The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-02-24
$4,000. 600 FOR ELEcTRlrlcArloN.

In the face of world wide compe-
tition the General Electric Company,
OF Schenectady. N. Y, has ecured the
contract for the whole of the direct
current high voltage equipment and
control apparatus to be used in the
Identification of the suburban rail-
roads of the city of Melbourne, Aus
tralia. This is the largest single or
der ever placed for railway motor ap-
paratus in the history of the electri-
cal industry. The city Of Melbourne.
with population of 100000, includ-
ing the suburbs, is to spend nearly
twelve million OF dollars for the cleo
IRRIGATION of all its steam suburban
lines and nearly third of this enor-
nous sum will come TO the General
Electric Company for the complete
equipment of the rolling stock.
The Melbourne Suburban Systems
Of the Victorian railways are to be
completely electrified, doing away
with the smoke nuisance and the
noise OF steam trains and providing
better, faster and more frequent sub
urban service. At present these steam
roads are handling nearly ninety nil
Lon passengers year and it is ex.
! pected that the new service will in
4 crease this figure to fully one hun.
dred and fifty million by the year
1917
i One hundred and fifty route-miles
i OF road. or two hundred and eighty
six track-miles, viii be completely
electrified. Four hundred four-motor
car equipments, requiring 1900 mot
ors, OF lao horse power each, will be
made in this country by the General
4 Electric COMPANY. The identification
CT the Melbourne lines will be the
last word in electrical engineering
Power will be generated at Yarrayilie
/ and transmitted to the various points
along the lines where it will be chang
ed into direct current al 1850 volts
for the use OF the electric trains
Overhead trolley wires, with panto
g-cph trolley collectors, will bp used
, throughout the system for supplying
cui' ent to the trains. With electri
city the average speed of the trains
aill be increased by nearly third
Engineers estimate that classification
Will save s625,00o a year by 1915 in
operating expenses alone.
The direct current, 1900 volt, sys
tenn 10 be installed will be the mos
extensive OF the heaviest type ever
! designed for overhead railway prac
tive. The motors for the cars, -four
to each coach, will be entirely new ii
: design, more powerful and better ven
tilated than any heretofore used
i Trains, Weighing $50 tons. will BIZ
: made up OF four coaches. two motor
cars and two trailers, and two-cal
units will be added as the traffic de
nands. With the unit control system
the motorman in charge can operat,
all the motors. air brakes, etc. of tbs
entire train from the one control bo,
: under his hand. Bo.h local and ex
!, press trains viii be in service am
, the faster trains viii have free run
ming speed OF fifty-two miles an hour
The identification OF Melbourn,
: viii he one Of the largest undertak
. ings of its kind In the world and tn,
rolling stock equipment will CORES
, pond tc tina. used by the New Yorl
; Central at its New York terminal
: although the overhead trolley will b.
: used instead OF the third rail system
Instead of electric locomotives to han
the trains, the multiple unit system