The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-25
Travels $50 Miles an Hour.
Actual Fact of Accomplished Locomotion on a Sim
gle Track Railway


Special to the Globe
BRUSSELS, July PA railroad
train here has actually made $50 miles
an hour 1t is no theoretical train, nor
computation based on the speed
SHOWN In a two or three-mile run, but
on a regulation railroad, although not
IKE the ordinary railroads used for
freight and passenger traffic.
The fact of the completion of the
road and titsI breaking of all records
mas been kept a close secret until now,
and so this is the first time the news
has been made public. The line of road
upon which this marvellous speed was
made is called the Lartigue Single Rail
system. It's inventor is F. B. Behr
and the line thus constructed is in the
FORM or an almost constant curve, a
tact which makes the tremendous
speed accomplished almost miraculous.
1t was invented and built for the eX-
press purpose of making extraordinary
time, and 1t was believed a single rail
would render the accomplishment of
this task easier than any other sys-
tenn.
1t is a triumph for the advocates of
the single rail. Ever since the Centen-
NAL exposition at Philadelphia in the
United States in 1876, the single rail
has been the subject of very warm dis
cussion among all persons interested in
railroads. There was a section of the
road at that exposition which the writ
er we'll remembers, and which 1T was
predicted at the time would some day
make extraordinary speed. 1t is not,
therefore, totally unexpected that line
constructed on very much the same
plan should have achieved such Won
derful results as the one mentioned.
The carriage which is used on this
road, which Of course is operated by
electricity, is about fifty-nine feet long.
The lower part consists of two bogies
or cases connected with each other by
special joint. These bogies contain
the main and guide wheels and the
electric motors. The upper part con-
sists of one single carriage body with
seats for 100 persons, a compartment
for the motoneer in front, and one for
the conductor In the rear.
In the motoneer's compartment are
two brakes, one by which the resistance
speed of the train when travelling at
its highest velocity; the other an ordi-
nary friction brake acting on the
wheels for finally stopping the train.
These two brakes can easily be han
died by the motoneer from his position
at the switchboard.
Each boyle has four carrying wheels,
that is, eight for the whole carriage,
to four of which are attached electric
motors, one to each wheel. These mo-
tors weigh about three tons each and
develop $50 horse power at 600 revolu-
tions a minute, equivalent to about
100 miles an hour. This speed it is
proposed to attain on the new line.
Each bogie carries also sixteen horizon
tai guide wheels, that is, thirty-two
altogether. Their principal object is
to maintain the equilibrium of the car
riage, and to transmit to the guide rails
the pressure produced by the centri-
fUgal force which is developed by the
carriage in going around curves.
The line itself is constructed so as
to easily resist any pressure which may
be produced, land it is chiefly the con-
structlon ofsthe line in it's relation to
the guide wheels and the carriage gen
orally, which enables the train to travel
at the rat of $50 miles an hour without
danger OF derailment or any of the &C
ciGents liable to happen, under similar
circumstances, on an ordinary double
rail railway. The total weight of the
carriage is about fifty tons, or half a
ton of dead weight per passenger.
The pressure exercised upon the line
at a speed Of $50 miles an hour by the
centrifugal force is about eighteen tons.
so that the tractive power required will
be increased as if the carriage had an
q of ole hi TO-, VIZ
cost of traction will, therefore, be very
moderate, in comparison with that of
an ordinary express train.
The construction of a similar line
along one of the great trunk lines OF
Europe, including rolling stock, cleo
trical generating station, and every
thing required for the complete work
ing of the line, exclusive of land,
would cost from $4,000 to $4,000 per
mile. The working expenses would,
however, be so much less than that of
the ordinary double rail railways that
these lines could be constructed wher-
ever a large passenger traffic was as
sured giving considerable interest on
the capital employed, by charging the
public very reasonable fares-in all
cases less than the first-class fares
charged at present on ordinary lines.
The electricity is supplied to the mo-
tors from an electrical generating sta
ton furnishing about 1000 horse pow
err This electrical station, containing
dynamos working with $50 volts ana
100 amperes, is connected with the line
itself by a copper cable, which trans
mits the current to the electrical con-
ductor placed along the line. This con.
ductor consists of steel rail carried on
china insulators attached to the sleep
ers of the line, and from this conductor
the current passes by means of special
collectors into the motors.
The curves of the line are much
sharper than those used on the great
European trunk lines, and the transit
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