The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-10-07
FIRSTELECTRICTRAIN
ENTERS NEW YORK CITY ON NEW
YORK CENTRAL.
Thousands OF Spectators Cheer Initial
Change from Steam to Electricity.
Acceleration of speed With
out jolt or Jar.
New York World.

New York World.
The first railroad train drawn by an
electric motor over standard gauge
tracks with New York City AZ the
terminal, pulled into the Grand Central
Station at 2:5S o'clock yesterday after
noon.
1t was the initial experiment in the
transformation OF the system which
eventually is to extend over the Now
York Central's lines. In every way 1t
was a successful demonstration of tine
use of electrical energy, In the smooth :
ress of operation. the perfect control
ard the immediate acceleration OF
speed. without a jar or a Jolt.
Eight of the heaviest Pullman cars
in the service OF the company. with an
aggregate weight of $50 tons, comprised
the train, and w. Wilgus. Vice.
President of the New York Central,
rad the honor Of gripping the lever
which put into motion TIE most radical
revolution In railroad engineering since
the substitution Of steam for the stage
coach.
The trip was from Highbridge TO
F'orty-second Street, a distance of ssvan
miles, and was covered in eighteen min
utes. No attempt to maintain high
sPeed was made, although the electrt-
cal locomotive is capable of eighty-two
miles an hour. with as little friction and
no further jarring than when It is
running forty miles an hour.
Tho announcement in The World on
Saturday that the experimental trip
would be made yesterday afternoon at
tracted thousands of spectators to
Highbridge. along the route. on tho
transverse viaducts over the tracks and
in the Grand Central Station Itself.
Employees of The rnilroad showed in
tense interest in the running Of the
train. Hundreds of them were scat
tered along the road, and in the yard"
below Forty sixth Street. preferring to
watch for the incoming electrical mogul
10 ENJOYING q Sunday afternoons out
ing elsewhere. When the fiat -fronted
engine of peculiar construction. with
two white flags futtering from the
windows on either side o. the cab.
tume into view there was a shout If
Here she comes" Here she comes;"
and volley of cheers, as Mr.. Wilgus
climbed down from the motorman's
perch. to be overwhelmed with con-
gratulations.
He had ben asked on Saturday to
give the name of the motorman who
was to inaugprate the great change,
but with laugh which was not under
stood at the time. said the man didn't
want any Qualification.
The Train and Guests,
Electric engine No. 3.4O6, which Is
one of the thirty-five I0O-ton locomo-
tives of 1900 horse power to be used In
the initial electric zone when the sys-
tenn goes into operation early in No
vember. was selected for the expert
mental run. Eight pullman cars were
hauled out Of the Grand Central sta
tion at 1890 o'clock by a steam loco
motive.
The run to High Bridge was made in
1T
strate how quickly the change could
be made from a steam locomotive to
an electric which Will be necessary at
the further boundry of the initial cleo
trio zone after the new system is in
stalled the engine driven by steam got
out Of the way. Electric No. 34O6"
was coupled to the train so quickly
that PHOTOGRAPHERS prepared for quick
action had to hasten to get picture
before the train was under way and
heading back for the Grand Central
Station. The starting was a marvel
ious Illustration OF the celebrity with
which the change In motive power will
be made The compiling and tho start
back to Forty second Street with tae
electric locomotive was in less than
minute. 1t was a revelation.
There was no Jar and no Jolt, In
stead of the pufft pun! Of a locomotive.
the grinding and whirring of wheels
to get such a heavy train under way,
the Jerking forward and lessening or
specd and then the familiar squirt for
ward. the entire train moved as by
one impulse. There WINS no backward
reciprocal movement whatever. Which
is always the case with II heavy train
on n level Instead. the accel"raton
OF speed was almost instan"taneuous
it was as smooth and as mpcrceptible.
and it was as smooth and as lhpercep-
tiblc, as II the wheels were running
over n stretch of rubber rails.
This was due, as the 'leetrieal en-
gineers on board explained, TO the
method of gathering up th" direct cur
rent from the protected third rail-.
There was no noise whatever. a pas
senger would scarcely know that the
train was in motion bat Tor the tll'tins
Panorama OF rail fence and telegraph
poles. Tho running was as smooth as
cutting through fresh cheese with a
knife until the train came TO a cross
over" south Of Fifty-shth street. where