The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-07-26
BYRNES ON
ELECTRIC PLANS
Road Is Only Waiting For
Result of Elaborate
Experiments in
New York.
WHAT CHANGE
REALLY MEANS
Proposed to Establish
Important Suburban
Service Around
Boston.

Boston, July 25.-Commenting on the
opening to-day of electric service be-
tN cen New York and New Rochelle by
the New York, New Haven and Hart
ford railroad, Vice President Timothy
Il. Byrnes says:
'Boston will have an electric subur-
ban service over the New Haven as
sooH as the change shall become phys
ically and ne hlnealiy possible. To
that end we arc abolishing grade cross
ings faster than required by the state
authorities. This process must be COM
pleted over the area to be electrified
before the new motive power is INSTALL
ed for the overhead wiring is too ex-
pepsive to put up twice at any point.
Mechanically, also, we must Of course
be sure that the New York experiment
is on the right lines for heavy traction
before extending it to other parts of the
system. l may promise the transfor-
nation will occur without unreasonable
delay From a single power house a
service could be operated extending
about twenty-five or thirty miles out.
Il is impossible to predict the precise
physical appliances which will be in
stalled here until the present expert
ment has demonstrated its merits.
1.-THE electrical equipment for passen-
ger service which goes into regular OPP
Grafton to-day from New Rochelle to
the Grand Central station is expected
to be extended by August to Port
Chester and by September 1 to STAN
ford This transformation, made neces-
sary by conditions at the Grand Central
station is believed to be the forerun-
ner Of a similar change at Boston, and
eventually over the whole system, for
freight as well as passengers. The new
appliances, or rather the new combina-
tior Of standard appliances, for the
purpose Of heavy traction are pioneer
engineering on the part of the special
ty construction companies, and the
scientific engineering and railway world
in general as well as the travelling pub
lie will watch the results with interest.
The advantages Of the new system
during the stage of application over
short distance are almost altogether
these to be enjoyed by the public The
only immediate benefit to the public is
the increased traffic which may natur-
ally be induced by pleasanter train
conditions. The cost of new equipment
is very large, involving experimental
ticn, itself always expensive, and a
heavy outlay for generation of power,
overhead wiring and specially con-
structed locomotives. The charge for
production of power and maintenance
of plant over SO short a mileage Will
| considerably exceed that of using steam
engines already in hand. The regular
run Of an engine is from $50 to 200
miles. When, as in this instance, the
identification already installed and in
Immediate prospect is only about forty
miles, it is an additional burden with
no eompensating economy to switch off
the steam engine in the midst of its
run and send it back to the round
| house.
Economics, if identification is to eff
| feet them, can only be realized when
1
| The advantage of electrifcation to the
| passengers, on the other hand, are i'm
| mediate and obvious. Smoke, heat, Gin
| ders and gas are abolished and noise
of engines reduced This is welcomed
with pleasure in broad daylight, but
claimed now almost as a right in tun-
nels and terminals. Electric traction
also makes possible electric illumination
and electric heating Of cars. II would
not be strictly true, as has been sug-
| gested, that electric equipment will en-
able a reduction of running time which
| could not be affected with steam; but
if speed is to be increased undoubtedly
Ii can be accomplished electrically with
less discomfort to the passengers. The
extra coal will be consumed at the pow
err house not on the train.
"While the New Haven locomotive
must run for part of the distance
lover the New York Central tracks the
two roads use different qualities OF
current, and the New Haven engines
must be equipped to collect both sorts
The Central employs direct, the New
Haven alternating current. The alter
mating current of the New Haven is fed
into the copper overhead wire without
sub-stations, the stepdown from 1,00(
volts to the quality required being ac-
ccmplished by alternating motors with.
in the locomotive, which take the place
of transforming stations.
"a westbound train reaching the
point to which the wires have beer
| strung will come to a full stop. The
steam engine will be switched off ant
an electric locomotive of new and in
teresting type will be coupled on, The
engine looks something like a Pullna~
coach without Pullman windows TIL
motorman is provided with a coming
space from which he looks through win.
Idows at the end and at the extreme
end of each side
Petition in bankruptcy.