The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-01-15

Weld of valuable information as TO
the respective merits of steam and
electrical traction on steam railroads,
sqvs the Scientific American The first
electric zone of the New York Cen
tral lines, reaching from Forty-see-
ond street TO High bridge, has now
Tor over | ? months been operated ex-
elusively by electric locomotives, us
Ing direct current; and the New Ha
ven system has been in partial opera
ton from Forty-second street IL
Stamford a distance of 80 miles, by
electrical locomotives. These two are
anauestionably the most important
developments in the Identification ot
trunk steam railroads in the world.
both being four track systems carry
ing heavy traffic. The New YORK
Central venture has proved to be a
brilliant success With the oxcep-
Ion of the Woodlawn accident, which
was ehargeable to incompetent AMI
careless operation rather than to the
electrical equipment. the whole OF
this elaborate plan has been operated
practically without any mishap. and
the new locomotives have taken their
trains In and out with smoothness
and reliability which exceed ayen that
of the time honored steam iocomo-
lives which they displaced More
ever. recent tabulation OF the costs
OF this electric operation shows a de-
cided economy over the former steam
traction. and there is the added ad-
vantage that the number of train
movements in the yard has been re
duced from leo to less than 700
to say nothing of the abolition If the
raisances of smoke and noise or
the results on the single phase sys=
tem.of the New Haven road II Is.
oCps. too early to speak with GER
Unity. but. Judging from appear
|arces, II would certainly seem that
the installation has not proved nearly
so reliable as the direct current sys-
TEN of the New York Central road.
With which comparison Will naturally
be instituted Judging from the con-
lnnal presence OF repair trains and
the large number of Interruptions due
To temporary failure of the trolley
lines, II would seem ms though the
complicated overhead system EN-
nloyed was not sufficiently robust 10
stand the strain OF the heavy traffic
III a four track main line road. More
ever. although the overhead work
has been completed as far as Siam
ford for many months the company
seems reluctant TO trust the hauling
II their through express trains Ia the
electric system. II is sincerely 10 be
hoped that this very meritorions at
tempt to utilize the single phase sys-
TEN ON great railroad will meet
with ultimate success which il merits.
During the year two other important
applications of electric traction To
steam railroads have been made. One
of these was on AZ mile stretch 81
the West Shore railroad from Utica
10 Syracuse. on which the loR pres
sure direct current was used. with
Alhird rail distribution. In making
Nc preliminary estimates, II was
NRd that cost of an overhead line
anNAnotor equipment for the single
phase system would be abont as
great as that of a direct system with
snb-stations. During the summer,
also. 81 mile stretch of the Roehes-
ter division of the Erie railroad was
placed in electric operation. In this
ease list WIS iidut VI d SlHbt' Hhaa'
system of the same general character
as that used on the New Haven road.
current being transmitted at 6o,eoo
volts, and a working pressure OF l =
600 volts being used in the trolley
Inc. For some years the Southern
Pacific electrical engineers have been
studying the question of eleetrifying
the Sacramento division of the South
ern Pacific railroad, which extends
FOR distance of 1876 miles; and dur
ing the year Mr.. Spragne, the father
of the multiple unit system of opera
lion. and some of the leading electri-
cal companies have been called In to
decide upon the system which will
he best suited to the conditions. AZ
this is a mountain division. II will
form by far the most important work
of this kind ever attempted. Con
siderable preliminary work has been
done by the Pennsylvania railroad in
its investigation to determine the
best type of locomotive and general