Evening star., 1907-11-03
CERTAIN OF SUCCESS
Electrification of the New
Haven Road.
MUCH STUDY REQUIRED
Vice President McHenry Describes
the System Adopted.
FOR THE SUBURBAN TRAFFIC
Passenger Rates Average One-Half
Cent a Mile-A Milking
Machine.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.

Special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
NEW YORK, November l. 1907.
| Vice President McHenry of the New
York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
| Company, who has had charge of the cleo
| trification Of the suburban service of that
road, tells me that the system Is not yet
| In full operation, and it Is therefore i'm
possible to give any ascertained results;
| but he is very confident of the success of
the ingle-phase alterna ting current sys-
tenn, which was decided upon as best
suited to meet all the conditions and re-
quirements imposed.
In the adaptation of electric traction
by the New York, New Haven and Hart
ford railroad" said Mr. McHenry. "a
| number of features were presented by the
problem. which required months of study
They practically fixed the system which
was adopted and to a large degree de-
termined the design of both the locomo-
yves and the line construction. Aside
from nlnumerable details which had to be
considered the problem, broadly speak
ing. called for system the first cost and
maintenance of which would not be pro-
hibltiVe, a system which would permit OF
targe extensions with a high degree of eff
hclency at a reasonable cost, and locomo-
tive equipment which would be capable
OF operating over the direct current lines
of the New York Central railroad After
most exhaustive study of this problem
from all points of view, the single phase,
ate mating current system was decided
upon as being the only one that would
successfully meet the conditions imposed
Demands of the Service.
I'VE are to operate by electricity 146
trains day, 73 each way, between New
York and Stamford, Conn, a distance of
thfrty-three and a half miles. OF these
forty-eight are through trains, thirty one
expresses, fourteen locals and three mail
trains. All of these trains are to be run
on the previous schedules arranged for
steam locomotives. The schedules for the
limited express trains call for speed of
sixty miles an hour over some sections of
the road in order to make the average Of
forty-f1ve miles an hour for the entire
distance. The maximum speed of our
electric locomotives is from seventy-five
to eighty five miles an hour, but the speed
is governed entirely by the conditions of
the track. At present we shall make no
change in the time schedules. Our cleo
trio engines. having a much higher rate
Of speed than our steam locomotives, will.
of course, serve to maintain greater reg
ularity and enable the local trains to
make several new stops without failing
to keep up their schedules.
The change from steam to electricity
has not modified or limited our capacity
for handling passengers, but permits OF
now carry approximately 10000 passen-
gers daily-2J0UO each way-between New
York city and other points on the line.
The New Haven company owns 1850
miles of trolley lines In New England.
but they are operated Independently of
the railroad. In some cases the same
tracks are used for both the steam and
the electric service, end part of the troll
ley lines connect with those Of New York
city. But we nave no traffic arrange
wit nf
line maintains its own schedule"
Passenger Rates.
How do your Communication rates COM
pare with those of the suburban roads of
Chicago and other cities?'
Il am sorry l cannot tell you. l have
never made any comparison, and do not
know what the other roads Of the country
are charging. The Communication rates
upon the New Haven railroad will aver
age one-half a cent per passenger per
mile. There will be no change of rates"
What is the difference in cost between
steam and electricity"
1T is not possible to state the COM
parative cost of operation between steam
and electricity except where the condi-
ttons are approximately the same and
after at least one years practical opera
ton. No other basis of comparison would
be satisfactory to a railway man. Our
statements Of cost of installation are not
yet fully completed, because we have not
yet finished the installation, and, in any
case, they are so much affected by local
conditions that they would be Of little
value to other roads except OF the most
general character. 1t may be assumed,
however, that the cost of eQuipping a
four-track road for electric operation un-
der ordinary circumstances will be about
power house and equipment. Our power
house with 1900 X. W. capacity cost
about q million and a half of dollars and
our engines about $4,000 each.
The Power House.
"Our power house at Cos Cob. Conn,
which has just been completed, is Of pc
culiar interest because it is the first in
stallation Of a single phase electric equip
ment for the operation of trains over
trunk line. 1t is also designed to deliver
three-phase currents to the Port Morris
tpower house Of the New York Central
road to compensate fog the energy re-
Quired to operate our trains about twelve
miles over its line from Wo0dlawn juno
ton to the Grand Central station in New
York city.
Our powerhouse is located adjacent to
! the mann line of the road. on the bank of
the Mtanus river. about one mile from
our coal either by boat or cars and have
an unlimited amount Of salt water for
keondens!ng purposes. By ,ereetng a, dam
FIN the river<.at q poin1 about q nfie up
faineds n abund1ns shpplyof pure ,fsesH
water fof our Poilers; The p9wsrhouse
fecssre ana is .buiik Of bIain-facsd cay
ecoiorett concrete blocks. which form a
pleasing CONTRAST to the roof OF red Spa9-
fish tiles. The entire area is practically
above it, and we had "a. blast fop the
basement, the Condenser. intake and dis
| charEe fluma