not a car was run.
| December /: Car 400 pushed in twice.
| Car AL broke down 135th street. and
was pushed in with two wheels Sliding
piston said to be stuck. Car al was
pushed around the curve al 1G9th street
on trip.
| December .: Car All pushed in three
| times. Once with all four wheels sliding.
| One trip a joint gave out and on another
ran out OF air.
| the reducing valve during Two trips: prob
ably frozen and had to be pushed in.
December 4: Car 4ii2 pushed in four
times, All twice and 421 once. Freezing OF
| troubles.
| December 3: Gar No. 402 blew out a
gasket and vas pushed in.
December 8: Car All pushed in short of
air.
| December %: Car All Stuck in front OF
car hot sc December IL. Car 2il went to
the rescue, and ii also got stuck, but final
| ly they started.
December Is: Car All blew out n cylin-
der head at lois. street and had to be
pushed hcme. The day of the snow storm.
December 16, the air cars only ran to l25th
street, and after the track was thoroughly
cleared On the first trip .he car could
| barely get home and had 20 be pushed in.
December %: On Monday the cylinder
tested for 2.GO pounds air pressure and
ran up to 5l00 pounds hydraulic pressure,
exploded, making the noise of a cannon.
One piece of bottle weighing fifteen pounds
was picked up two blocks away.
January 1, 1897: December 25 car No
4O2, valve frozen and car pushed in from
l09th street. Car All, valve frozen, car
2s car 4O2 was pushed mp the hill at l0ath
street on three trips, and on another trip
the valve frcze. Car had to be pushed fn
December -: Car 402, valve frozen; car
pushed in. December 80. car il1. At 4;3o
pm, at l37th street. blew out a cylinder
head, blowing Up the trap doors. Ladies
waiting at crossing badly frightened. On
December 81, car 402 blew out the ccnnec-
tions, ripped out the floor of the car. maxi
ing kndling wood OF siN-lneh oak sils
eral windows In the car, also several lamps;
nut holes through the roof and did
other damage. -
January s: Car i2G pushed up 1o9th
January 8: Car 4n pushed up 109th
street twice; car 426 pushed up three times.
EXPECT ROUGH WATER