The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-22
END OF STEAM NEAR

From the Philadelphia Post
Revolutionary development in railroad
motive power and equipment is predicted
within the next five years. No man be-
lieves this more firmly than George West
inghouse, head of the Westinghouse COM
paries who has been more active in fur
thering his development than any other
agency during the past. Mr.. Westinghouse
who has been in Plttsburg since the visit
of the delegates to the International Rail-
way congress last Tuesday leaves for the
east tonight. Prior to his leaving Mr..
| Westinghouse consented to make a state
ment concerning the test of the new
| single-phase alternating locomotive which
| was exhibited for the first time before
| visitors on Tuesday and caused so much
comment. He said among other things;
This single-phase alternating locomo-
| tive exhibited for the first time was cap
able of exerting a drawbar pull of 5000
pounds, and could have hauled 100 cars
as easily as the great steam locomotive
moved the 80 cars. The contrast between
the steam locomotive, with all of its noise.
smoke and dirt, and the electric locomo-
tive, which started the train without those
looking on being aware of it, was one of
the most noticeable features of the exhi-
milton. The locomotive was operated by
current from an overhead wire no larger
than that required for an ordinary street
car, though the electric pressure was ten
times as great as that used for a street
car operation. This locomotive has been
designed for the purpose of assisting
heavy freight trains up a steep grade ON
an important railroad"
1t is impossible to state at this time
what road is to use this new electromotive
but from semi official declarations it is
certain that more of them are to be
built and that they will be the first of
their kind to appear on the main trunk
lines of railroad in the country, and are
expected to be followed by a more general
adoption as they are found to be service
able and economical. The fact that this
machine could so easily and quietly handle
the immense train of freight cars and
move it about fully as well, If not better,
than the steam locomotive, caused wonder
and no little comment among the foreign
railroad officials. 1t was the first time
they had seen such a display of power
by an electric motor and not few
of them admitted that 1t was the fore
runner of electric motive power for rail-
roads generally all over the world.
AS wonderful as this demonstration was,
however, the exhibit of the safety APP
plances on the test train We're absorb
ing them yesterday mad this to say
THE act of Congress in relation to the
use of automatic couplings and air
brakes upon locomotives and cars en-
gagged in interstate commerce was passed
at a time when there had been little or
no experience in the operation of brakes
upon long trains and when trains of over
fifty cars were unusual. The special train
experimental with consisted of fifty
modern steel cars fitted with automatic
couplers having friction device incor-
porated in the draft gear of each car,
capable of absorbing an immense amount
of momentum, which would otherwise be
very destructive to the car frames.
1.-THE couplings of these cars were also
fitted with a device which automatically
couples the air brake pipes at the same
time that the couplings are united, while
also the handles of the stop cocks of the
air brake pipe are so arranged tnat the
employees need no longer go between the
cars for the operation of either the car
couplings or air brake couplings.
THE triple valves used upon these
cars have been perfected after many
years of experimentation. BY their use the
brakes upon the lastcar of the longest
train are set almost as quickly for ordi-
nary service stops as In the case of an
emergency application The improvements
in these triple valves may be said to be
as important, with reference 10 the air
brake of today as were the earlier i'm
provements whereby the brakes were
made to act automatically in the event of
the breaking in two of train or the
bursting of a hose pipe.
AT the tests made FOR the European
delegates it was shown that 1t was inn
possible for the engineer with the heav-
lest locomotive, by any effort he could
make to break the train In two. 1t was
also shown that a train of fifty cars. run
ming at a speed of twenty miles an hour,
could be stopped within a few car lengths
without shocks or disturbances of any
character. With any train. whatever its
length. fitted with the friction draft gear
It will be impossible for an accident to
happen from the bursting of a hose in the
middle of a train. even IL the rear cars
are not fitted with air brakes.
I'm addition to the improvements in the
brake apparatus of freight cars, others
of most radical and important character
have been made in the brake apparatus
for passenger trains. which will result IN
reducing the distance for stopping high
speed trains from % to 40 per cent