New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-14

! ELEtIhIt fGEfbHA hht h1h'L'
H. Ward Leonard makes surprising pro-
po>aI in the last issue Of The Electrical Norld
! and Engineer He advises the railroads TO
RUIZ their freight trains by electricity instead
| ~ steam. and thinks that il would be for their
| advantage 10 do 50. To those who have fol
lowed the arguments on this subject for the last
ton wears the suggestion must seem audaclous
al first Practically all of the sane advocates
Of electric traction on existing roads have con-
fined their recommendations 10 passenger ser
vice and even there they have distinguished
between two kinds They have pointed out
thar the largest economy would probably result
where short trains were operated for short as
tances and frequently. as in suburban tranc-
About the pecuniary advantages OF electric eN-
nresses they were Jess confident. Concerning
the wisdom of moving freight trains by elec-
tr3citv they were even more scepticaL For so
Il rel headed an electrician as Mr.. Leonard TO
propose the last mentioned innovation there
fore. shows that something may yet be learned
arou+ The economies Of electric traction.
He makes out reasonably good case. too-at
least on paper lie first notices the develop
mcnt i'm the capacity Of steam locomotives ana
the loads they have hauled in the last few
wears. In 1924 there were 36,304 engines IN the
United States. and in 1901 a total OF 39,'Z9. In
the former year each locomotive represented an
annual service OF 2.265,00O ton miles, and IN
the latter $4,000, or gain of over 90 per
cent BY handling freight in larger units the
work was done more cheaply and prohtabiy
than before Unfortunately, though, there Is
little chance for further improvement IN thls
direction The limit of size and power OF loco
natives has been nearly reached. When two
are attached to a train they do not show the
same efficiency Jfor the fuel consumed as when
onoratcd singlv. Mr. Lconards great argument
is that much heavier freight trains than have
hitherto been seen can be operated by cleo
tricitv. and therefore the change is essential 10
further Growth in this class Of traffic. Tie says;
The way 20 make the maximum net earnings
cont OF trunk line railway is 10 keep in every
"hlocll section a freight train Of the maximum
"posSihlc weight and moving at rs high speed
cas- practicable: for this means that the enor-
"mous fixed charges of a railway are disulo-
..utod over the maximum possible tons or
.frpiclt. and hence the fixed charges per ton
..lnfle are reduced 10 a minimum"
The fundamental principle Of this plea IS al
ready recognized as sound bat Mr.. Leonard
SUPPLIES a fresh illustration Of IT, On the Lon
don and Northwestern road, the average load
IN tons per train is about oneseyenth as large
as on the Pennsylvania road. while the cost per
ton mile on the English line IS nearly four
times as great rs on the American. the actual
f.-7rcs being 1.49 cents and 040. respectively.
To complete the case, Of course, il IS necessary
10 show that If freight trains Of the present size
were moved 10y electricity. the cost would not
De much. n any. greater than by steam. Then
II would be safe 10 say that any material length
cnine of the train would bring The expense
down 10 below the existing level. Mr.. Leonard
supplies no information on this point probably
because II IS not available. II Is particularly
desirable. though that light be obtained as soon
as possible. Perhaps the Baltimore and Ohio
COMPANY. which hauls both expresses and
freight trains through its tunnel IN Baltimore.
COULD furnish data on the subject which would
De Instructive II not, some helpful expert
raeuts could De- made by the Pennsylvania or
Now-Yorh Central after they have consider
able portion Of their lines equipped for electric
rasseuser service.
Two reasons can b advanced for running
freight trains electrically besides the economy
Of charging the latter. Mr.. Leonard briefly
hints at enc though much might be said on that
point alone. II is a notorious fact that the de-
probation 81 steam locomotives is appallinsly
rapid II is certainly greater than that Of the
plant 10 q stationary power station. lnques-
tionably tho practical convenience Of operating
both classes Of trains by the same system viii
also commend user strongly 10 AdllA'dA AItHhr
although mixture Of the old and the new must
inevitably be witnessed during the transition
stage Much can already he said in favor Of
AIr Ieonards proposition. and railroad mon
cannot too soon take steps 10 investigate It's
possibilities. The revolution which he suggests
Will almost certainly come in time; and H. rs he
believes. money is to be saved thereby the
sooner Tie reform comes the better.
Before the realization of the scheme becomes
entirely practicable II is necessary to clear mp
one more uncertainty. If any II the alternating
current motors row about 10 be tried, or re-
Gently tested. will show n larger efficiency than
those with which engineers are already familiar.
the world ought to know if. The truth may
not be fully revealed for two or three years.
Still the very fact that some Of these machines
may eventually have wider use than was
originally contemplated will lend the greater
Importance to the present competition.