The times., 1899-06-25
WHAT MAKES THE
TROLLEY CAR move
How Electricity Causes the
Wheels to RevOlve.
A Dissertation on Motors, bitches,
AMI DynamOs.
Principles That Govern Modern Lo-
comotiou-Woude of the Gem
comotion-Wouders of the Cen
trail Power station.

everybody in the United States has ridden
on trolley car and has enjoyed the ride.
and yet there are few people VINO can tell
exactly what makes the wheels go
round" and fewer still who care. Elec-
tricity in all its many forms has become
SO familiar an object that the mere ap-
pearance of a movable thing that is run
by its own motive power is sufficient to
have it stamped electrical. II some one
were to assert that the automobiles seen
on the streets were mere electrical ma
chimes they would almost instantly cease
TO attract attention The people have be-
come tired OF trying TO find out what
makes the electrical fluid and they do not
care to trouble themselves with bothersome
problems as to how the fluid is used. 1t is
there and it is used; that is sufficient for
them
The trolley car moves. 1t does not have
horses attached to it. 1t moves because
an electrical current is introduced in some
manner into machine under the body of
the car, and the average person is not dis
posed TO worry himself with the ques-
tion as to the why and wherefore of it
all. Suppose he should take it into his
head TO ask an electrical engineer why
the sar goes He would in all probability
receive a reply that was couched in such
techinal terms that to comprehend it |
would make his head ache, and he would
find that after all the trouble he had gone
to he did not know any more at the end
of his course of instruction into the mys-
teries of the trolley car than he did at
the beginning. and he cared a great deal
less.
There is one thing, however, that coas
Worry the average man about the tIol-
ley csr-one thing that keeps him always
guessing: How in the world can he keep
out of the way of the plaguey things?'
That question is bobbing up every day
with more force. When the peaee-loying g
citizen attempts to cross the street his
way is blocked by trolley car. When his
head is going around in a whirl from the
result of business worries or hot weather
or liquid refreshments, he is bound 10
get in the way of a trolley car. Every-
where he goes he sees the trolley car.
There is only one way TO keep out of its
way and that is to ride on it. This is the
sole thought that comes to a man about
the trolley car and he does not have to
live long in town possessed of a trolley
system TO become a trolley dodger. Ii
was just this sort of an experience that
caused a gentleman with an Investigating
turn of mind to get on a trolley car on
one of the Washington lines one day last
week. He had been on the cars be-
fore and il was no new experience for him
TO ride. but no sooner had he boarded the
car this time than he became possessed of
a desire to see the wheels go round"
There were not many people on the car at
the time and he approached the conductor
with his request 10 see the wheels go
round The official of the road said the
superintendent had charge of all those
things and the request would have to be
made to him. The gentleman then got of
the car and went to the nearest telephone
station. where he called up the superin-
tendent OF the road. The latter said he
would see the gentleman in his office if
the latter would come there Immediately.
Then the gentleman boarded car for an
other part Of the town and went TO the
Office of the company at the opposite end
of the line from the superintendent Of
fee. not because OF any obstinacy on his
part. but he did not know where to find
the man. Here he met with the division
superintendent, to whom he made known
his request. and he was turned over to one
of the engineers of the road, who took
him through the car shops.
The first object of interest in the car
shops is the car itself. as it stands in the
shed with its motors out. Instead of get
ting on the car this time the investigators
went beneath IT, In the car shops are a
number Of bitches in the concrete floor
ing. on each side of which is laid a rail
The ditch is Just the width OF the car.
and the latter are run in on the rails in
such a manner that a man can stand in
the ditch and work on the motors, two
of which are placed in each car The
primary motive power OF the car is the
electric fluid itself, and the propellers are
the two dynamos on the axIes, into which
the electric current runs. The current IS
obtained from a pair OF conductor rails
beneath the tracks or from an overhead
wire. The investigation herein chron-
icled was made on an underground car
but the principle is the same on both.
1t is simply a different method of intro
ducing the current, the result being the
same
The conductor rails are about foot and
a half below the surface Of the pavement
and are laid parallel TO one another. edge
up. being about two inches apart A soft
steel shoe on the plow from the ear above
fits tightly and smoothly into the space
between the rails and the current comes
from the rails. passing into the plow and
from thence along a heavy wire into the
dynamos on the axles. The plow is made
of steel and is fitted to the centre of the
car. The shaft Of the plow which holds
IL to the car, is about one foot wide and
half an inch thick. The shoe is almost as
long as the plow and is fitted with springs
that make il fit tightly TO the conductor
rails. Between the shoe and the plow
piece of fiber block is placed TO prevent
the main body of the plow from coming
into contact with the current. From the
centre of the car where the pillow is sit
uated 10 both ends run two sets of wires
These wires are connected with the light
ing and heating wires and all run to i
common base near the place where the mo-
tors are situated. These motors are placed
in movable cups and can readily be taken
OF to he repaired or to have new one
put in place. They weigh about 600
pounds. have capacity OF 500 volts. and
are 20-horse pulling power.
The motor is not placed directly on the
axle. but bit to the side in order that the
cog on the end of the motor shaft may
catch the teeth of the cog which is fas-
tened on the axle. The latter is almost as
large as the car wheels and is welded 10
the axle. Thus the MANAGEMENT OF the
car is the simplest thing in the world. The
motornan. by turning a crank on the front
platform. connects the wires and sends the
current into the dynamo on the axle be-
meath. The action of the current causes
the commutator or copper covered shaft to
reyolye, and the cog on the end of the
shaft catches the teeth of the cog on the
axle and the wheels move. sending the car
forward or backward. whichever way the
man at the crank wants it 10 go. until the
conductor rings the bell for stop at the
next corner.
In some respects the cable car Is superior
to the electric car. inasmuch as ii never
stops running as long as the cable holds