The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-12-01

a Double Third Rail-Many Interesting
| Problems Still Await solution.
When the Metropolitan Street Railway
company of New York decided, after long
leliberation and many experiments, 10 in
stall an underground trolley system upon
| all of the avenue lines that that company
controls, il seemed 10 many who had been
| watching the vast development OF street
and suburban railway capital and traffic
that probably this New York experiment.
| pointed the way TO changes from the over
head to the underground trolley system in
| all cities where there are crowded thor
| oughfares, and hereafter, when new lines
| are established, the motive power will be
| furnished at least i'm the cities, by the un-
foreground trolley system.
President Clark of the New Haven rail
road, who had the courage TO make an ex-
pensive experiment with the third rail sys-
| tenn, is satisfied that that method is in
most respects the most satisfactory for the
open season-that is, from the middle Of
the spring until the middle of autumn.
II the experiments President Clark is
making prove TO be as satisfactory during
the next six months as they have shown
themselves TO be in the past six months, it
is probable that the great railway system
Of which Mr.. Clark is the head will as
soon as possible adopt the third rail for all
its branch and suburban lines, and ulti-
mately that system may be adopted for
the main line.
Yet the experts say that, while the sys-
tenn may contain the highest possibilities
for satisfactory power for short and long
haulage, yet it is by no means perfect, and
l.
come. 1t is true that President Clark is
of the opinion that the danger that turks
in the live third rail is greatly exaggcr-
ated, and that only by the grossest care
lessness or by intention could mortal
shock be received by any one through con-
tact with that rail
There are many other problems which
await solution before the perfect system of
furnishing power, especially for street and
suburban traffic has been secured. The
Pennsylvania Railroad company has de-
cided TO lend its aid in this work of solv-
ing the problems, doing this in co-opera-
ton with the mechanical engineers and
scientists and men of financial authority
who are associated with Mr.. George West
inghouse
The Pennsylvania company has already
laid a track for the purpose of making
these experiments, which offers five miles
of trackage. The tracks have been laid
down in East Pittsburg, almost parallel
with the Pennsylvania railroad tracks tall
though in the valley beneath those tracks,
in which the Westinghouse works are
situated).
Already in those vast yards, a system Of
electric propulsion has been in use for sew
eral years. BY IL the freight cars, which
are switched into the yard and which carry
from the works the machines destined for
distant markets, have been hauled with
economy perfect ease and method. That
system is what is known rs the button
system. Nothing of the plant is discern
IDLE TO the eye, except an iron button
which projects Just above the surface, and
is so made as to interfere in no way with
ordinary traffic. The electric car passing
over this system is propelled by means OF
current communicated to a shoe from
the button.
The system is absolutely safe, the button
is not alive, excepting at the instant OF
time when it is in contact with the shoe.
This system is to be still further tested
thoroughly, without stint as to expense,
so that it may be established to the salts.
faction of capitalists, mechanical and
scientific engineers whether il is the best
or whether it has such defects as will
make it not reasonable TO expect that it
will have great commercial opportunities.
Next, the third rail system is to be tested
in every detail. The tracks which the
Pennsylvania railroad have established,
and which the Westinghouse people are
utilizing with an electric car, are supple
mented by two interior rails-that is to
L. l....
but is what may be called the double third
rail system. This system is now being
tested upon these tracks, very largely for
the purpose of determining whether the
element OF danger can be completely elm
mated, and, if this can be done, whether
the system thus established can be oper-
ated as economically and as satisfactorily
in other ways as the third rail system
with the live rail, such as President Clark
is using upon the branch line near Hart
ford
The Westinghouse people have great
hopes that this problem will be solved sat
isfactorily and in the near future. The
system which they are using only causes
the rails TO be alive when the electric car
is in contact with them. The problem Is
to see whether this can be accomplished
with one rail, thus avoiding the great ex.
pense entailed by the laying OF the add
tional rail now used in the double third
rail system.
The Pennsylvania company, in cooper
alton with the Westinghouse people, is try
ing to solve the problem whether or not it
is better-that is to say more economical
and fully as satisfactory in other ways--to
have train consisting of one electric car
which hauls the others-two, four or six,
as many as may be convenient or expedi
ent. There are TO be prolonged tests to
decide this question.
Then, again, elaborate and exhaustive
experiments and tests are to be made to
determine whether it is better to have each
car fitted with motor, so that it Is capa
BILE of acting independently, and whether
OF not it Is more economical and satisfac-
tory to run single cars thus equipped or TO
run several cars, each capable OF acting
independently of the other and yet con
nected into a single train.
or course the question Of economy is the
chief one for the decision of those who are
engaged in making the experiments. and
yet involved in that question are, OF course,
the safety, the suffciency and the COM
bitterness of any of the systems which may