The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-01-21
RACING. RAILROAD TRAINS.

- =
experts and editors of technical perio-
ideals, went up to sche peetady recently
10 participate in the oSening of a new
epoch in practical -railfoading. A for
NAL test was. made of one Of the. new
electric locomotive. of the type being
made by the General Electric Company
and the American Locomotive Company
for the use of the New York CsntraHs.
suburban. service between. the Grand
Central Station. Crotoh and White
Plains. &. -. i --Ss.lg....st--...
For purposes INSTRUMENTATION the
railh DAD officials had set apart track
No 4 for six miles hstwen Schenectady
and HofTlnan's Ferry This stretch Of
I track has.beont equipped with the regu-
ilGtion third rail, with sub-power STA
ton midway between the termini. The
! visitors were taken out to the sub
station and for hsls an hour the big,
black "5-ton monster that is to revo.
lutionize long distance railroading held
| . reception .e 81.
Then the locomotive was attached to
train of seven ears, and was run up
=, and down the .rack Just to show off
its fine points.
The word soon got about that the
electric locomotive, or mo 5000, as it
is called. would not only exhibit its
speeding possibilities, bit inedoing so
would race against a regulation express
| train.
/ The New Yorker, ii train that makes
almost, as fast time as the Empire State
Express. was about due. The four
| tracks were cleared of spectators. A
few persons were told 10 climb into No.
| 5000. Everybody waited in nervous ex-
pectancy. THEN word came that the
New Yorker was only mile down the
| track and coming OH with seven cars at
a rate Of 60 miles an hour. No. 5000
started ahead With.its seven cars and
had hardly assumed an easy gait when
| the New Yorker was seen laundering
around the curves at Hardin's Crossing.
The express shot ahead Of the electric
special and the fireinen waved his had
as he looked. back.
4 At this time No. 5000 had a speed of
/ 50 miles an hour. John E. Sickles q
veteran engineer. was at the controller.
| He gave d small copper handle turn
/ and the electric special Jumped ahead.
4 a mile farther No, 5000 had caught UP
to the rear car of the New Yorker.
| Engineer Siekles gave the copper
| handle another turn, and the express
/ appeared to be moving backward. In
another half mile the steam and cleo
trio engines were flush. Sickles passed
ever significant glance to the en-
gineer Of the EXPRESS and pushed the
. copper controller few notches fur
ther. and No. 5000 spurted ahead. Hall
a mile further on, when the electric
train began TO slow down, the express
was far in the rear.
'Sixty-nine miles an hour. was the
word passed among the fortunate par
Elephants in this race between the rail-
T road trains. Oh we can do better
! than that, observed one. Of the experts
in No. 6,0OO Now you see what it all
lmeans, Notice ali the smoke and dusl
4 of the express We beat the New
Yorker easily without Whit of smoke
| or the suggestion Of cinder, and il
4 cost us much less to cover those foul
miles than it did the express. Begin t
H realize the significance of this?'
Il No 5000 afterward showed its SUI
!. periorfty over the steam locomotive il
d six-n1ile. race with Mohawk an en-.
!, CINE used for track inspection. M
/. 5000 drew a train Of seven cars. Mo
hawk was unencunbered, but wal
], beaten by its powerful competition
From then on until the visitor left fol
] New York, the electric locomotive wen
up and down the six-mile stretch o
, track at various rates Of speed, making
|, the following records. Seventy-tWt
miles an hour with a four-car train 9
!, $40 tons, So miles an hour with I'VE
:: car train Of 400 toms; Sc miles an houl
Il with a sepen-car train Of 500 tons, ant
"a miles an hour with a 10-car train o
600 tons.--New York Globe .r..t-.