The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-06-27
ELECTRIC ROADS IN ITALY.
How the Italians Adapt Their Lines
 Special Cars Built.

0pECEdl SdTS Dulll. In company with the members of the Institute of Electrica Engineers, writes | a special correspondent from Milan, | have visited the Adriatic Railway com paI1y, Italy, which has recently applied
 electrical working to it's sixty-seven-
 mile section of line originally built for steam locomotives, and running along the shores of the Lakes of Lecco and Como and from the junction of Colico to a terminus at Sondrio. NJ The achievement is likely to have de-. cided weight in considerations of sirn- liar nature now daily under discussion in Great Britain. The portion of the Italian railway ssI
 which the work has been carried out as not one that was considered the most favorable for the practical denonstra-. ton of electrical working, but one on, which it might be considered that fl a
 successful result were obtained many
 other sections offering less onerous con- ditions could with absolute certainty be readily converted. < Tn Investigating the general methods that have been followed by the engi neers who have carried out the work on what is known as the Valtellina secticn. of the Adriatic company,s system there x is practically no evidence of alterat ion to the permanent way beyond connect. ing the rails at every joint with a stout copper wire so that the return current finds an easy passage. It is still possi-
 ble to run steam locomotives over this
 part of the railway, and any of the
 company's ordinary passenger or gocdss
 carriages can be coupled on to the elec- tric train and hauled along just as Of old.
 Special cars, fitted with electric mos tors capable of developing 500 horse-
 power, have been constructed with a small cabin at either end, in which is ls-8 cated the apparatus by which the driv-
 CT controls the startinga running and stopping of the train. These cars weigh
 about fifty tons each, have seating
 capacity for forty passengers and can
 haul at speed of forty miles per hour five coaches of the ordinary rolling
 stock. '
 The goods traffic is handled by spe-
 cially constructed electric locomotives
 resembling in external shape those of
 the Central London railway eighing
 about forty-six tons and capable Of starting train weighing 270 tons up the steepest incline on the Valtellila
 section. a~ The electrical energy is conveyed to the train by means of overhead trolley wires, such as are seen in everyday use in connection with electric tram, ways, but there is difference in thel
 pressure" employed of about six
 one in order to avoid unnecessary loC
 in the very long transmission along thl line.
 The passenger travelling by the trai1
 finds that he can sit and enjoy the vieV
 from the window without the objectiq0 able smoke of the locomotive, and tf
 regular speed is maintained tnr the journey. Gradients and cuf which are numerous, are easily mounted, and there is the satisG1 | to the shareholders of the rally increased dividends.
 The general success of. the " ing can be readily gauged by that a further length of
 miles, giving connection. will be converted to electrI
 as soon as possible.-FromS ] Mail. ,s 5