New-York tribune., 1905-04-24

batteries were too costly and impractcabIe other.
wise The vibration and noise of the exhsus- -
gasolene engine rendered that undesirable but b,,
far the most promising field. Then began ~
plan and experiment. and after two yearv' vort
this was evolved"
The is 90 feet IN length ana the width ~
ordinary coach It has a cigar-shaped 'front.' and
and looks like an inverted yacht. There are no aas
surfaces to OFFER resistance 20 the atmosphere
The car is equipped with a seIf-reguated evonI,
balanced 10O-horsepower six-cyiinder aaso.ore
engine. with its accompanying mechanism: an in
dependent acetyene gas plant ard lighting gener.t-
tor; a complete hot water heating system: an ac-
tive speed recording and self-acting signal outA-.
two complete sanders OF unique design an auto
matte pump feed attachment. and reservoir prin-
ers. storage batteries. emergency hand-brake etc.
Probably the chief feature of the car IS the
small expense Of operation. This il Is believed
viii be less than one-tenth the cosr or operating
regular passenger trains Instead Of hlgh priced
engineers. Gremen. conductors brakesaea. etc
one man will operate the car. and another act as
conductor-a crew OF only two people. The saving
In fuel will also be great. the gasolene motor con-
suming from One-haH 70 one gallon mile. Ii viii
be unnecessary for the railroad company to maintain
water tanks along the line because the new ma
chine uses water
The scheduled running time oc the car .s thirty
miles an hour. but the trip Grand Island
speed OF forty miles attained without din-
Guilty and with vibration. The car went on
the Union Pacihc's "brag'' train 70 pass and
then caught up with the flyer Before reaching Fre-
mont
The cost OF construction or these cars VIII vary
from $1,000 to &s.0oG. according to size and finish
While the present car il only 30 feet long tone
third OF which Is taken up by the machinery and
baggage ROOM. other viii be 81 feet long. ana
'trailers' may be drawn whenever necessary. Many
Of the devices have been patented By Mr. McKee,
Vice. President and General Manager MOhler and
Mr.. Mckeeu are receiving letters from the
cheering departments OF dozens OF railroads asking
for detailed Information concerning the which
has attracted so much attention ard bids fair %
FevOlutiOntZe suburban and branch line traffic More
than thousand letters have come TO Mr. No
Keen alone this subject
One or the new VIII be sent 20 the coming
railroad congress at Washington. and its maker
and designer viii be there To explain the machinery
20 those interested.
Several systems % propulsion FOR independent
cars have been tried recently IN Europe and this
country. One like that being tried by the Union
Pacific uses a gas0lene engine alone Another on
trial on the Northeastern road in England, employs
a combination OF gasolene motor dynamo and
electric motor. Some experiments have been made
with steam also. These cars are designed for
service on short feeders and other local lines where
the traffic is light that hauling one or Two cars
BY a locomotive is far from economical opera
tiOn The machinery in the independent ear IL
placed IN q small compartment az one end auC
only slightly reduces the space left available Ior
seats