Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-21
RAILROAD NEWS

j. P. Mason, travelling passenger agent
for the Washington Sunset lines, returned
to Los Angeles from a business trip
through Arizona and New Mexico yes
terday morning. Mr.. Mason reports the
Salt river valley in fine condition and
everything prosperous all along the line.
Mr.. Mason, accompanied by his family,
left last night for San Francisco, where
they will remain until after the holidays.
o. ". Eaton, secretary of the Develop
ment society of California and private
secretary to H. e. Huntington, left for
Indianapolis last night on short visit.
Beginning Tuesday, December II, re-
frigerator car service was established be-
tween Los Angeles and Beatty, Rhyolite,
Goldheld, Tonopah and all points on the
Tonopah & Tidewater and the Goldheld-
Bullfrog 1t is the intention for re-
frigerator car, under ice, to handle all
shipments of fruits, vegetables and other
perishable freight for that territory.
Agents will arrange to have shipments
for this car billed so as to arrive In Los
Angeles in time to be loaded each Tues-
day. The car Is scheduled to leave Los
Angeles every Tuesday night at $50.
Much interest has been aroused in the
recent discovery by Mr.. Brennan, an
English scientist, of the adaptability of
single rail track, or rather the appll-
cation of a natural law to the practical
use OF such a track.
At first blush 1t would seem that the
running of cars upon such track would
be wholly impracticable, if not CONNER
cially impossible, but when the theory
is fully considered and found to be based
upon well established and immutable
law of natural philosophy there is little
room to doubt it's success.
The chief desideratum for the practical
operation of Brennans mono-rail road
is that the cars running on it shall main
tain their balance. This he has secured
by means of the gyroscope in the form
of fy-wheels fastened within each car
and turned at several thousand revolu-
tlons per minute. These wheels are set
to turn vertically and operate to keep
the car balanced upon the same principle
that top will take and maintain an
upright position while it is turning rapid
ly. So when car to which they are
attached is Influenced by any cause to
careen to one side the force of the rapidly
turning wheels, acting upon the same
principle of a top righting itself to a
vertical position, will check the lean of
the car and cause it to maintain its
proper balance upon the rail.
A very interesting account is published
in the December, 1907, number of Nc
Clure's Magazine of an exhibition py Mr..
Brennan of his invention on his country
estate in England last May, where he ran
a small model car over a single track
subjected to all manner of tests which
it so successfully stood as to invoke the
Endorsement of practical engineers and
railroad men to such a degree that the
British government has given him an
order for the construction of a car of
sufficient dimensions (forty-five feet iong)
to demonstrate it's practicability in COM
mereial and general operation.
There does not seem to be any doubt
of the final success of the invention and
If it does succeed the rapidity with which
1t can be put into practical use will be
remarkable, for the running of the cars
will not involve the tearing up IT the
present roadbeds and double tracks, or
the cessation of the operation of trains
now running upon those tracks, as a
middle rail can be laid in the center of
the roadbed upon which Mr.. Brennan's
cars can be run at the same time the
present cars and locomotives run, until
the latter become worn out and cease
to be used. Thus the change from the
EXPENSIVE double track to the cheaper
and safer single rail can be effected in
extensively and without a check incident
to so radical reorganizations.
In street railway operation no change
whatever need be made in the overhang