Evening star., 1921-04-03
RAILWAY SAVING
MADE BY TRUCKS
Boston Elevated Reports It
Reduced Cost Of Wire
Emergency Service. !.

Edward Dana. general manager,
Boston Elevated Railway Company,
says. in the Electric Railway Journal,
that during 1926 his company made a
substantial progress in replacing
horses with motor trucks The change
was made in the interest of economy
and efficiency.
1t Is interesting to note that with
motor trucks this company has re-
duced the number Of men in the
wire emergency service from fifty
one to forty-four.
When the Boston Railway Company
adopted the motor truck it disposed
vehicles, sold forty-five horses and
abandoned four stables, all of which
were previously in continuous serv-
ice.
I Cost Of Equipment.
The cost Of motor equipment dis
placing the horse was $13s 900. made
up OF the following units: Five 5-ton
dump trucks, three h-ton wrecking
trucks, two 3 J. ton platform trucks,
one ak-ton wire department truck.
nine 2-ton tower trucks. two 2-ton
platform trucks, two 2-ton covered
express trucks. one 2-ton army body
truck, four q ton express trucks and
three q ton switch repair trucks.
having combined capacity of sew
enty-nine and one-half tons.
A fleet of trucks of such proper
tions called for extensive housing ia
ci1fties, which represented an expen-
diture of $1sS.000, embracing build
ing construction as follows: Five mod :
| ern f1reproof buildings erected and
an existing brick building remodeled
| as garage space.
| These buildings were located at
Harrison avenue. Broadway, Grave
Hall. Roxbufy. Sullivan Square. Cam
bridge. The central garage. having
a storage capacity of forty cars, was
located at Harrison avenue, which is
! the headquarters of the wire and
conduit division and the company {
present machine shop. This garage
out. built of concrete blocks and
equipped with repair shop. store
| room and chauffeurs' Quarters.
Except for the storage Of certain
trucks, these substation garages are
used for the emergency, line service
The most important types OF tricks
are the emergency tower. wagon.
heavy line work truck with wiHeh.
wreck truck equipped with derrick
f! capable OF lifting seven tons. and
| ffve-ton trucks for construction work
] III ehS uSpoA ehche - ho " .
way. The remaining trucks are of
! various sizes for transportation of
| material and supplies.
Time Saved in Work.
:. In addition to economy in the han
ding Of supplies the most important
feature is the time saved in handling
wire breaks or wrecks which inter-
fore with the operation of the cars.
These, emergency trucks are so locat-
ed that the entire system can be easily
protected and the proper truck land
ed at the location of the trouble with
a minimum of delay.
The Wfeckink facilities previously
had consisted o. old twenty foot cars
edtiiDbed with wreeking material. but
q these ears could not get close to
the 6eehe Of trouble. they were awk-
wkfA and inefficient, and while still
available in extreme emergency. they
viii rarely, II ever. be pressed into
The forenian in charge of the
trucks is Held: absolutely responsible
for knowing that tools and EQUIP
meft are on the wrecking wagons
at all times and is held strictly ae-.
couhtable for any negligence in the
checking up of the tools after the.
trucks have been out on duty. ga
Through the use of motor equip
ment. the company has made an--2n-
proximate saving of $4,000 a year
in maintenance expenses, which -
equivalent to about Is per cent on Its
investment in motor equipment and
garaging facilities after the dis
placement Of hofses.