Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-30
REPORT ON THE AIR MOTOR
Commissioner Blacks Opinion Based on the
LEGAL Tests.
Recommends Authority for the
upoS ss;aed Conditions.

/ IshSiHccE SoHlul46SiOneF BLACK IulS AFTER
noon made his final report to the Commits
| sioners upon the application of the Eek
| fngton and Soldiers Home Railroad Com
pany for permission to use compressed air
| as a motive power on its street car lines.
Commissioner Black. as heretofore pre-
dicted in The STAR. reports that the air
motor in the tests required of it has proved
satisfactory. in So far as the passenger re-
Quirements are concerned, but says that
| the capability to compete economically with
the best type of underground electric street
car equipment has not been proved and is
| doubtful.
Capt. Black opens his report to the Com
mfssioners by referring to the several acts
| of Congress upon the question and refers
| to the several tests and hearings that have
been made and given by the Commissioners.
He says the statements made by the re-
ceiver of the railroad with reference to the
economic questions involved were carefully
examined, but it was found impossible to
verify these data from any information
available, owing to the fact that there is
no air motor line in operation run with
machinery under conditions at all SINH
lar to those found here. Then follows a
list of the tests made and the results at
tafned. Continuing Commissioner Black
says:
improvements Needed.
From all of the above it IS evident to
me that it is mechanically possible to oper-
ate an air motor car of the pattern and
capacity of the one tested over the routes
of the lexington and Soldiers Home and
Belt railways. The only improvements
needed for the comfort and convenience of
the passengers are that the exhaust should
be muffed and that the air from the ex-
haust should be discharged at a point
from which 1t can escape without drawing
up an excessive amount Of dust now noted
when ascending grades starting under
a heavy load.
1.-The economic questions presented re-
main unsettled, and do not see how they
can be settled conclusively except by
tlctual operation of the line or a portion
CT it with air motor cars under service
conditions"
Claim of Advocates.
Commissioner Black refers to the claim
of the advocates of the air motor system
that the car can be with an expendi-
ture of 400 cubic feet of free air per mile,
and that the reservoir capacity is sufficient
to permit route of ten miles without re-
charging. References are made 70 the sew
eral tests, and attention is called to the
fact that these figures have not been adj
tered to.
This fact, apparently, seems to be well
understood by the persons interested in the
introduction of the air motor, and We find
that in the past Summer for the first time
SO far as is kaewno claims have been made
that it will be necessary, and had always
been contemplated under the law. that
pipe line for recharging stations should be
laid. At first thisfpipe line was asked for
simply as feederrfOr terminal stations
In Mr.. Scheepfissletter of September 20 it
will be notedothatbthe receiver there states
that rechargiHg stations will be made at
intervals ofone-half mile
In other words;dt would seem to be ad-
mitted that practical operation over long
routes with heavy grades would require
pressed air and consequently such great
pressures and consequent loss of power
that the ain motor promoters themselves
now desire relief In the shape of recharg-
ing stations at intervals short enough to
permit running with oars with a less pres
sure in the reservoirs
This, 1t is submitted, presents the air
motor as a means OF street car propulsion
in light very different from that claimed
when heisnabfngs laws were discussed and
passed. Besides the proposition would
seem to be without warrant of law.
Terminal RechaFging Station.
Returning to 1.-THE proposition of using
air motor cars with terminal recharging
stations only, as previously stated, the cost
of operating the air motor cars under the
unfavorable mechanical conditions this
would prescribe cannot be determined.
1.-THE tests have shown that air-motor cars
having the power and reservoir capacity of
those tested are able to meet the mechani-
cal requirements of the lexington and Belt
systems so far as it is possible to show
this by tests made during snort periods
and entirely in the summer season.
In conclusion Commissioner Black says:
Under these circumstances it is my opin-
ion the Commissioners cannot refuse to
approve of an equipment of these lines
with air motor cars of the type, power
and reservoir capacity of those tested when
provided with arrangements for muffiing
tie air and discharging it at some point
where it will have no effect upon the road
way, and also to authorize the construc-
ton of a sufficient limited number of con-
veniently located terminal charging sta
tions. provided with proper recharging
machinery"