The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-02-24
ELEcTRIFIcATIoN OF
GERMAN RAILROADS.


Consul Thomas Fl. Norton writes
from Chemnitz that for several years
past German engineers have been ac-
lively engaged in the preliminary
studies for an ultimate change to cleo
tricity as the motive power In ordi-
nary railway transportation Of pas
sengers and freight. Mt. Norton dis
cusses the proposition as follows:
THE technical problems connected
with the safe and economical trans
mission and application Of the elec-
trio current have, one after the other.
been satisfactorily solved. The de-
cislye experiments In 1903, conducted
by the Prussian railway authorities
In connection with the General Elec-
trical company, on the line between
Niederschoenweide and Spindlersfeld.
showed conclusively that the proper
motor had been devised to use ef-
fectiyely the alternating current, which
alone can servo for the transmission
on a single conductor of high tension
currents.
Since then no material advance has
been made from the mechanical
standpoint, nor has much been re-
quired of the electrical inventor. The
new motors have rendered admirable
service when utilized for urban and
suburban traffic. and whom applied on
short lines. 1t Is now a purely eco
nomic question whether the time has
arrived to discard the mc-honored
steam locomotive after It's eighty years
of faithful service and replace II by
the electrical locomotive as sole mo
tive power for extensive railway sys-
toms.
"The matter is now one Of keen dis
cussion among American railway man
ayers. The results of an exhaustive
study by Pm. Pforr, prominent Ger
man engineer, on the subject. may be
OF timely interest, and they are here
Will DTlGHy Sun1ndTlZeds
"It is essential for the economical
transmission of the electric current
In connection with railway use that
ii leave the power houses under
tension of $4,000 volts. and that this
be lowered to $4,000 volts when d.
rected into the conductors. which sup
ply directly the locomotives on line.
Transformers for this purpose are To-
Gated most adyantageously at dis
tances OF twenty-five miles along
line. On double track 5,000-kilowat
equipment is required; on a single
track, one of 1900 kilowats sufflces.
The cost of transformers per mile is
calculated at $1,42G for double track
lines, and at SS62 for single track
lines. The total cost for transform
ers and accessories on the entire sys-
TEN, as detailed, would be about $50.
0o0, 900
Overhead wire conductors cost
$3.50 per mile of single track. This
amounts to $167, 1000 for the entire
network of 21,016 miles of single
track,
"The cost of cables for distributing
the current from the power houses to
the transformers depends upon the To-
cation Of the plants. Assuming dis
tances apart Of 125 miles, the entire
system would require thirty generat-
ing plants. This distance allows 4
mutual rendering OF assistance In case
dynamos are disabled. Upon this ba-
sis there would be an average cost
per mile, for distributing cables, OF
$3.50 on single-track lines, and Of
$2,490 on double-track lines The en-
tire equipment would involve an out
lay of s42, 100000. These three items
constitute total investment for per
manent equipment along existing rail-
way lines of s234,5O0,o0O."