Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-04-05

The Middletown & Odessa Railway
TO. is negotiating for the right Of way
Tor an extension from Odessa to Della
ware CITY, and If it. is secured in time
1.-the road will be built this spring
Ahis statement was made by Judge
Edwin X Cochran, Jr, vice president
/ of the company, who said ne thought
/ the desired object would be accomplish
ed. IL is likely that il will not be-
trolley road, however, as the company
mas decided to use gasoline motor
cars as a result of a successful test on
the road between Middletown and
Odessa. The company is now operating
a gasoline car, the only one in regular
use there. on Saturday nights an
| electric car is added, one being enough
at other times.
The motor car in use is what is known
| az an inspection. car. II is from the
/ tacory Of Fairbanks, Morse g. Co. in
| Detroit Mich, and the officers of the
company are so we'll pleased with IL
that they have ordered two more from
the same company, which will he all
the rolling stock the road is likely to
require for some time
The inspection car was placed on
the line for the purpose of giving the
officers of the railway an opportunity
to become familiar with its operation,
and they decided to have it remain
/ there until the arrival Of the regular
cars recently ordered. The car now
| in use is a small affair, seating -
| people. The new ones will be of the
regulation size for single-truck cars
and will resemble trolley cars in most
respects.
! Vice president Cochran is enthusiast
/ tic over the change in motive power.
The method of operating the car he
explained, is similar to that in use in
/ connection with most of the gasoline
automobiles. The mechanism, which
| is under the car is hidden from view.
/ The engine is not bulky, being about
as large as those used on a good-size
automobile. The machinery does not
add much to the weight of the car.
according to Mr.. Cochran's informa-
tion.
we decided to make the change, -
said Mr.. Cochran, in speaking of adopt
ing the new motive power, because
It is cheaper than electricity, and.
up to the present time, has been quite
as satisfactory. When we were operat-
ing the road with electric power the
current cost us IS a day. Now, the
i HlMNA NnnNC us hUOAh on cents H UlA.
| Originally, the road Just about made
expenses; now it is paying something
We are so well pleased with the change
that we are now arranging to build an
extension from Odessa to Delaware
City, a distance of about IL miles. where
we can connect with the Wilmington,
New Castle q Southern road, for viii
mington, Philadelphia and points
north. IL is definitely settled that this
road will be built if we can get the
right Of way, and / do not anticipate
any trouble about that detail. 1t is
our intention to build the road this
spring and to use gasoline cars on it
the same as we are now doing on the
present line.
1T will be much cheaper to build
this extension than it was to build
the original road, in proportion to the
distance, for all that will be necessary
will be to grade the road and lay the
ties and rails. If we were to put down
an electric road we would have to erect
a double pole line and a wire system.
When we first received the inspection
car we had some difficulty in operat
ing 1t, because our people here were
not familiar with that system of loco
motion. but they soon learned, and for
has been all that could be desired.
everything being eminently satisfac-
tory. -
The car starts at o'clock each morn
ing and makes 10 round trips 4 day.
making the round trip in an hour, in
cluding waits at the termini. At
the Middletown end an effort is made
60 connect with trains arriving and
departing. There is no railroad At
Odessa. The road is about four miles
long and It is pretty level. as is also
much Of the proposed northern exten
sion. Mr.. Cochran says there are no
tfoublesome hills. but Just enough
/ grade at several places to necessitate
2 little pulling, and cne day not long
/ ago one of the electric cars was run
over the road hack Of the gasoline car.
and the odds for time were in favor
Of the latter, when it came to climbing
the hills. The gasoline car has q - h.
p. motor, while that Of the elecric car
is 40 b. p. but the latter has been in
use ever since. the road was opened,
on August 18th. 1903.
The gasoline car has been equipped
with a fnuffier, which makes it as nearly
noiseless as is possible TO get it, The
reason for this is that the road runs
on and near. public roads and noisy
cars are not relished very much by
frisky horses. Mr. Cochran says the
car takes the track just as we'll as an
electric car
The officers cf the company are as
follows President, Dan. G. Corbit of
Odessa; Vice President, Edwin r..
Cochran. Jr.. of Wilmington; Secretary.
Joseph l., Gibson Of Odessa; Treasurer
and and Manager, w. S. Leatherbury
of Middletown.
To Fill in Marsh Land.