The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-29
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
 HAS the doom of the steam locomo-
 tive been sounded7 Will all the | l railroads of the United States be operated by electricity ultimately?
 Such questions are suggested by the re- cent announcement that the New York. New Haven and Hartford railroad ex- poets to have 5s0 miles of Its lines work ing electrically within the next IS months. while the New York Central counts on having 2S3 miles of track electrically op- erated.
 These are the greatest enterprises in the way of the identification of steam rail- roads vet undertaken in this country. Their importance vii be appreciated by considering the fact that the proposed electric lines of the New Haven railroad alone would reach more than half way to Chicago.
 It is evident therefore that the electric locomotive has become serious rival or the steam locomotive
 There Is a steady increase In electric traction upon roads heretofore using steam, and the mileage of this new meth cd of trunk line operating is grow ing month by month.
 Only electric locomotives or electric traction could make practicable the de- pression of the tracks and the running of more than one level of rails below the street surface Steam locomotives must have direct outlets to the air for their
 ,ta,, ara of them, as there arc in all large ter minals. To put one level of steam loco- motives below another and to confine all of them within or beneath a station struc- ture would spell ruin and damage, if not disaster in a short time.
 The smokestack gases are destructive to metal surfaces, quite apart from being obtectionable to neighboring residents. On the other hand. electric locomotives ex- actly met the conditions of the problem.
 Each steam locomotive is a power gen. erating plant in itself, while the electric locomotive merely utilizes energy which is generated at certain central power houses ar stations. Even under the best condi- tions the steam locomotive cannot pro- duce power with anything like the econ- omy of stationary plant, but while thus relatively wasteful. these locomotives can be called into service as they are needed and can be retired to the roundhouse after their duty is discharged. Each steam loco- motive management is concerned only with it's 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 continuously, whether the drain be merely the average or the max imum 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 loco motive is the more economical tractor.
 For distant communication even by fast trains the best types of steam locomo- tives are undoubtedly more efficient and cheaper at present.
 A big steam locomotive costs about s2o.- GOO. while large electric locomotive rep resents an outlay of s4o.ooo but because of the nature of the mechanical move rnents of the latter its upkeep is only about half as cOStly dS tidt oi i"o S'o"aii locomotive, while it's drawing power is relatively higher for any fixed measure of effort.
 The electric locomotive Is far more re- sponsive to a sudden or excess demand than its 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 headway or acceleration faster than it's older rival The electric locomotive has another advantage over the steam loco motive which becomes especially notice able at crowded terminals where every foot of track space is precious. The big 220o horse power electric locomotive. com pared with its competitor of about half that rated strength. has an overall length of only s7 feet. against nearly s feet on the part of the steam locomotive and it's necessary tender.
 4 natural development of the electric