The Washington herald., 1914-06-27
RAILWAY Train
SWIFT As.COMET
Inventor Claims Car Would
Be Able to Travel 300
Miles an Hour.
cHEAPNESS IS A FEATURE
Engineers Report to U. S. Department
Of Commerce on Remarkable Elec-
trie Demonstration in England.

A railway train that win attain a spesc
Of upwards OF 800 miles an hour Is prom.
ised through an invention recently ex
hibited to engineers and government Of
ficials in England. The inventor Is Emile
Bachelet who has lived for many yearl
in Mount Vernon. n. Y.
In a report. to the Department Of Com
merce. Deputy United States Consul Gen
eral Carl X. LOOP at London, states that
great interest has been aroused in engi.
neering circles by the demonstration OF
a model shown by its inventor. The mo-
tive power is electricity, though the ap-
plication, in a commercial sense. Is quite
new. II has been known for years that
certain kinds of current exert a repslIIng
force on certain metals. and 1t Is the
application Of this force that the inven-
tor has utilized.
Description of Model.
The model consists Of a miniature car
weighing about forty pounds, constructed
OF steel with an aluminium base, resting
upon about thirty feet Of track. Beneath
the rails are electric coils, which, when
energized by an alternating current, exer-
else repelling force upon the car suf-
ncient to raise II a fraction of an inch
above the rails. When thus suspended In
the air the car 10 drawn along by electric
magnets, or solenoids which span the
track in the form OF arches, through
which the car passes Although the car
Is raised above the track. four brushes
attached to the car remain In contact
with the rails and Nwo other brushes
make contact with an overhead grooved
rail. The system is operated through
switchboard and the currents are di-
rected at will by an operator.
Upon the charging of the electric coils
the car is raised and held suspended
through the repelling force OF the current
upon the aliminum base. and the car Is
then drawn forward by the energizing Of
the solenoids or arches. When the car
has passed half way through an arch the
current is automatically cut of and ap-
piled to the next arch.
The inventor claims that there is no
reason why a car operated under this
system for commercial uses should not be
pulled through the air at the rate OF 800
miles an hour. The new system is stated
to be simple In construction and subject
TO little deterioration in use The cost Of
would be small, as the cars
are without engines, wheels. bearings
goarings. armatures, or commutators and
require no oiling and only a little repair
or adjustment The elimination Of fric-
ton not only makes high speed possible
but also serves to keep down the cost Of
operation.
A train can be started, checked, or
stopped by opening or closing the cleo
trio circuits. 1t is claimed that cars can
be started every half minute on the sys-
tenn without danger of collhion, the loca-
ton OF each train being always shown by
an electrical indicator that Is constantly
before the dispatcher at either end Of the
line
The power currents can be cut on in
and the trafiic at any point
Or on the whole length OF the line brought
TO a standstil. Trains also can be auto
sidetracked and stopped al any
station.
The model exhibited was a mail or par |
GELS car not intended for passengers The |
inventor has constructed a model passen- |
ger car. which Is raised from the track |
N the manner described, but In actual |
Use the propelling force will be furnished |
oy means of motor and propeller as in 4
he case Of an aeroplane.
Engineers who have seen the system /
operated in model form declare It Is an |