Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-06-23

WHAT HAuLs THE STREET CARS?
OF all the thousands and thousands
of people who daily ride upon the
electric street cars of our cities-and
the last census showed that 1885,
341,7l6 fares were ruag up In 1873
only q few understand what hauls the
cars along the rails.
1t is easy enough to understand the
steam railroad system. A steam en-
CINE, mounted on wheels, is hitched
to a number of cars. 'rhe steam en-
gine Part Of the locomotive is coupled
to the driving wheels and when the
engine is started the wheels turn and
the train moves. Eut the electric
street car is quite another thing and
vastly harder to understand. In a
vague way we know that it is driven
by electric power which is carried, in
some mysterious manner, on the troll
ley wires.
Take Car Apart.
Let us take a car apart, figuratively.
speaking, and see just how. 1t is made.
Beneath the ordinary street a you
will find two to four powerful electric
motors geared directly to the axle Of
the car trucks. These motors differ
somewhat from ordinary electric mo.
tors in their design but they operate
exactly the same as the electric mo.
tor which drives an office fan, the
sewing machine OF vacuum cleaner in
the home. These motors are very
powerful and are almost completely
hidden from sight in the trucks be-
meath the car
GetsAEnergy From Wire.
The electrical energy for driving
the street cars is sent ont over the
trolley wires. This electrical power
is generated, or made, in the central.
power house, or it may be transmit
ted from some nearby water power
development where the energy of the
falling water Is changed into electri.
city. The trolley wire il suspended
above the street from poles and guy
wires. The eleStyicity is kept on the
trolley, wires ny suitable %insulators.
Of glass, porcelain or composition,
owe witch. the current cannot travel.
The electrical current flows easily
and smoothly along the trolley wire,
like water In q pipe, although it can.
not be seen. Wherever this copper
trolley wire extends the electrical
power flows and ii always ready to
drive a trolley car.
Has Wheel.
Each trolley car Is provided with a
trolley pole and q ftolley wheel at the
end of the pole which runs adong the
under side of the trolley wire. The
electrical. power from the trolley wire
flows through this wheel and down
the trolley pole to a heavily insulated
cahle concealed in the top Of the car.
This cable carries the electricity to
the controller iE the froit OF the
cal. The controller is the iron box
which stands in front OF the motor
man. At tho top Of this box are two
levers. The smallest lever is used to
turn on and off the current supply
and the larger is used to control the
current, or to feed" 1t to the motors
beneath the car in any quantity as
desired. When the motcrman turns
the controller handle a few notches
9 certain amount OF electricity is al
lowed to flow from the overhead troll
ley wire down the pole, through the
cable and CONTROL box, to the motors
beneath the car. The car starts and
h 'notorman turns the controller
handle further, feeding the motors
more current, and the car picks up to
Its regular running speed.
~ Th - - o1k~ -; =. A,~,ac~A ~. 4fF. , EE
car over the trolley wire. After 1t
flows through the cir. via the cables,
through the controller, the resistance
and the motors, it flows out Of the
car fhroneh the iron wheels aud back
to the power house along the steel
rails, thus completing the circuit.