The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1897-07-25
SAN FRANCISCO TO NEW YORK IN "A HOURS
THEORY AN ACTUAL FACT OF ACCOMPLISHED
LoCoMoTIoN ON A SINGLE TRACK RArLwAY--oNE
HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILES AN HOUR

be increased as IL the carriage had an
additional weight of eighteen tons. The
cost of traction will, therefore, be very
moderate in comparison with that Of an
ordinary express train
Th construction Of similar line along
one of the great trunk lines of Europe,
including rolling stock, electrical gener-
atlng station, and verything required
for the complete working of the line,
exclusive of land, would cost from $40, 900
to $4,000 per mile. The working expense
would however be SO much less than that
of the ordinary double rail railways that
these lines could be- constructed where
ever 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 power.
This electrical station, containing dy-
namos working with $50 volts and 1870
amperes, is connected with the line itself
by a copper cable which transmits the
current to the electrical conductor
placed along the line. This conductor
consists Of steel rail carried on china
insulators attached to the sleepers 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 sharp
err than those used on the great European
trunk lines, and the transition curve be-
tween the principal curve and the
straight lines could not be made Of the
length required for such high speed, as
the line is much too short and the length
of the four transition curves ought ac-
cording to calculation, to absorb nearly
the whole length Of the line.
The appearance of the interior of he
car is somewhat peculiar. The COM
partments in each car are three in num-
Der. The seats are along the side instead
Of crosswise. They are not chairs nor
are they in the form of huge benches,
nor like those in the first and second
class carriages in ordinary use on Eu-
ropean lines. On the contrary, it is as
If two long seats, heavily cushioned, had
been placed lengthwise Of the compart-
ment, one on each side. Then, at dis
tances of about three feet, upholstered
sections of wood have been placed about
two-thirds the width of the seat, or a
little deeper than the shoulders Of a
large man.
The side pieces run from the cushion
at the bottom to the top of the back and
a person sitting in one of the seat Sec
lions finds himself very thoroughly sep
arated from his neighbor. 1t is by far
the most curious arrangement that eX-
lists in railroad car of modern days
and the exact reason for it's peculiar con-
struction is found in the statement of
the inventor that the seats have been
planned so that the passenger would
feel the motion of the car in very slight
degree.
The one peculiar feature of the train
on this new railroad is that it's motion
Is decidedly different from the ordinary
railway coach on a double rail track
The effect on people is something akin
to seasckness, and very few persons
escape being annoyed by this NAL dc
mer of the land.
From the facts given it will be seen
that train can travel on the great Eu-
ropean trunk lines, under normal con-
ditions, safely at $50 miles an hour.