New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-16
ECONOMY OF ELECTRICITY.
WILL IT PAY TO CHANGE THE MOTIVE
POWER ON EXISTING STEAM ROADS?
CONDITIONS THAT HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED
SUBURBAN TRAFFIC ALONE TAKEN
INTO ACCOUNT

CONDITIONS THAT HAVE TO BE Considered
SUBURBAN TRAFFIC ALONE TAKEN
INTO ACCOUNT.
II you talk confidentially with the chief en-
gineer Of almost any big steam railroad COM
pany nowadays you are apt to find him Won
derfully well Informed and rather enthusiastic
about electric traction; but when he is ques-
toned as to the chance OF the new method OF
handling suburban traffic being adopted by his
own road he hesitates little and replies: We'll.
] can't say. 1t is for the president and directors
to decide that point" Then when you go to see
the executive officers they answer with reserve,
evidently being in uncertain though anxious.
state Of mind on the subject The demonstra-
ton by the New York, New Haven and Hart
ford Railroad Company of the entire feasibility
OF the substitution leaves little to be desired on
that score Hence. as The Tribune has already
pointed out the only question for the old COM
panies to consider now is the economic one! Will
II pay to make the change?
AN EXPERTS DISCUSSION
This matter is discussed ntelgently and at
considerable length in The Engineering Maya
zine" for May by Charles Henry Davis Follow
ing the example OF other experts he frankly says
that for heavy and infrequent trains making
electricity is out of the question as motive
power at least at present. He confines his at
tention therefore. only to that particular branch
OF the railroad business where ruinous competi-
ton has already been instituted by trolley roads
In this connection he observes: Suburban traffic
can be considered to lie within twenty miles OF
the centre Of population; more often ten miles,
and never exceeding thirty
The first important principle enunciated by Mr..
Davis is this: ut must be remembered that the
gross receipts are often enormously Increased
by extraordinary expenditures. in which case
large investments may be warranted. If by
using electric traction we can sufficiently increase
the gross receipts per car or train mile and per
mile of road. we can afford to pay for the addi-
tional first cost and greater total expenses. This
Is the vital question and the real one az issue.
although usually not so considered"
The point is forcihly illustrated in this para
graph: The Pennsylvania Railroad originally
spent about FIVE million dollars for its Broad-st.
terminal: the great st. Louis bridge and Union
station cost many more millions while the Mar
ke;-st. terminal Of the Philadelphia and Read
inC Railroad the Union station Of the Boston
and Maine Railroad systems. the southern I'm
ion station Of the New-York. New-Haven and
Hartford Railroad in Boston, and the Grand Gen.
trail station in New-York are proofs Of the mill
ions of dollars spent by railway companies to
locate their terminals at near the centres OF
population These expenditures were incurred
almost entirely for the sake Of increasing the
suburban traffic although giving decided slim
illus to through and competitive business. In
my opinion. our steam railway companies can
afford to double (to use broad and inaccurate
expression) these investments 10 accomplish
what has been suggested above, reap!ng hand
frop he iocr rorpiNfs
from the passenger traffic now handled by cleo
trio street railways"
CONDITIONS THAT BRING TRAFFIC.
The writer goes more into detail. to emphasize
his idea, follows: by examining statistics Of
steam railways find that the volume of
travel is influenced by such features as the
following: Convenient location Of stations with
respect to centres Of population, length Of line.
proximity of terminals TO the centres Of popula-
ton, number OF trains Che four points just
mentioned have an overwhelming effect on short
haul traffic: good roadbed and track neatly
kept, handsome. commodious stations with first
class appointments and service: comfortable and
luxurious cars block signals cleanliness and so
on Profit is proportional to success in obtain
ing that travel which enables each train TO run
full for the cost Of a train-mile is not affected
by the number OF seats taken. and it is this
travel which is obtained by line giving weight
to its location and appointments. In freight
competition between railways the rates are uti-
mately dependent upon the cost from consignor
TO consignee' not from station TO station. and
the railroad eventually pays the additional cost
of Nehterage, switching and carriage. and the
profit thereon. whether by actual difference in
rates or loss Of business. The same Is true in
passenger traffic, will he seen by free omni-
buses and reduction In rates
.'If YOU take the passenger up at his own door
and set him down at his place of destination
you have not only suited his convenience land
thus as we shall see induced him to travel
ofterer) but have secured those receipts which
otherwise would have gone TO omnlDuses mack
men and streetcar lines. This the steam rail-
ways have failed to do, and 1t is clear that they
cannot altogether do away with these FEEDERS
natural TO their peculiar modes and conditions
of traffic; but there is little room TO doubt that
in many cases steam railways can modify their
present methods for suburban traffic out OF
large centres Of population and for interurDan
"a ssenger traffic on branch lines between centres
f population by the use of electricity, paying
me additional first cost and greater total en-
benses out Of the probable eve might say GER
tain enormous increase In their gross receipts.
This, believe, can be accomplished only by
yadical change in the present methods OF opera
ton making them approach. on parts or the
system, the present 1eave-at-your-door plan or
our street railways, while keeping on the rest
OF the system the present methods OF steam
railways, with possibly some minor modihca-
tons
1t is granted. what the reader would imply
from the general tenor Of the foregoing argu-
ment that the first cost and total expense will
be greater with electricity than with steam; but
there are cases in which the difference would
probably be than made up Mr. Davis
here makes some comparisons between the traffic
of electric and steam roads In New England:
His tables Of figures may be omitted. as being
somewhat defective and obscure. but his conclu-
sions not only interesting but seem 10 De
sound:
WHEN 1T WILL PAY TO CHANGE.
1.-THE characteristics brought out by these fig
ures are the enormous number OF passengers per
mile. the large receipts per mile Of road, and per
car mile, and the greater total number carried,