New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-06-16
ALTERNATING CURRENT TRACTION.

The Whitney syndicate's purchase of a con-
trolling interest in factory for producing cleo
trio railway equipment is in several ways an
exceedingly important development Perhaps
the feature which will prove the most revo-
lutionarv in its effects. though. is the alliance
concluded with the great engineering firm Of
Budapest, CAM & CO. That house has de-
veloped a system of electric traction unknown
In America but about which the world is
likely TO hear good deal in the future. For
that matter, London did hear good deaf about
il last year for there was a formidable move
ment on foot TO secure the adoption of the
CAM system on the Metropolitan and District
underground roads in that city. Mr. Yerkes
strenuously opposed the proposition, and
the board of arbitration which disposed of
the controversy finally decided against the
Budapest plan, the ground that it too
great an innovation With about half a dozen
exceptions, all the electric roads in the world
are operated by direct current while CAM &
Co. use the alternating current The line in
Northern Italy on which the latter has been in
! PRODUCED, though sixty-six miles long, had not
been in operation long enough to satisfy the
London arbitrator. The Berlin-Zossen expert
ments. which also used the alternating current
were yet incomplete. and the few other ventures
thus far made Herewith were on small Swiss
roads. where the results were rather incon-
elusive. But when men Of such sagacity and
foresight Mr.. Whitney and his business as
sociates exhibit confidence in the GAM system
their policy becomes prophetic.
The great virtue Of the alternating current is
its fitness for long distance work. This results
from two facts in combination 1t is more eco
nomical to send electricity over a line of given
length at a high voltage than at low one, and
easily raised for transmission and then lowered
for application to service. If, however, traction
work is 10 he done in accordance with the pres
ent fashion one more change must be made.
The alternating current must be altered into a
direct current thus calling for one additional
bit OF apparatus and involving a slight loss of
energy. Thus. the Manhattan Elevated Rail-
way Company generates its current at II, 900
volts, sends ii at that pressure TO its sub-sta-
tons, and there. after transforming it down,
converts it INTO direct current at CPS volts.
This is the pressure at which the current enters
the motive machinery under the cars. If al
ternating current motors were used, some reduc-
ton of voltage would still be necessary, but
converters could be dispensed with. Less plant
would be needed for the operation of a road.
Many signs point TO extensive substitution
of electricity for steam on existing railways in
America within the next few years. This VIII
undoubtedly take place at first chiefly trains
engaged in suburban service, and running
not more than twenty, thirty or forty
miles Eventually, no doubt there will also be
electric expresses covering distances ten times
great. For both classes of work the alternat-
ing current is admirably adapted. since it calls
for less mechanism and fewer power houses
and has longer range. Whether it will ever
be deemed practicable 10 transmit current two
hundred miles from the dynamos in the East
as is now done in California, is uncertain. 1t
also remains tc be how much of reduc
ton Of voltage is necessary after transmission
On the Lake Como line the motors take the cur
rent at 5000 volts. Still another question is