The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-11

horsepower boilers. three ore hun
dred and twenty-five horsepower en-
gines, six forty kilowatte generators,
also construction of forty cars and
necessary equipment consisting Of
eiehty-seven and oae-haif horse pow
or motors, with the necessary over
head distribution system of poles.
trolley wires and feeders. complete
in ninety days. Thirty cars wefe to
be operated at one time and at the
time of executing contract the route
was not fully decided Construction
was not complete until about the
arst of the year.
Late in January. 1888. prepara-
tons were made to commence opera
ton with ten cars and on February
8th the regular service was started.
this number of cars being increased
until In May forty cars were ope-
rated.
"Amout this time. a company in
Boston that was ,0nsidering the con-
structing Of a cable road decided to
visit Richmond 10 investigate the
claims of the electric people with the
result that the cable plan was apan-
doned and Il contract made for the
electric road.
The manufacturer of the electric
equipment in reviewing the history
of electric railways says: 'Richmond
was prolific In new experiences which
in variety and extent taxed our re-
sources to "a degree happily unknown
on modern roads Many were not In
herent to the machines or the sys-
TEN but were caused or argurf1 ented
by local conditions. For some time
scarcely a trip was made without the
cars jumping the track and heroic
treatment was at first adopted which
gave the cars the appearance of bat
tering rams. Twelve foot sticks of
timber were carried under tae bodies
and when a car left the rails all
hands often aided by the passengers
prIed 1t back into place
"One of these original motors, af-
ter many years of service and over
a quarter Of a million miles Of oper-
alton. and several years stationary
hihited at the Railway Convention
held in Atlantic C'~y after which 1t
was sent to a society in New York
city to be placed on exhibition where
ii may now be seen by anyone de-
string to inspect II.
Operating Difficulties.
THE difficult problem with the
operating officials have TO continually
contend are many and by varied COM
blfl2tlonS are many times multi pied.
'As a city grows the system Is
extended, requiring more cars to
operate schedules. increasing the con-
grestion in the business section. prin-
cipally at busy intersections. Tt is
not unusual for as many as three
hundred cars to pass a busy crossing
during the rush hours and when the
large volume Of verhicular traffic and
pedestrians is considered in addition.
it must be acknowledged that great
credit Is due the men on the job that
any schedule at all Is maintained.
IF 1t were possible to maintain
the schedules. there would be few
complaints of service but the contin-
ually varing number Of stops length
of the stop. time required for other
traffic movement, verhicular and
pedestrians, cause congestion. The
length of the stop varies with the
habits of the people, whether they
step lively or slow: the number of
small children; passengers with large
bundles, track conditions permitting
stop to be made at the right spot so
passengers Will not have to walk half
the length TO board time in accelera-
ton, team work OF crew, passengers
signalling for stop, starting toward
front of car. turing hack and leav-
ing at the rear. accidents, disabled
equipment. fires and many other un-
aviodahle occurances with the many
possible combinations make II I'M
possible to maintain schedules"