The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-04-30
TRUCK SERVICE To
EXPRESS COMPANY
American Experience Chiefly
From the Side of the
Electric Interest.

Changes that viii completely revolu-
tionize the package handling system
of the American Express company are
told about in recent number of the
Edison Monthly. In the city delivery
service the horse is yielding rapidly
to the motor car. Already there are
120 machines in operation and prepar-
atoms are being made for the addition
of another hundred in the very near
future. OF the machines now in use
forty are of the gasoline type and
eighty are electrics.
Radical alterations in the conpany's
new building on Forty-second street
will convert it into an electric vehi-
Gle garage. The entire second floor
will afford accommodations for 100
electric wagons and will be equipped
with charging board raving 10 out
let's. Four six ton electric elevators,
each operated by thirty-five horse
power motor, will carry the cars from
the street level to the floor. From the
charging panel fifty-two wire conduits
lead to 100 point on the floor where
the cars will be plugged in. An an
nunciator equipped with a series of
drops will indicate when each battery
is charged and will signal the Operator
to throw off the switch.
Until five years ago the entire bus
mess of the company was handled by
horsedrawn vehicles. This includes
picking up and delivering in each 10
cal distric the longer hauds between
districts and even the trips betw cen
far removed points where shipments
were not made over the railroads.
About 1,640 horses, stabbed in twenty
five buildings, were required and
there was no thought of any radical
change.
Then it was decided to test a num-
Der of motor trucks of different size
and type, and in 1907 an electric was
placed in service. During the next
year some gasolene trucks were tried
out and in 1909 fifteen three ton
trucks were purchased. At the same
time four electrics were purchased af
ter being tested.
Careful records of the cost and OPP
Grating capacities of the two types of
cars, as compared with the horse,
gasolene cars were better suited to
the long heavy hauls between depots,
while electrics gave best results for
pickups and delivery work. Electrics
of course, were found to cost more a
vehicle than horses, but this was
more than offset by the increased ser
vice rendered. AS result of these
tests twenty gasolene cars and sew
enty-five electrics were ordered last
year, making a fleet of forty gasoene
cars and eighty electrics. Despite this
large motor truck equipment about
1900 horses are still retained by the
express company.
Figures based on the average days
business show what the American Elk
press company picks up ana ships to
out of town points about 10000 pack
ages and receives for delivery IN the
city about half that number. In ad
dition to this there are about $4,000
packages handled in the local bust
ness.
In manning the trucks the company
found that the best service was given
by the men who had driven horses.
They not only were familiar with the
work and geography of the city but
their experience as drivers had taught
pie matter to teach them the operation
of the electric. The manipulation of
the gasolene care required more me-
chanical skill Occasionally among
the drivers one was found who was a
natural mechanic, in which case he
was Immediately assigned to a gaso-
lene truck.
The seven story building at 215
West Forty-third street, formerly u.s.
ed as a stable. was converted into a
garage. Part of it's equipment was a
sixty outlet charging board at which
the batteries of the electric trucks
are replenished each night. Among
the electrics in the fleet of the Am
erican Express company are IS two
ton, one 31a ton and one 1 ton Gen.
eral Vehicle and 81 two ton and one
1-ton Baker cars.
The Westcott Express company,
which is owned by the American, has
five electric trucks in its service and
is planning 1urtner extension or ltS
motor care equipment, having recently
replaced horse-drawn cabs in it's rail-
road station service with SO gasoIene
cars.
Experiments are being made in Bos-
ton, where 5 three-ton gasolene trucks
and 4 31a totn electrics are used. |
Motor cars are also being used in
other cities. but it is not expected
they will ever replace the horse in
the country districts. The reason for
this is simple. While the motor car
needs the care of a trained automo-
bile mechanic, who is not yet to be
found at every cross road. the only
blacksmith.