The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-19
,snoolol (,orresponlence.)

fSpecinl Correspondence
NEW 3oRIi, November IS, 1905,
When the work Of renuiluins the IIamu
Central station 'here Is composed, q l r.,n'
stittitlng electricity for steam as the
motive power of American rairoads.
one OF the most characteristic features 'o.s
az tho new terminal will be the train shed
WITH Two tiers OF tracks, one for subur-
ban and one for through traffic, and as
such an arrangement IS Impossible Win
steam locomotives the Two y r%ads ce WnqII
iiartford--are planning to bring their
trains into the city By electricity.
ordered % electric locomotives as
beginning Of new order Of things IN
dlcates to what extent railroad men are
preparing for the change. OF new
distance traffic and for short hauls, these
locomotives will mark a new stage in the
employment OF electricity. hitherto
though electric locomotives have success
;uily passed Tho experimental stage their
,Ise has been sontincd, In the main, 10
places where the problem of yent1ia !,,S,ll
makes steam engines impracticane. liz
baltimore and Ohio Railroau has thcln
cor its tunnel through Baltimore, ior
example, and they viii be used IN me
tunnels which the Pennsylvania Ra1lroau
is building under the Hudson and East
Rivers here These locomotives how
ever, ana those now building for the
Nav York Central, are not designed TO
be run any great distance from the cent
raj powerhousc, and In rajlrondng they
will play much, the same role as Is taken
in water Transportation by the tug which
brings the ocean greyhound 10 her pier.
On the other hand, the revo o1.i', II,
the INCREASING use of electricity has been
= accomplished by an eSteution ofathe pr:n-,
ciplc3 OF the trolley car. On the. eleVatsu
railroad and in >the subway In this city,
f tff,,. the np n
own motor and noSscparate locomotive
IS required. The Long Island Railroad
is rapidly installing system OF TINS
and similar trains are operated In other
parts OF the country, as between Stam-
FORD and New Canaan, and between
Bristol and Hartford, IN Gonh .s, ,,,;,o,,
transforms n railroad Into q glorified
trolley line may be for short hauls. where W, ere
there is an enormous amount o.. traHlc
that it saves both time and moneys---it Is
not feasible on big systems alrcad " equip
ped with u full complement Of cars and
locomotives Of the old type To- 4, change q
to 1t would involve an expenditure be-
yond the reach Of our wealthiest co'po--5
lations and moreover, 1T Is by no means
8 certain that the results would prove salts
1 factory either to the railroad or pa:
Is In the type Of electric locomotive
adopted by the New Haven noned Of
these objections to the general use Of
electricity in railroading IS said to exist.
Although no announcement has been
q made Of the cotnpany's intention to. make
any charge. in Its motive power except
{ on the stretch between Woodlawn ana
4 the Grand Central station, where the
improveme now under way necessltate
1T, the railroad word S not blind to the
possibilities of the new engines. Me-
81 cianical engineers have been met by
the dinlculty of transforming the alter
mating curl ent general Ted in the power
house into a direct current powerful
enough to operate trains at long distances
", FROM the central station. IncOrefl Sa!iy,
this difficulty can be overcome by dolt-
gsi rg the line with substatlons where ro-i
S$ 3tary conNerters transform the salte:nal-
snG current into n direct one; but prac-
ys53ticll,y this means. such Increased expense
for maint enance, labor! fuel and other
II items that the old steam motive power
is preferable.
three years the new locomotives 9 { the
New Haven road will transform the al
nj ternating$ current themselves, and In thus
doing away with the necessity OF seN-
pens!ve stibstatons Will remove one Of
NJ the chief obstacles to the operation OF
through trans by electricity. Win
equal ease they can be operated between I
: stlawn,5 where the New Hnvenis territory
really begins, by a direct current, or run
y through the open country towards Bt$s-
ton receiving me gurIehs on IN i US MI i'f Be
before electricity drives steam entirely
out Of the field. is still a matter Of mere
n guess work, but the changes In New
York terminal and the improved type OF
engine are bringing the time appre GLADLY
near
49, That the newer nachinesis pracu cable
IS nov settled heyond doubt. There are
a' at least six ipUwerhouses In New iorH
City alone which are furnishing more
power than would be necessary TO operate
4 q line like that between New York and
Nv TSy,.~ h1yit
the New York Central has already been en-
ssubjected to n practical test Of 2l,ON
%siniles8 Of travel1lnd the greater simplicity
eRof8 electrical ..onesailon warrants an as
IT. has been calculated that not more
than fifteen per cent Of the delays and
interruptions thnt now arise will occur
when once the new system is perfected.
Tho boiler. flre-box. cylinders, pistons.
s3T.eclprocating parts. and all the compll-
GATED mechanism OF n steam locomotive
lthe axle. Instead of tho fireman toilng
Unnecessarily with his shovel and rake to
maintain the tremendous pressure neces-
sary to drive modern passenger tram
along at the speed demanded by the
American public, the power comes in OF
its own accord with equal ease from u
third rail or an overhead wire, and the
engineer, with one hand on the controller
a4ind the other on the brake lever, needs
q no assistance. Whether second man
III will be kept in the cab at all is n ques-
lion which has not yet been decided Tor
railroad men do moi cross bridges until
they come to them. but If he Is, 1t will
only be as a nrecaution against the pos
sibility Of an unforeseen accident to
rhe engineer.
Like d willing horse. the electric loco
II motive viii take all the work given to
s it7wlthout complaining. a steam engine
stops when tasks beyond Its strength
are imposed upon It, but the electric
machine. never shirks, The extra work
may burn up the motor but til this hap
pens tho train moves steadily on. lie
sides, with electricity. ii is far easier to
S