Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-21
TO IMPROVE SERVICE.
Railway Promises Better
Things for Rockville Line.
.TENLEYTOWN WILL PROFIT.
Company Orders Five New Cars of
Suburban Type.
AIR BRAKES ONE FEATURE
President Norment Explains Plans
in Letter to the Interstate Com
80 merce Commission.
AIR BRAKES ONE FEATURE

Better equipment and improved service
on the Tenleytown and Rockville railway
lines are promised In letter received
today by the interstate commerce COM
mission from Clarence F. Norment, presi-
dent OF the Washington Railway and
Electric Company. The letter. in which
the reforms are outlined, was in answer
to an inquiry by the interstate commerce
commission asking what improvements
the company proposes to make on the
Rockville line.
Five new cars will be placed in service
December l. the letter says. replacing
the five cars. now used to run from
Georgetown to Rockville. They will be
the suburban type. forty-tive feet in
length, each with 4 seating capacity for
fifty-two persons. They will be equipped
with air brakes.
The best Of the cars now in use. to be
replaced by the new cars, it is stated will
beinS painted and having minor changes
made, will be again assigned to the line
for service between VI street and the
District line.
President Norment Explains.
1T is not proposed to equip these
cars with air brakes. as the cars do not
weigh in excess of 10000 pounds. and
between the District line and George
town are not run at high rate Of
speed" the letter says. There is no
physical impossibility to prevent the
equipment of all the cars at present oper-
ated on the Tenleytown Line with air
brakes The estimated cost Of doing so
would be about $3.50 per car. 1t Is not con-
sldered necessary In street railway work.
where cars are operated at the rate Of
speed at which they are operated here.
to equip them with air brakes or power
brakes. unless the cars weigh In excess
OF 10000 pounds. The present brake rig
ging having been in use for over five
years without any accident due to fail.
ure on it's part or due to inability OF a
motorman to control car Herewith
may be considered as thoroughly tested
and perfectly safe
In the opinion of our engineers,
properly designed and arranged hand
brake is just as safe as an airbrake II
the car on which the brake is placed does
not exceed a certain weight and is not
operated at excessive, speed If. how
ever. the commission has other expert
opinion on the subject We should be glad
to have our engineers consider any tech
meal reports submitted to them. as II Is
certainly our desire that. our equipment
should be safe
Policy of Company. "
ut may not be out of place to call the
dltentlOn OF the COMMISSION TO our pol
icy in regard to equipment. We have in
ordinary daily use on the lines Of the
Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany and the other companies whose
management is composed Of the same
personnel. some 200 cars or trains. 4
certain proportion Of the equipment is
renewed each year as necessity dictates
or as our means allow. 1t is the policy
of the present management to renew the
equipment in much more rapid rates than
it Is wearing out. thereby providing for
the growth of the traffic. Illustrating
this policy. during the present year. we
will have put in service forty new cars,
and for next year we are at present con-
sidering the purchase of thirty-fiye more;
this. in addition to very liberal eXpendi-
lures for maintaining the cars which are
are at present in use.
In conclusion, therefore. We believe
that the patrons of the Tenleytown line
will have no cause for grievance with
40 per cent OF their equipment Of the
most modern type"
The letter has been placed in the hands
of the District railway commission, AS 1t
desired the information for use in decid-
ing what steps should be taken to remedy
conditions complained Of by patrons Of
the line.