Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-06-13
Track and Train
Eiohty-Five Miles an Hour.

~ Eibhly ~ aA 49,
locomotive is a pretty fair rate of
speed for staid old Germany. Consul
General Mason, in Berlin, tells our
state department thar the German
government is making experiments
with steam engines as careful as
with electric cars that recently starti-
ed The world. The electric motor trials
were completed last autumn. me WI
motor cars Obtained speeds 81 lli.os
miles per hour-or nearly Two mics
per minute-without injury 10 the car
or motor, without undue strain upon
the track or discomfort to passengers
This upon a straight, nearly level track
IL ( miles long, and Of the heaviest and
most solid and careful construction.
The track having been carefully ex'I
amined and the detriotating effects
If the electric motor-car experiments
noted and repaired. the experiments
YIN steam locomotives began about
the end of February and were continu-
ed until a few days ago. The tests IN
clnded engines Of four different types
each built by a different German firm
To make the conditions those OF ac-
tual service the load consisted q SIX
vastibnle cars, weighing about thirty
hons each. one of which had been
equipped with instruments TO meas.
s,,re and record speed, oscillation ana
null. Each engine was first rested
With the full train, then with three
cars only.
The one making the fastest time was
an engine Of an original type designed
Nv Chief Engineer Whitfield, Of the
Prussian Railway Administration, and
huilt by Messrs. Henschel & Sons, OF
Cassel. Since the trials it has been
shipped for exhibition at the Worlds
Fair in st. Louis. The engineer
stands within a glazed cab like the
motorman of an electric car, and both
engine and tender are covered with
glazed windows. providing a covered
massage from front to rear. The en-.
CINE is carried on twelve wheels
namely. a four-wheel bogie in front
and rear and between them the two
pairs of drivers. This arrangement Is
10 secure steadiness Of motion.
boiler Is. from the European stana.
point. enormous, having 2,T66 square
feet OF heating surface, ana with a
coal consumption Of % pounds per
horsepower it will develop about i,iio
horsepower. It weighs 76.S tons and
cost s28, 500. The tender weighs AZ
tons and carries 7 tons Of coal n
440n gallons OF water, which II Is
equipped to take up at speed, Whieh
is done on some lines in the United
states. AT the recent tests this en-
gine attained a speed of 1888 miles
per hour with six cars and S5.12 miles
with half that number.
with the pneumatic brakes nov In
use on German vestibule cars II re-
CURED a full minute and o distance OF
1923 Yards TO stop a train Of six cars
running at S. miles an hour. German
first-class trains are equipped for a
maximum speed Of SIS miles an hour,
and their brakes stop a train az that
speed within about 1873 yards. II any
approach I'd higher speeds should be
adopted. the change would involve
notifications in brakes and signal sys.
TENS.
A Berlin engineer, DR.. Reichel, has
given some comparisons Of cost be-
tween steam and electric traction Al
steam train Of five cars and a stand
arl locomotive weighs $50 tons, seats
1sS passengers and uses at full speeN
400 horse power. The electric train
Of one motor car and four trail cars
weighs go tons. seats 1870 passengers
and ntilizes 1000 horse bower Each
train and engine costs about 100000.
The operating cost Of the steam is fix.
ed bv pr. Reichel at - IL cents per
100 seat kilometers, and II IL cents,
or one cent cheaper, for the electric
train.