New-York tribune., 1901-03-24
COMO'S DOUBLE TROLLEY.
ALTERNATING CURRENTS TO BE TRIED ON
LARGE SCALE IN NORTHERN ITALY.

ALTERNATING CURRENTS TO BE TRIED ON
LARGE SCALE IN NORTHERN ITALY.
An experiment in electric traction which viii
attract worldwide attention is about 10 be- under
taken in Northern Italy. The line Is slxty-tvs
miles long and has hitherto been operated by
steam Its managers have decided. however. TO
equip II with electrical motive apparatus.
sideration which animated them being desire to
get rid of smoke in the many tunnels along the
route. The road runs for twenty-four miles on tho
eastern shore of Lake Como. the southern terminus
being the town Of Lecco Near Colico, at the north
end of the lake. the line forks. branch con-
tinuing in a northerIy direction TO Chiavenna and
the other reaching out eastward to Sondrio.
Water power for operating the whole system Is
found along the Colico-Sondrio branch. Neither In
Europe nor America is there at the present time a
road of such length operated by electricity. al
though there plenty of combinations OF inter-
urban trolley lines which make a better showing
In mileage.
But the most remarkable feature OF the Lecco-
Chiavenna- a-Sondrio road is the fact that it Is to
be with alternating and not direct cur
rent. This is a radical innovation, and upon the
success with which various details Of the plan
are worked out will depend the future of many
other electric roads. For instance. II decided
,ast year to convert the underground steam In
London into electric road And Just half a
dozen of the greatest manufacturers of electrical
apparatus in the world competing for the con-
to be tried Northern Italy has caught the fancy
of the London company's engineers. and they are
investigating the subject eagerly.
The one great merit of the alternating current is
that its voltage. pressure, be readily raised
or lowered. The higher the voltage the more eco
nonicaIIy given current can be sent over wire
Consequently the dynauos of all great transmits
sion plants. like that of Niagara. are aIternators
and the current is either generated the highest
possible voltage or else is transformed upward I'M
mediately after being generated. At the point
where ii is consumed as. for instance in Buffalo.
it is transformed down again. and a part OF 1t is
then changed into direct current by means OF
rotary converter" The remainder utilized in its
original form.
Although alternating currents have long been
available for lighting it for a long time i'm
practicable TO use them for moving cars or driv-
ing machinery In factories. But Teslas aIternatins
current, or induction motor promised to be a
great advance upon it's predecessors To a limited
extent il has been tried in shops. where II seems
TO give highly satisfactory results. And now for
a year or two efforts have been made to adapt
1t to traction work Obviously if these experiments
proved altogether successful. something like revo-
luton in streetcar practice might ensue Electricity
that is 10 be distributed large area or a
long line viii always be generated on an aIternat-
costly mechanism of conversion the slight loss
1t is a rather curious fact that the most cor
spieuous ventures with alternating current trac-
There is short line in swzeraRRd r1nng rG6 Ae5 frSa
Bursdorf 70 Thun, on which the equipped
with Induction motors. CAM & Co.. of Budapest
one of the leading manufacturers of electric rail-
of that city for experimental purposes II is up
ward of mile in length, and is said 70 have been
way. which secured the contract for fitting Up the
line in Northern Italy. The work is said TO be
nearly completed and electrical operation is
pected 70 begin two or three months hence \
trial trip was made with single car part OF
three miles an hour developed:
The central power station of the Italian road de-
veops about 1900 horsepower. The current will be
generated at a voltage OF @0OO, and sent thence
to several sub-stations. There il is to be trans
will take it that pressure which is six
times as high as the voltage of ordinary trolley
Another important distinction between the Old
system and the new is that the former requires
IL the rails which the run serve for a con-
ductOr direct current needs but one other This
beside the track. the Brooklyn Bridge and
some of the elevated roads But when a ''thref
be two conductors in addition 20 the track These
will be overhead wires on the Lecco-Colico-Son-
and fourth rails the District (tunneD line In
London: But as yet il is by no means certain that
1t is still more doubtful whether rails or wires
will be employed for conductors.
The Lake Como road will not have special loco
Iondon Each car will baye aS Fo GoeS , tne central
eTerS 1-C oba Icy lOuI motors one on
inches apart The familiar pole and grooved wheel
these Elastic upright frames rising from opposite
sides OF the car roof will sustain lockwood rod
running at right angles with the track and several
feet above the car On the rod will he two Iong
slender aluminium rollers. pierced Iengthwise ard
each coming in contact with a separate wire anu
NIissivings entertained by many experts re-
gardins the outcome of this gigantic experiment
The complications likely arise from a double
wire system at switches and crossings may prove
more serious than the contractors expect Posst-
nly other surprises are in store But an extensive
practical test like this has long been desired nv
electrical engineers. and whatever the Outcome ie
Will re an important event