Evening journal., 1913-09-25
TO ELECTRTFY
P.B.GW. ROAD
EVENTUALLY
A. ]. Whitney Says Only
Accommodation Trains Will
be so Operated
PENNSY ORDERS CHANGE
ON CHESTNUT HILL LINE

Electrihcatlon OF the Pennsylvania
Railroads line to Chestnut Hill was
authorized yesterday by the COM
panys board OF directors. The cleo
trihcation OF the P 3. and w. Rail
road from Philadelphia to Whining
ton is expected to be authorized in the
near future.
The Chestnut Hill electrihcation
will cost about 81 .250,000. IL will be
made for the benefit OF suburban pas
senger traffic. Chestnut Hin Is twelve
miles distant from Broad street sta
tion. 10 was said, unoflicially. that
this was only another move In the d.
rection of the electrihcation OF all the
companys suburban lines. which ulti-
mateiy would be made at cost of
many millions of dollars.
The company alrcndy has authorized
the electrihcntion of 20 miles of les main
line, from Philadelphia 10 paoli, at an
expense Of Si,000OU0 With its action
yesterday, therefore, il stands com.
mitted 60 the expenditure Of S5,250,OO0
within the next year.
Within a short time IL is expected
that the company will announce that it
viii electrfy the Philadelphia, Baltimore
and Washington railroad as lar as VIII
mington. Then, probably, will come, in
turn, the clcctrifcation of the Trenton
branch, TIE Media and West Chester
branch and the NorrstOvn branch.
a y. Whitney, superintendent of the
Maryland Division of the r B. and W
Railroad this morning said that the di'
vision from Philadelphia To Wilmington
will be electrified eventually, but II Is
not known definitely when that i'm
lprovemcnt will be made Mr. Whitney
said the plan is TO run accommodation
trains by electricity. but through trains
will be operated by steam as at pres
ent He said the system 10 be adopted
would in all probability be like that on
the Camden Atlantic City line, a com
bination of overhead trolley at a few
points and brush contact with the rails
which carry the current This is differ
ent from the third rail system. Nj
, Whitney said that aside from solyin,
! the accommodation train travel prob
lem. tho clcctrihcation also would ten
10 relieve congestion at Broad Stree
Station.
II is to care for the over-incroasin
population OF that territory outsid
has been decided upon. That Is on
reason, but IL Is a big reason. Her
will undoubtedly result a revision
and distinct Improvement Of the sub
urban schedules. The use Of electric
ity makes II possible. economically
to operate smaller and more frequen
trains than Is feasible when the mo
2 tive power Is steam locomotives
e. Furthermore, light trains can b.
E stopped in a shorter distance ant
> full speed in starting is more quickl,
- reached with electricity than Will
= steam power. This. OF course. make
v possible not only a more frequen
schedule. but a faster one, on a rout
D on which many stops are made.
O 10 is expected that the Paoli electri
y fication will be completed In the lat
, summer Of 1914. and that the Chest
. nut Hill electrihcation will have beel
Z completed by IN fall OF 1914.
/. Another reason for the electrified
s tion is the need to relieve congestion
: , in Broad Street Station just a
( speedily as possible The compan
: did not feel that IL could wait for tn
j final solution of this problem throug
the enlargement OF Broad Street Sta
r tion to Cuthbert street.
? other steps already taken in IN
company's general plan OF improve
ments are.
Acquisition OF property for widen
ng Broad Street Station and ais
h the enlargement Of concourse With
station.
l. Construction OF eight tracks an
d high level island platforms at Mort
n Philadelphia
J. New passenger facilities and trac
IT connection at North Philadelphia.