Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-07-20
SWAN SONG OF STEAM
SOON MAY BE SUNG
Electric Locomotives To Suppiant All
Our "Choo Choo" Cars, It
Is Reported


1 is Reported
Has the doom of the steam locomo-
/ tive been sounded? VIII all the rail
roads of the United States be operated
1 by Electricity ultimately?
/ Such questions are suggested by
/ the recent announcement that the
! New York, New Haven e Hartford
Railroad expects to have 500 miles of
its lines working electrically within
/ the next IS months, while the New
York Central counts on having 233
miles of track electrically operated.
These are the greatest enterprises
in the way of the electrification of
steam railroads yet undertaken in
this country. Their Importance win
be appreciated by considering the
fact that the proposed electric lines
of the New Haven Railroad alone
would reach more than half way 20
Chicago.
1t is evident therefore that the cleo
trio traction locomotive has become
a serious rival of the steam locomo-
tive
There Is a steady increase in cleo
trio traction upon roads heretofore
| using steam, and the mileage of this
new method of trunk line operating
| is growing month by month.
Only electric locomotives or cleo
trio traction could make practicable
the depression of tracks and the run
ming of more than one level of rails
below the street surface. Steam To-
comotives must have direct outlets
to the air for their smokestack ex-
haust when there are many of them,
as there are in all large terminals.
To put one level of steam locomotives
below another and to confine all of
them within or beneath a station
structure would spell ruin and dam
age, if not disaster, in short time.
The smokestack gases are destruc-
tive to metal surfaces, quite apart
from being Objectionable to neighbor-
ing residents. On the other hand,
electric locomotives exactly meet the
conditions of the problem.
Each steam locomtive is a power
generating plant in itself, while the
electric locomotives merely utilize
energy which is generated at certain
central powerhouses or stations. Even
under the best conditions the steam
locomotive cannot produce power
with anything like the economy of n
stationary plant, but while thus re-
latively wasteful, these locomotives
ha intr cnruiao ~ thnu are
needed and can be retired to the
roundhouse after their duey is dis
charged Each steam locomotive
management is concerned only with
its single problem.
The central plants, on the other
hand. supply. motive energy for a
large number of electric locomotives
or motor cars and must be run contin-
uously whether the drain be merely
the average or the maximum. Again,
should the power plant fail the whole
section may be brought to a standstill
because the electric locomotive is a
user and not generator of energy.
For infrequent service the steam To-
connective is the most economical trac-
tor.
For distant communication even by
fast trains the best types of steam
locomotives are undoubtedly more
efficient and cheaper at present.
A big steam locomotive cost about
$25,000 while a large electric locomc-
tive represents an outlay of 100000,
! but because of the nature Of the lat
ter its upkeep is only about half as
costly as that of the steam locomo-
tive. while the drawing power is rela-
lively higher for any fixed measure of
effort.
The electric locomotive is far more
responsive to a sudden or excess de-
mand than it's rival brother of steam.
Besides this, the electric drive
seems to grip the track far better
than that of steam and the electric
locomotive gains Roadway or, acceler-
alton faster than its older rival The
electric locomotive has another ad-
vantage over the steam locomotive
which becomes especially noticeable
at crowded terminals where every
foot of track space is precious. The
big 2,200-horsepower electric locomo-
tive, compared with it's competitor OF
about half that rated strength, has an
overall length of only 81 feet, against
| nearly 6S feet on the part of the
steam locomotive and its necessary
tender