The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-05-17
RAILWAY MOTOR CAR.
Revolution in Railway Motive Power
Car Constructed Under e. II.
Harriman's Direction.

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New York, May ITO celebrate
the completion Of the first gasoline
motor car for for railroad purposes
E. H. Hartman has approved plan
for an ocean tour of the novel ma
chine just finished and turned over to.
the Union Pacific. Officers OF the
Southern Pacific, Union Pacific and
the Oregon Navigation in Chicago are
now arranging for an elaborate long
distance test Of the new car, which.
embodies the ideas Of Mr.. Harri-
man himself, he having some eight
months ago given his officers the con-
ditions of the problem which they
have now solved.
The car is to be operated from
Omaha to Portland, Ore, exhibited
few days at the Lewis and Clark ex-
position, thence run to San Francisco
over the Shasta route, from there to
Los Angeles, to New Orleans and
thence to Chicago, via. st. Louis.
When it reaches Chicago it. will make
a speed and hauling power run from
that city to Milwaukee and return.
The motor will then be taken to New
York via Buffalo and back to Omaha
by way of Washington, Pittsburg and
Chicago, thus circuiting the conti-
nent
This is for the purpose Of testing
its long distance abilities, power on
grades and to. satisfy the curiosity Of
railroad men between the two oceans
who have manifested unusual inter-
est in the innovation. At all impor-
tant places ample time Will be al
lowed for inspection Of the machine.
Recently the motor made the run
from Omaha to Grand Island, Neb.,
I54 miles, in 1-2 hours, an average
speed Of 27 IL miles an hour The
maximum speed on this run was 40
miles an hour, .and but for the fact
that the car is not yet fitted with fun
trucks, only four wheels being under
it, a much higher speed could have
been attained. It ran cool the entire
distance and arrived at; Grand Island
! in first class condition,
Officers of the Union Pacific are
enthusiastic over the success Of the
history-making machine and do not
hesitate to pronounce it practical
motor car for railroad work. The
motor is capable of hauling at least
one heavy passenger coach over mod
crate grades.
Chicago railroad men are talking
of little Selse' now but the new motor
believing it is destined to supplant
all other forms of power in the trans
portation world. On steam roads it
will quickly displacei the present en-
gines for short hauls and suburban;
service, abating the smoke nuisance
in larger cities, leaving only the long
through runs for steam, and on these
it is believed the little gasoline ex-
ploder will eventually be king.
Director of Maintenance Krutt-
.41,,;++ of t1,a Jorriroo, :, lines Said-
Gasoline as a motive power is at
tractive We have at last what we
regard as practical gasoline motor
for railroad work, the first in the
world, and that means almost as
much as the first steam engine"
The car was built under the per-
sonal supervision Of William r. Nc
Kean, superintendent Of motive pow
er of the Union Pacific. The i'm
mense saving in fuel under steam is
not the only advantage Of gasoline
The low cost of operation would
mean more frequent trains, and bet
ter passenger and freight service, as
it is believed in short time the mo-
tors will be. applied to freight trains.
They will also enable the present
steam roads to go after their; enemies
in competition, the interurban troll
leys. and beat the latter at their own
game, as there will be no third rails,
wires or power houses to maintain.
One Of the advantages of gasoline
would be that when motor breaks
on the road it would not tie up the
entire lines, as is liable to be the case
with electricity.
Toxic Nav IL --Jananese govern