The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-31
ELECTRIC TRAINS This WEEK.
TRIAL TRIP on SECOND AVENUE
TO DE A CELEBRATION.
Big Generators Ready for Business DE
scription Of the Auxiliary Equipment
OF the Power House Trains nj Higher
speed-No More Smoke and Cfnders.

scription Of the Auxiliary Equipment
OF the Power House Trains nj Higher
speed-No More Smoke and Cfnders.
The first Manhattan elevated train to be
operated by electricity will be run on this
Second venue line, perhaps tomorrow.
but within n few days anyway. Vice.
President and General Superintendent
Skitt will make formal announcement
Of the wen and will make the triat trip
an occasion for a New Years celeb. alton
Of the roads adoption OF electricity as its
motive power. After the start Is made
the new power will be substituted for the
old as rapidly as the motor cars can be
provided and before warm weather the
whole system of thirty-seven miles will be
fully equipped for operation by electricity.
The big Westinghouse generators in the
central power house at the foot OF East
Seventy-sixth street. which were described
in detail In THE SUN on Dec. 2. are ready
for use. A representative Of the Westing-
house Company said yesterday:
These machines are the largest and most
powerful that have ever been made: Each
watts, or 600 horse power. but Is capable
OF delivering during the hours Of maximum
units was determined by the minimum load
existing during the early morning hours.
watts THIS was inken as the capacity Of
the individual units in the station. The
number of units was determined by the maxi
mum load. for which eight machines were
In the auxiliary. equipment Of the power
house $50 kilowatt multipo'ar generators
c%xciters. They are direct connected to tan
dem compound piston valve type engines.
chine are boltsd together upon a ventilated
east iron sleeve, and pressed upon the en- zine
shaft The, field castings Of the .%exciters
tertlSi Of the exciting current Is 2so volts.
There are also included In this equipment
three soo-kilowatt rotary converters for
changing the current for Use about the plant.
This equipment Is entirely Independent of
the sub-statlon apparatus. Nine 3)o.kilo-
lrilo wait csnacity are enpIoyed for various
auxiliary purposes about the system
Another feature y the converter and trans
former equipment for handling the immense
output Of the big generators There are
twenty-siy rotary, converters of i.5oo-kilo,
watt capacity each 81 eight sub-stations and
seventv-eight h51kilowatt transformers dis
tributed among the snmo stations. These
transformers In the sub-statioDs reduce the
alternating current is furnished to the con-
whiChii' turn deliver direct current
at 6?5 volts through the third rail 20 the car
Of this kind ever built They we're
especially designed for This service and en-
body many distinctive features that appeal
to electrical experts end engineers. The
transformers are cooled by air applied by
blowers. which form a feature
OF this equipment. The convertPTs are
started h. direct current. and y motor gem
j. in stHlled in each snb-station TO
furnish current for this purpose
The scope OF the new work. and what il
TO the people OF New York, as we'll
as 10 the railway interests. NAV be Judged
the fact that the Manhattan system
is the most important elevated railway
Of the world. The electric system is de-
signed to supplant $40 steam locomotives
used for hauling 100 cars and carrying
approximately 200. 900 600 passengers in
the course Of a year. The largest trunk
line Of the COUNTRY whose official report
IL available shows less than 4O.oOO 900 hauled
in twelve months. OF course the latter
are largely @long hauls" but the aggrc-
gate mileage Of the Manhattan is con-
siderably in excess of that of the trunk
mentioned.
The substitution of electricity for steam
will enable the management TO operate
-ix-car trains at a higher rate of speed
han would he possible with the hea West
locomotives available for ~fvs-car
rains on elevated structures; moreover,
ma ximum speed can lie attained quicker.
much more effective control can he secured
md more powerful brakes used: il will
eliminate smoke. steam and cinders.