The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1907-01-24

III
: mighty steam locomotive appears to b
), driving rapidly to its own doom. Elec
I tricity, that mysterious but potentia
, agency to which man has hitched th
. chariot wheels OF commerce. Is tn
{ modern David that bids fair to van
quish and Danish the Goliath OF steam
from the rails While many years from
now, perhaps the steam engine may b,
seen careering upon long journeys, +
Is thought that its place in suburban
and interurban passenger and freigh
hauls will soon be usurped by the
electric motor.
Already some Of the largest traffic
handling roads in America are taking
up the motor for suburban service and
terminal work Leading in this limo
New York, New Haven and Hartford,
the Long Island Railroads, and the
Canadian Pacific Railway, which are
electrifying their roads for some dis
lance out of the metropolis.
Within ten years, eminent authori-
ties believe, steam locomotives will be
used only in long runs across the coun-
try, while shorter hauls will be made
almost exclusively by electricity
One has only to contemplate the ex-
tenslye plans, already matured, for the
substitution of electrical power for
steam at great railroad terminals, to
realize how largely the former giant
Is to be relied upon to turn the car
wheels Of the future.
With the constant increase of pas
senger and freight traffic, the multi
plicity Of trains and growing demands
upon terminal facilities, the quick, eff
business in and about the big cities
has been problem that has grown like
evil genii. For one thing the noise and
dirt of steam-drawn trains have been
seriously objected to by persons along
the right OF way both In city and sub
urbs.
The New York Central and Hudson !
River Railroad Is electrically equip |
ping its metropolitan terminal for |
distance of thirty-four miles on the
main line, from Grand Central Station
o Croton, and for twenty-four miles
IN the Harlem Division, as far as
White Plains. All passenger traffic
within this territory will be handled
Electrically, and the first equipment for
through trains will consist of fifty
lrge motors. These motors must make
he thirty-four mile run from the
irand Central Station to Croton, and
or twenty-four miles on the Harlem
Division, as far as White Plains All
assenger traffic within this territory
rill be handled electrically, and the
rst equipment for through trains will
onslst of fifty large motors. These
lotors must make the thirty-fOur-mile
IN from the Grand Central Station to ,
rotor drawing n 435-ton train, in
)rty-four minutes, without stop Two |
lotors will draw the heaviest trains,
hich will weigh S75 tons. Each motor ,
to be capable of a maximum speed |
from sixty TO siXty-five miles an {
our. [
Weighing ninety-five tons and with
ptential energy representing 2,200 |
lrse-power, these electric locomotives
III be marvels in their way They will }
I'VE eight driving wheels, compared $
it'll four Of the steam locomotive. and b
drawbar pull Of $4,000 tons, against L
800 tons of the steam horse
In order to make thorough test of S
e qualifications of the electric motor, @
c railroad set aside a siX-mile stretch II
track near Schenectady, n V There II
@ ability Of the motor was compared
it'll that Of the steam engine in a
lmber of experiments. Starting to- II
Their, and drawing equal loads. the C
,ctrlc motor within two miles. passed
e steam engine. and was ut least two r
lin lengths ahead. cl
steam Foredoomed. w
Within a few years it is probable y
Mt electricity will have banished the &C
'am horse from greater part of
ug Island. st
Once taken up for terminal. urban III
d suburban traffic, it is thought the to
'ctriCal step to inter-urban service NJ
Il be short one, especially in the ca
Sc Of cities not very far apart such
many along the Atlantic seaboard be
4 in the Central States. Before cleo M
city is used for the longer cross
lntry hauls n number of present-day be
iculties surrounding the transmits tn
n Of power must be overcome. tn
IN certain parts of Europe, notably
Switzerland, Germany, France and r,
eat Britain, immense strides have ce
N made IN the utilization of eleetri- In
power. The Northeastern Railroad me
England works its suburban lines
IN electric motors, and electric trains
run between Liverpool and South