Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-22
DREAMS; BUILDS
AUTO RAILROAD
200 MILES AN HOUR OVER NEW
LINE, SAYS INVENTOR
!. q. FOWLER HAS MODEL OF
MARVELLOUS MOTOR TRAIN
Pasadena Capitalists Declared to Have
Become Interested and Sys-
tenn May BE Tested
There

A dream revealed to J. b. Fowler.
14171s Santee street, Los Angeles, the
mechanism and secret of an automo-
bile railroad, which, IL the reports Of
railroad men and engineers are to De
believed, promises at some no distant
day to revolutionize the passenger
and freight traffic of the contiguous
and congested cities OF the east.
Mr.. Fowler has just been granted
sixty separate patents on his automo-
bile railway and Is In receipt Of many
letters from promoters and railroad
men who speak In the most connoent
terms Of his invention, which he per-
fected In Los Angeles. He has re"
ceived an order for a train of three
cars and these will be used between
Pasadena and South Pasadena or AL
tadena as soon as the track which Is
necessary for them can be constructed.
Pasadena capitalists have expressed
the deepest confidence in the practi~
cabiIity of the new system, and It is
predicted the road and cars VIII De
in use almost exclusively between New
York Philadelphia and other eastern
cities within the next few years.
$50 Miles an Hour
Mr.. Fowler claims and theoretically
proves that his automobile train can
run $50 miles an hour, on an average
without any danger of derailment, col
lision or wreckage.
His car Is of torpedo shape, with
wheels ten feet high, four in number
and set under coach round and point
ed at each end, with mechanically adj
Unstable points which will serve as
wind generators, wind breaks or
tenders, according to demand.
Description of Coach
The tenders win be used only on
street cars, as they will be unnecessary
an the elevated interborough tracks.
The coach win be sixty-ffve feet long,
about twelve feet high and only twelve
inches from the rails. The latter Will
he somewhat wider than the present
standard gauge tracks, but the rails
will not require as fine quality or
steel. The track will be set down IN
a concave groove, elevated ana puiit
of structural steel.
The elevated road, because of Its
necessary width, will not interfere
with whatever 1t may pass over, MT.
Fowler says, because of the distance
between supports.
The roadbed itself Is another inven-
ton, equally interesting but declared
practical. though the cost of construc-
ton is SO great 1t could not well be
used except between big cities ana
where traffic is heavy.
Mr.. Fowler, who has constructed a
large and practical model of his sys-
tenn. claims 1t will require no poles.
bending track. trolleys, third rails, coal
bunkers. water stations, nremen,
brakemen, etc. Gasoline, kerosene or
alcohol can be used, and one filling OF
the tank will run car three thousand
miles.
will enable the car to make easily 200
miles an hour when necessary, and
with safety, he declares. The cars
being cylindrical In shape ana pointed,
will reduce the atmospheric pressure
and the size of the wheels will produce
the greatest speed and easiest riding.
He claims passengers can be carried
at one-tenth of a cent q mile.
Has Great Clearance
Each car will be equipped with two
gas engines, one In each end. He
contends also that the clearance be-
meath these cars is greater than in
any other system. Snow and ice Will
not interfere, and In case of derail-
ment at high speed the cars will travel
along in the groove until they can be
stopped. No n1ishap he contends. can
result In fatality, as II will be abb
solutely impossible for the cars to up
set or be wrecked when on his elevated
ooncave track.
He also claims his system is prac-
tically noiseless, ana II his claims are
proved correct he will have invented
altogether about the most marvellous
railway ever conceived.
.dr. Fowler says the system was re-
vealed to him one night In a dream,
and the following morning he forgot
some Of the principal features, but by
hard study worked out the missing
portions OF his problem.
He also Is the inventor OF the Ma
tional' stamp vending machine, which
is being promoted by the National
Vending Machine company OF Los An
geles, Of which J.. G. Cline. Is presi-
dent and DR.. Charles 8. Carleton vice
president.
Mr.. Fowler's daughter. Miss Daisy
Fowler of Portland, Ore, has just ar
rived in Los Angeles. and 1t Is said
will soon become actively interested In
the promotion of the new auto-railway,
representing her fathers interests In
the matter while he continues on other
inventions he is yet to patent.
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