The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-21
r,pl.eed N. ,.e.m .nrIne.. ana. q. .h.,e have

replaced the steam engines, and. - these have
power to handle their trains on all parts OF the
The, Are S.SsEn int use before ihs SsSs
The. work o. Installing The, electric system. and
an overhead trolley wire. was planned and
carried out while the more Important. under
diton 10 the stock Of boilers in the power house
and OF two big engines and dynamos to work
WORK was going on in The bower sonss' II Wes
the addition OF q 1,O00-horse- power engine to
the three engines While were already installed
Ing. and sResves for two extra cables had also
to be provided. Now the work is completed.
Imagine yourself In the power house at busy
hour In the morning. AZ the further end Of the
house. TO the westward. you ace one OF the great
electric motors to switch the trains. At the
eastern end Of the house you sec another 600
lug on which there are four cable;driying
drums: two OF these drums arc at work. This
ss lS.n sT oTss e
along the line Of .hafting, is a cable drum.
then a7o horse; power eo engine. then two cable
power engine. Tho i.ooo.horss-p power. engine
into use. When The rush hours are are over the
s1S horse power engine put Into operation
horse. power engine drives the cables. ''' '''
ltisa curious fact that the Increased number
OF trains makes little difference IN the power
required to move them. As ell are attached to
cables moved by the name engines they balance
one another on the grades OF tho bridge. and
overcome the rolling friction OF their wheels
and bearings.
nnds that new set OF carrying shraves has
been lad between the t5,sk, ~ ineh.. to one
running side by side that distance apart all tho
way sGro,, the bridge and back: Then one on:
rails and bs4 inches to one side are the new rails.
80 placed that tho new cable rnns just midway way
orssteS on n s"oS side " Of th. Spds.. MAKING
four.trsek bridge. without taking up more room
than bN inches on each side; Where these
cross The old oral rails and are crossed in taia By
switches required for handling a train until i
has stopped At it's platform and been unloaded.
sm Bs tue 'S Only
Of the. bridge when the greatest mum.
lie ,osethsr riss. in 'front.' Of II. s~isehmsns
house. Outside Of each pair Of tracks is another
bridge. This stands bisher than the others. it
Is the rail that feeds the electric current to the
motor cars A., AZ The ,r.Ss crossing: th: rail
but. no matter which side II is on. the motor
cars connect with It, FOR they have shoes on
so wide that they touch tho third rails. no
matter wi mich set of tracks the cars are on. As
ruu without discrimination on either set Of
rails and attached TO either grip.
As both cables are driven oy drum. th a.. ar, are
same engine or engines, there Is no more danger
of rear-end collisions In the new system than
cAlly one. Lying on the ties on each side of the
two cables In the sheaves are two other cables
sheayes. These are already wound around the
twu extra drums In the power house. and these
drums can be set IN motion by the touch OF a
lever. All the drums are set loosely upon
Each has friction clutchs, which throw Il into
ure of the engineer. Each Of the four engines
t. connected with he shaft BY similar devices,
50 tina" m ANY be o S VIII yn
can disable tho driving machinery except q
break In the main shaft and as this also ia d..
vided into sections connected by friction
clutchev, more q an one section would have TO
break To stop all the cables.
The WORK o! bringing the bridge structure mp
to date has not been done without large expense.
Besides the large sums paid for land al each end
OF III. sass ihs IN. has
ton cost s2a5, 900; the New York station. s.+7
900; the engines and dynamos for driving the
the twenty motor cars. $4,000. and the car.
themsel YES, So+. 900.
The absolute necessity OF having tho two run
ming cables travel at exactly the same speed
must be apparent TO any one. for IL they did not
tho cars would be oyertaking one another IN
transit, aud banging together OF piling into Tho
terminals ono top OF another. THIS explains
why the recommendntio Of tho experts that
entirely separate eng mes should bs employs to
drive tho cables was apparently ignored. all
though its spirit was preserved by guarding
engines were separate. The recommendation
that passenger elev ators capable Of lifting 5000
street end OF the New York terminal Is still
under consideration, but Mr.. Martin rays the
need for acting upon II may cease IL tho new
scheme for bringing trolley and elevated trains
over the bridge goes through. for the trolley
companies have In mind . scheme for putting In
row and the East River, which would meet tho
needs OF persons going to Brooklyn from tho
whole di-trict:under tho bridge. As the trolley
tracks would be on tine outside OF the roadwa vs.
It would not bo difficult to have platforms and to
make stops At this point.