The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-26
Gasoline Motors to Be Used on
Steam Roads.
Chicago & Northwestern to Make
Tests in Wisconsin.
Is HARRIMAN'S IDEA.
Long Trains to Be Replaced by
Single Cars at High Speed.
Other Items of Interest In
Railway Circles.

The day Of the long, heavy, seldom
stopping railroad train, drawn by its
steam locomotive and leaving behind it
. trail of smoke and CRIME is passing.
The age of the single car, generating
its own motive power and running inde-
pendently or in multiples of two or
three. making many stops to take on
or disembark passengers and freight
IL at hand.
The management of the Chicago &
Northwestern railroad, after watching
carefully for some time numerous tests
Of gasoline motors and motor cars, has
announced that 1t will replace its steam
trains for branch line and interurban
work in the state of Wisconsin with SER
vice Of single, frequent gasoline driven
coaches. If the cars prove successful
as the exhaustive tests make seem PROB
able, the road gradually will extend
their use to supplant locomotives Wher-
ever practicable.
The final test of efficiency which i'm
mediately preceded the announcement
Of the proposed revolution in trafric
business and railroading was the sue
cessful run with a gasoline motor car
last Saturday from Omaha to Chicago.
The car had been tested for several
months on the new line between NOR
folk, Neb., and Bonesteel, 8. D.. and
was purchased of the Union Pacific COM
pany. The start was made from Oma,-
ha on Thursday and the car Travelled
only in the day time. No attempt at
record run was made, the chief object
being to test the general efficiency OF
the gasoline driven car.
At the end of the run it was an
nounced that on portions of the road
between Clinton and Chicago max
~ civtV rnilnS hour was
maintained for considerable distances.
The run was declared successful in ev-
cry way and the experiment led to the
announcement that cars of the same
general type will be adopted in Wiscon-
sin.
The cars will be put through the shops
for slight repairs and then will be used
In active passenger service between
Evansville and Alton, Wis, distance
of froty miles, making two round trips
daily.
At the same time with the announce
ment of the Northwestern's adoption OF
the gasoline motor car comes the state
ment that the Southern Pacific railroad
will replace locomotives and steam
trains on all branch lines with gasoline
motor cars and the replacement will be
the signal for a desperate traffic war
fare with the suburban trolley lines for
control of a vast amount Of passenger
and freight traffic which now Is going
to the electric lines.
In all experiments along the line OF a
motive power to displace steam, the
Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific
have been foremost and most earnest
Eight distinct models Of gasoline motor
cars have been constructed from time
to time. motor cars being more or less
of a hobby of Edward H. Hartman.
The type of car which made the run
over the Northwestern from Omaha to
Chicago, which was designed and con-
structed by w. R. McKeen, Jr., superin-
tendent of motive power and machinery
for the Union Pacific. and which will be
used in Southern California, has seat
ing capacity of sixty passengers, bag
gage compartment, and is operated by
a 20O-horse power, water cooled gasoline
motor Sixty cars Of this type are on
their way to the Pacific coast and will
be put in commission on the Southern
Pacific branch lines within two months.
The particular field which gasoline
cars are designed to fill is that of the
interurban and short haul traffic, the
particular field of the electric and
trolley lines. With the rapid multi
plication of high speed third rail cleo
trio lines between cities of consi der
able size and a mushroom growth of
interurban lines spreading network
over the country. their single cars