The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-07-19
NEW ELECTRIC LINE
TO CONNECT RELLA WITH HOW
ELL ON the WABASH.
Motor Power Furnished by Seriec of
Maonets-Line to Pass Through
Knoxville and Charlton.

lHe line viii COIlHSCt HeAd Will the
Wabash railway, four and one-half
miles distant When the line is ex-
tended south through Knoxville to
Charlton, on the main line of the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, and
north TO Waterloo on the Illinois Cen
trail, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific,
and the, Chicago & Great Western. it
will connect sixteen lines, of : the
eight great railway systems in Iowa,
by haul of less than, 100 miles.
There are no trolley wires with
this electric railway, or electric loco
motives. The bottom of the car
connects with line OF magnets, in
the middle of the track; that's all
there is to it. The system differs
from every other in that the power
is applied directly to the moving car.
No power, current or speed is lost.
It starts, stops and reverses by the
operation of one short cranklike lev
.er, similar to that used by the motor
off the current. This system is
without danger from electric current
and is the only system not grounded.
B Operation is absolutely noiseless,
except for the rolling Of the wheels
which simply follow the rails, as
the magnetic force propels the car.
1t prevents all electrolysis on water
pipes in. the ground or on iron in
nearby buildings, which is so expen-
siye and damaging in all cities where
present electric roads exist. 1t re-
quires practically no repairs; there
is no motor to burn out or get out of
order; the movement of the cars or
trains does not depend upon the
wheels adhering to the rails. the
wheels simply revolve because the
car moves, and therefore slippery
rails, snow, ice, grease, dirt or other
substances on the track do not af-
feet the movement of the cars; no
brakes are necessary because the
car is stopped by simply reversing the
electric current. The operator can
stop exactly at the point desired
There is no jerking nor sudden
ness about the starting or stopping
of the Letter cars. When the cur
rent is turned on the car moves gen.
5tly. but the. speed develops quickly
without discomfort to the passenger.
The car is absolutely under perfect
control and can be stopped, no mat
ter what the speed, as quickly as the
safety and comfort of the passen
gers will permit. The stopping is
like moving against an air cushion
and is entirely without the grinding
and sometimes jerky effect so com,
monty noticeable. There are no
gears on the cars, therefore no re-
pairs. ..... ..... --
By actual test on one of the elevat-
ed roads in Chicago the following was
shown A motor car equipped with
two ordinary motors, $50 horsepower
each showed a drawbar pull in start
ing of 5000, pounds, with an expend7
iture of 187,500 watts. or about 251
horsepower. The Letter system full
sized equipment showed a drawbar
pull in starting of 500 pounds, with
an expenditure of but 25,600 watts,
or about seven TO one in favor OF
the LETTER system.
The street cars may be run as fast
as twenty-five or thirty miles an
hour. or as slowly as desired, No
power is lost in gearing, or any
where else; all the power applies d.
rectly to the moving car. This gives
SUCH speed as no other system can
develop. In fact only the resistance
of the air could hold the car from go
ing any number of miles an hour
The magnets in the track and on
the car have such strong attraction
toward each other that their tend
ency is always to hold the car on the
track. A car to jEmp the track
would be equivalent to the swapping
of a tension of thousands of pounds.
With this system if the wheels should
leave the rails the powerful arma-
ture and track magnets come in con-
tact, and the adhesion of such large
magnets would stop. the car almost
instantaneously even under consider.
able speed
The system absolutely prevents col
lisions by an automatic signalling
system, which does not require
either hand or mind of man to oper-
ate. Every train automatically sets
a block for itself-signals that cannot
he mistaken by any trainman in the
block.
Right of way is being secured now
for the Letter line. The city of
Pella owns and operates an electric
light, water and power plant of the
latest, up-to-date type operating lines
the entire distance of the proposed
railway, and has ample power to OPP
crate the road The Pella- LETTER
short line is fully organized and in
corporated under the Iowa state laws.
Powerhouses can be placed 200 miles
apart. 1t is not necessary that they
are placed close to the track, but can
be near some water power. coal field
or convenient to fuel or power sup
ply which may be considerable dis
lance from the road.