The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-11-26
TURBINE ENGINES
FOR RAILWAYS NEXT
One Being Constructed at Clas.
Cow Which May Revolutionize
Land Motive Power
TURBINE DRIVES the DYNAMOS
These Turn tho Whesls-Water In
Tanks 10 Vaperlzed and Condensed
In a Practically cIeoed cireult-The
Question Of Cost.

London, England.-President Hugh
Reid of the Glasgow University En-.
gineering Society has announced that
a new locomotive 10 under construc-
ton which may lead to the epplica-
ton to the railway engines Of the
world Of the turbine system, which
has revolutionized steam propulTion
on the Atlantic. Mr.. Reid describes
this engine as the first steam turbine
electric locomotive.
Various proposals had been made to
electrify the existing steam railways.
he said, but the anticipated cost Of
conversion and Of prospective and
subsequent maintenance had hitherto
prevented progress. Attempts had
been made to also introduce inde-
pendent selfgenerating electric units
that might operate over the existing
railway systems without necessitsting
any electrical equipment on the rail-
ways themselves. The Heilmann
steam-electric locomotive which was
built in 1894 was the most notable Of
these attempts, but Mr.. Reid asserts
that the new steam turbine electric
locomotive which is now being built
by the North British Locomotive Com
pany is a much more practical devel.
opment.
The steam is generated in boiler
of the ordinary locomotive type,
which is fitted with a superheater.
The steam from the boiler is led to a
turbine of the impulse type, running
at speed Of 5000 revolutions a min
ute, to which is directly coupled con.
tinuous current, variable voltage dy-
namo or generator. The dynamo sup
plies electrical energy Of from 200 to
tion motors, the armatures of which
are built on the four main or driving
axles of the locomotive.
The exhaust steam from the turbine
passes into an ejector-condenser, and
is, together with the circulating and
condensing water, delivered eventu-
ally to the hot well. AS the steam
turbine unlike the reciprocating steam
engine, requires no internal lubrica-
ton, the water of the condensation is
free from oil and consequently is re-
turned from the hot we'll direct to the
boiler by means Of feed pump. The
water evaporated by the boiler Is
therefore returned to the boiler again
and again and the supply of water car.
ried in the tanks is actually circulat-
ing water for condensation purposes.
This condensing water is circulated
within what is practically a closed cy-
u 80 oil ~ fx,r,n
pumps driven by auxiliary steam tur-
bines placed alongside the main tur-
bine and dynamo.
Mr.. Reid declares that the idea Is
the outcome of much thought and ex'
pertinent extending over a period of
several years, and is being carried
out on large scale. AS the engine
under construction Is intended for ex-
press passenger work, Mr.. Reid hopes
to obtain comparisons from its actual
working with the performances of re-
ciprocating steam locomotives, especi.
ally as regards the relative consump-
ton of fuel and water, and also as to
the efficiency of Transforming the en-
ergy of steam into draw-bar or train
pull, and also relative to the rapidity
of acceleration under the old and new
systems.
Most of the component parts Of this
steam turbine electric locomotive
have already proved themselves ef-
fective and efficient in other applica-
tions, and the novelty lies in the COM
bination of the different elements OF
which the locomotive Is composed.
The expected results in this case
should not therefore, Mr.. Reid be-
lieves, be SO problematical as in the
case of an invention where the novel
ty is in the details. 1t is the question
of the cost of the locomotive which
most troubles the patentees or raises
any doubt as to its general adoption.