Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-22

Wv supplant the steam locomo-
tive?
This is a question which within the
last few years has been frequently
asked, but has so far been answered
only by mere conjecture. However.
there are now sufficient facts at hand
to demonstrate that the battle which
has been waged between electricity
and steam is about to come to cli-
max. Preparations are on foot that
will bring the opposing forces together
for a decisive struggle within the next
few months, and those who nave
studied the situation predict victory
for electricity.
When the electric motor pulled the
first street car successfully through
the streets of Richmond, Va, in 1888
many enthusiasts on the subject of
electric railway propulsion hailed this
event as the death knell of the steam
locomotive. OF course, we all know
that these prophecies were somewhat
premature. Nevertheless, the electric
railway has steadily advanced in de-
velopment and its progress into the
domain of the steam locomotive has
been steady and sure. From propelling
originally the street car In the larger
cities it became afterward the motive
force of the suburban line, then of
the interurban line and of late there
have been many electric roads built to
parallel the steam lines, until now the
electric road in many cases is COM
petitor of the steam road and danger
Gus one at that. While the street car
motor when it was first introduced had
a capacity of fifteen horse power only,
they are now built up to 400 and 500
horse power.
Railroad companies are notoriously
conservative in their business methods
and it Is well for the stockholders that
they are SO. They looked for a long
time upon the pretensions of the cleo
trio motor with scorn and derision,
partly because they were so thoroughly
acquainted with the steam locomotive
and it's possibilities and partly because
they realized that the adoption of
new propelling system for their trains
would have consequences that meant
revolution of the entire railroad ramifi-
cations. But in spite of this the
electrical experts kept on improving
the electric railway motor. and every
year since 1888 has witnessed new de-
velopments and new triumphs for
electricity. And as every new electri-
cal triumph meant another encroach-
ment upon the steam locomotive, these
advances became so persistent that at
last the railroad companies were forced
to take notice in self-defense. The
number of electric roads grew enor-
mously and wherever they appeared in
competition with the steam roads as
handlers of local or suburban freight
the steam road was driven to the
woods. What has been the result
Practically every trunk line railroad
company has already begun the in
stallation of electricity on it's lines or
I
| in the immediate future.
The New York Central railroad is
equipping its main line with an electric
system to run trains from the Grand
Central depot in New York city up into
the state of New York as far as AL
bany. At recent meeting of the di-
rectors it was decided to issue $780,
900 900 additional stock to be used in
extending their lines in New York by
electric roads.
The Pennsylvania railroad has for
some time operated electric trains on its
Long Island division and this work Is
now being constantly extended The
same company recently made another
contract for the electrical equipment
OF it's lines from Philadelphia to Allan
tic City. These lines, as is well known.
| have heretofore been operated by some
| of the finest trains that ever ran on
this continent and at a speed not ex-
ceeded anywhere. In the face of this,
| the company is now engaged in the
abandonment of the steam system and
is substituting electricity. And when
railroad company like the Pennsyl-
vania takes a step SO radical it is a
foregone conclusion that they have
made Investigations the result of which
make this new departure a necessity
| from the best business considerations.
The New York, New Haven & Hart
ford recently contracted for thirty cleo
trio locomotives with the Westinghouse
people of Pittsburg, to be installed on
its line between New York and Stam-
ford, Conn. 1t has already begun to
equip some of it's main tracks electric
ally. The power house, where the cleo
trio current Is to be generated, is well
under way and before long electric ex-
press trains will run on regular daily
schedule.
The Erie railroad is the next road
which will introduce electricity on part
of its main line, and, once the start has
been made there, the Gould roads viii
| naturally fall into line.
The Grand Trunk lines recently con-
tracted for electric power to operate
lines under the ST. Clair river between
Detroit and Windsor, because they had
/ demonstrated to their own satisfaction
that It would be cheaper than steam
The Illinois Central railroad is max