The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-03-30
Making the Wheels
Of Trolley Cars Go

ruBlic SERVICE has told within the last few weeks about
+ us... The hundreds sn Of cars IL IL f i%oa n q fh sra m > r O.
that army.
The object q giving al this t inf ImSso,s : p re LEI yo Pu fnGc
e y e = has sst 70 contend % tSqse. siSn ano Of e. the S populssios Of i a State
Thistalk is in fartnsrance of that object and has TO DO - Nth
the power that makes the can car wheels hssaso rsgsIye the the Street i { railway MIas1
business has undergone during the last fifteen years
WHERE POWER COMES FROM.
II YOU were asked as to tn. source of the electricity which
makes the cars 70 you would u ans.ons sd1r ss sga i o SSps 3 s, d,ep p sas
eensass q the props1is g fore. GOES from 4 the e.! power sarnl nSsse
Yr ns lie rsg useful ssaSi + function Of carrying millions to and from
1t is not a very diacult matter to follow the course Of the +
current from the coal pile to the car wheel The coal 2 n makes .ntesci the
stsan p Sdsfn re sHR VI a'a fsl the "p purposes sssS of t. = Street Isiwsy,
I ;ssssss i. Is ss s!sssa i .sssE Il. ~ S Ssss ,sas I; { % iMsssss' 5 S:SsssF;,
Perth Amboy, Midtown, Camden ana Gloucester
ALTERNATING AND DIRECT CURRENT.
Tn An Of these plants current known as alternating current
sgeaeratsd at a potential, or strength Of IS 200 volts, Nov. as
Of efs sS opsta so' Il i IS 'r necessary ss' to reduce and change the characterso 2
f for u ns"sG Il Pi + truce that sa In N : ss few Of shs s'l power sSs houses 5 q dlTsss s1r.
rent Of tn the proper 2rops y voltage tag no gsnef nroSu seS i IS a ahe S, . 'p pot ssotiss
Alternating current.
mat tn .s,S gr ss.s.s, reason ss s. fq ,s. ssasEEss,sP' . s 1gss s'.ssps ss, as ss il
voltage volt ,ssso Sys5 Z e. small tpsns a%eq direct Ct e oa1Psp;s s " low 'n Ret a@ea would q b s' g
great as to make the cost OF transmission prohioitye
TRANSFORMING THE CURRENT.
To meet the conditions and utilize the power as economically
a possible the territory served by the trolley cars is divided into
sections and each section is provided with a substitution, PUBLIC
SERVICE has fourteen such stations EACH is equipped with a
rotary converter which transforms the alternating current Of
l3,206 volts into direct current Of $50 volts
The direct current of proper voltage is fed to the trolley wires
at various points, according to the load requires, and passes down
the trolley pole to the controller operated by the motorman. II
travels through the controller TO the motor mounted on the axles
and, after making the wheels go around, passes through the wheels
to the tracks and finds its way back to the sub-stations or gener-
ating plant.
VAST, INTRICATE POWER SYSTEM.
When one is told that PUBLIC SERVICE operates fifteen
generating plants and fourteen sub-stations to supply power
which is carried through $50 miles OF feeder cables and wires to
6s miles of trolley wires and connections, the istter held In
position by 61o miles Of span wires, perhaps one can appreciate
the extent and intricacy of the power system necessary to keep
the cars going. incidentally, perhaps. one can better understand
why accidents which cause delays will sometimes occur in
sipte OF all precautions.