The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-08-15
Expect 10 Set an Important Franchise Tor
Trolley Line.
The Road Already Planned to Run
From London to Brighton, n
Distance Of Forty-Eive Miles
Cars to Run at Rate of a Mile
Minute, and Fares to be Put
at a Cheap Figure.

Tom Johnson, the American trolley car
| capitalists, have been seeking for some
| time foothold in London and believe
| that their plans are about to be re-
| allied, at least partially. Surveyors in
the employ of the Johnsons are now
engaged in making maps of the topog-
| raphy of a route from London to
Brighton. These, with plans of the con-
struction intended, will be Autographed
and presented to the city authorities
about October list, at which time an
application will be made for the fran
chise. The Johnsons expect to con-
struct and equip a first class electric
line to the English watering place and
conduct it in such way that it will
at once become popular. The service
will be rapid and the fare reduced to
a fraction of what it now costs to go
from London to Brighton.
Albert Johnson is enthusiastic over
the future of electric roads in London.
In speaking of it he said:
I'm London all the street railroads
are owned by the city. They are, how
ever, leased to corporations, which run
them as far behind the times as Lon
don is old. There is a population of
nearly six millions, yet there is no troll
ley and only one cable road If you
want to get across the city you must
change from one bus to the other until
the fare becomes enormous in compari-
son with what we pay here.
Those who have studied the city say
that it's marvellous population can be
ascribed to one thing, and that is the
ease with which one may go to any
other city on the face of the globe.
Within twenty minutes walk from st.
Paul's are the lines one may use to go
anywhere. Yet with facilities for reach
ing other places London is the most in
convenient city in the world to get
around in. 1t is just this latter trouble
which we intend to remedy. No one has
ever asked for similar franchise and
we expect to win because of it's very
novelty.
eve have been surveying the ground
from London to Brighton and we eX-
pect to have that work done before the
end of the month. A score or more Of
surveyors have been at work since my
visit in the spring. 1t is not possible to
get a franchise there as easy as here.
You cannot say you want to run road
over such and such street and get a
franchise. They require you not only
to survey all the territory you intend to
cover, but also to furnish to the city
Autographed maps showing exactly
what you are going to do and how you
are going to do it. Our maps for the
Brighton route have been prepared and
should be autographed by October We
have not met with any opposition to
speak of because the people want what
we are going to give them. There were
some property holders who were afraid
to have us cross their grounds, but
there were many more who begged us
to come their way. We will reach the
city, however, by the most direct n ute
The distance between London and
Brighton is forty-five miles. The entire
distance will be traversed over a pri-
waite right of way, going under or over
all intersecting roadways. The rails
will be of the 11O-pound variety, heavy
as any used in steam roads, and the
grades will not be over one and a half
feet to the mile at any point. This will
enable the cars to maintain an even
speed, and we calculate that the entire
distance will be covered in an average
speed of mile minute, including
stops.
"The cars will be the latest models,
excening most of those in this country
and far surprising those now in use in
England With no smoke or cinders and
with speed of a mile minute Lon
don will see that we can show them
something. The present fare to
Brighton is six shillings. or S1.5O. Our
fare will be six pence.
'As Brighton, in addition to being q.
summer resort, is a good sized city, we
will be assured of a good traffic the
year round.
when the cars reach the city line
inspectors will place controllers on the
cars, which when locked will not permit
the motormen to run the cars over six
miles an hour. There will be several
stops on the road like Croydon and
some other towns
1t is understood that all of the money
to be put into the new trolley lines in
London will come from the American
capitalists who have been interested in
the Johnsons' railroad enterprises in
this country.