Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1921-01-24

Two stages of the automatic
electric development are proposed.
The first, linking the New York Cen
trail Railroad with the New Jersey
railroads through a loop from
joint yard in New Jersey and spur
to the New York Centrars Sixtieth
street yard, will do away with the
surface tracks in Tenth and Elev-
enth avenues. and provide equal SER
vice from each of the ten railroads
at twelve union terminals in lower
Manhattan.
The second. bringing the New
Haven and Long Island Railroads
, into the system through a second
joint yard near Wards and Randalls
Islands. which the New York Cen
trail will also reach by additional
tracks along the Harlem River and
providing additional lines and sta
tions in upper Manhattan, will solve
the New York Central Riverside
Park problem by making possible
the complete removal of the tracks
from the Sixtieth street yard to
Spuyten Duyvil and will give all
parts of Manhattan universal rail
service.
The automatic-electric system,
with its terminals ali set well back
from the waterfront. will release the
present railroad pier stations for
steamship service and the marginal
way for supporting warehouses. will
eliminate the present congestion of
truck on West street and the mar
ginal way. and will place we'll DIS
tributed union terminals much
nearer the shippers and consignees.
thereby greatly reducing the length
of haul and street congestion III
Manhattan for both inbound and
I outbound freight. fss
In 1914. 75.000.OOO tons were
/ handled by rail and approximately
$4,000. 900 tons by steamship or by
river boat in New York.
Rail terminal costs vary widely
| because of the extent of the district
and variety of service. At 1913
prices the total terminal cost to the
railroads were about s2.25 per ton
| for freight handled to or from Man
haitian stations. as compared with
an average allowance of rs cents
from the total rate to the railroad,
providing the terminal service. AS
the tonnage amounted to about
| 100000 tons in 1918. the total ter
minal cost was $40, 900, exclu-
| sive of carriage. as compared with
an allowance 70 s6,375,000 for the
service
Following are figures comparing
! the standard equipment railroad
with the automatic electric system
recommended: Capacity per year,
standard equipment, 100000 tons:
automatic electric system 100000
tons: cost of construction, standard
equipment, $241,131. 900; automatic
electric. 1,190,O00: operating
cost per ton. standard equipment,
S3.47 compared with S2.25 for pres
ent facilities). automatic electric.
S1.82. A relatively small expendi-
ture' for five additional automatic
electric terminals would bring the
capacity of that system to 14.26O,-
900 tons.
A summary description of the au-
tomobile electric system follows: A
Joint railroad taps all of the nine
New Jersey railroads of the Port
and leads to a joint yard on the
| Hackensack Meadows. Here in
coming freight is transferred at ex-
tensive platforms TO small trucks
and hauled by tractors upon spec
ial automatic electric cars along
side. The cars, operated singly in
the yard, are made up into eight
car trains. The trains are dispatch
ed on either of two parallel tracks
that pass under the Hudson to
about Forty-seventh street, turn
i southwark, far below the ground to
avoid the rapid transit subways, and
finally return to the joint yard via
another set of tunnels near the Bat
terry.
Along the route in Manhattan will
be twelve terminals with approach
sidings. When a dispatcher at the
| s.1t.. all IL \,
the eight-car train starts automatic
ally. speeds up to thirteen miles per
hour, and runs to the desired termi-
nal. on the approach siding of which
it automatically comes to rest. Re-
| turn trains start from forwarding
sidings at the terminal when a
switch is thrown, proceed to the
joint yard and come TO rest. The
cars then proceed singly TO the
transfer platforms, their trucks
bearing outbound freight are re-
moved and they receive new inbound
loads and continue in the cycle.
At the terminals the cars are lift
ed singly by elevators to platforms
at or near the surface. where their
loads are discharged and they re-
ceive new ones. The platforms are
on two levels to separate inbound
and outbound drays. Revenue-pro-
ducing warehouse floors are provid-
ed above.
Existing belt lines are to be i'm
proved to serve the Hudson River
and Upper Bay waterfront in
New Jersey. New lines along both
sides of Newark Bay and the Hack
ensack River. the west bank of Ar
thur Kill and the north bank of
Raritan River are TO serve Newark,
Jersey City. Bayonne. Elizabeth,
Perth Amboy and other commune
ties.
Both sides of the Hudson River
are expected to benefit greatly by
the belt-line system.
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