Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-07-22
A Trackless Railway In Prussia.

A trackless railway is being erected by
the community of Monnheim, which will
be the first of its kind in Prussia. 1t will
run from Monnhem to Langeneld and
will be about two and one-half miles long,
with two short branches intended for
freighting purposes The main line will
serve for the transportation of persons,
baggage, mail, and freight. An extension
is possible at both ends The roadway
from Monnheim to Langeneld is about
90 feet WIDE with a good basaltic cover
about 10 feet wide. and runs almost i'm
an air line. A special contrivance for
coupling is provided in order to keep an
exact rut of all the cars which takes the
place of wheel flanges in ordinary rail
trains The buildings to be erected for
use of the railway are a power house. car
barns repair shop, and Offices For the
running of the railway a current of about
$50 volts will be furnished. The power
will be conducted to and from the cars,
which are provided with electromotors, by
means of two rotary poles, placed on the
top of the cars, and sliding blocks enabling
the train to give way from ten to twelve
feet. For entering farmyards lying close
to the road there will be used, instead of
the regular wire, a connector and flexible
cable so to 10 feet in length, by means
of which the current win be transmitted to
the motor car. Ordinary electric cars
have but one pole and the second pole of
back the current which is. otherwise done
through the rails. When these trains
pass each other one will remain standing
under the wires and disconnect its cur
rent until the other has passed.
The trains will consist of an electric
locomotive for drawing two or three cars.
driven by two electric motors of from %
to 40 horse power, and will be furnished
with the necessary Illuminating apparatus
and brakes. The conducting crew has its
place on the locomotive. The cars for
carrying freight have a capacity of about
five tons. These cars will be coupled in
such a manner that the wheels of the car
following run alongside the rut of the for
ward one, thus making wide rut and
avoiding the damaging of the road on wet
days. Some of the cars will be open and
some closed, and all will be fitted with the
necessary brakes Farmers wagons can
be attached TO the end of the train, pro-
Nided the ordinary tongues are replaced by
shorter coupling tongues. For the pas
senger service a motor omnibus having a
seating capacity of 16 and standing room
for eight is provided. In case of an in
creased traffic similar car but of lighter
construction than the motor omnibus, will
be added Five or six double trips al the
rate of eight to ten miles per hour will be
made on schedule time For the accom-
mediation of workingmen in the morning
and evening, two labor trains consisting
of motor car and one or two passenger
cars will be added. Freight will be car
ried on week days only, as conditions re-
quire, and during the intervals between
passenger trains The fare for the entire
trip will be six cents. For carrying freight
the charge will be $2.3S per carload of ter
tons. Subscribers and parties doing
large freight business will be allowed {
discount