Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-12-03
NEW CAR SCHEMES.
HIGHEST POINT NOT REACHED IN
UNDERGROUND TROLLEY SYSTEMS.

HIGHEST POINT NOT REACHED IN
UNDERGROUND TROLLEY SYSTEMS.
The Pennsylvania Railways Plan Exten-
sive Experiments at East Pittsburg With
a Double Third Kail--Many Interesting
Problems Still Await Solution.
When the Metropolitan Street Railway
company Of New York decided, after long
dclihcration and many experiments, to in
stall an underground trolley system upon
all Of the avenue lines that that company
controls, it seemed to 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 tho over
head to the underground trolley system in
all cities where there are crowded thor
oushfarcs, and hereafter, when new lines
furnished, at least in the Cities by the un-
foreground trolley system.
President Clark of tho New Haven rail.
road who had the courage to make an cx-
pcnsive experiment with the third rail sys-
tenn, is satisfied that that method is in
most respects the most satisfactory for the
open scason-that Is, from the middle of
the spring until tho middle of autumn.
If tho experiments President Clark is
making prove to be as satisfactory during
the next six months as they havo shown
themselves tc be in the past six months, it
is probable that the great railway system
Of which MIR. Clark is the head will as
soon rs possible adopt the third rail for all
it's branch and suburban lines, and ulti-
mately that system may bo adopted for
tho 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
the element of danger has not been over
come 1t is true that President Clark is
of the opinion that the danger that turks
in the live third rail is greatly exaggcr-
atctl, and that only by the grosscst caro-.
lcssness or by intention could mortal
shock DO received by any one through con
tact with that rail
There arc many other problems which
await solution before the perfect system Of
furnishing power, especially for street and
suburban traffic, has been secured. Tho
Pennsylvania Railroad company has de-
cided to lend its aid in this work of solv-
ing the problems, doing this in co-opcra-
ton with tho mechanical engineers and
scientists and men of financial authority
who are associated with Mr. George West
inghouse
The Pennsylvania company has already
laid track for the purpose OF making
these experiments. which offers five miles
of trackage. The tracks have been laid
down in Fast Pittsburg, almost parallel
with the Pennsylvania railroad tracks (al-
though in tho valley beneath those tracks,
in which the Westinghouse works arc
situateD
Already in those vast yards, system Of
electric propulsion has been in use for sew
cral years BY it the freight cars which
are switched into the yard and which carr:
from the works tho machines destined for
distant markets, have been hauled with
economy, perfect ease and method. That
system is what is known as the button
system. Nothing Of the plant is discern
ible to tho 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
a 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
b that it may be established to the salts
faction of capitalists, mechanical and
scientific engineers whether it 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
,ncnted BY two interior rails-that is to
say, it Is not a single third rail system,
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 tho third rail SYSTEM
with the live rail, such as President Clark
10 using upon the bral.ch 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
IL in contact with them The problem II
to sec whether this can be accomplished
with one rail- thus avoiding the great ex-
pense entailcd by the laying of the addi-
tional rail now used in the double third
rail system.
Tho Pennsylvania company, in cooper
stion with the Westinghouse people, Is try
Ing to solve the problem whether or not it
is bettcr-that is to say, more economical
and fully as satisfactor, In other ways-to
have train consisting Of one electric car
which hauls tho Others two, four or six,
ns 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 q motor, SO that 1t Is capa-
BILE of acting Independently, and whether
or not it is more economical and satisfac-
tory to run single cars thus equipped or to
1T m n