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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 1905)
t i f'jy, I,, - , i ? MAGAZIME-SECTIOri .THREE j MAGAZUiE : SECTION THREE "' ' '.' . ' ' 1 ' ", . ' ' " ' 1 " ; ,, - . " ' "" 1 ' 1 " " t 1 " ' , ' 1 . i i ii i i i i . i t m ' t " .V "'-' -r.. : . FORTLANU OREGON SUNDAY- MORNING, ; DECEMBER I0r 1905 ' - , . ' ' - r :'- ' - '' ' ' '; ' - - " " '',,'',;',;,,; V, ; ,r-n-' ' "" - ii.ii,:,i,.;i.u,,1i .Ii.i mj mo., . mmmm0mmm . , s f " 4 1 - -Wfefe ' ; ill I'm- 1 -Al t: ; -v.-v.;. : : Y-F-yl TH-thc tharaetfrts il1" roar of- the - twentieth century, v i v f i:".:-' A mighty "i steam locomotive ' appears to be driving rapidly to its own doom.. . Electricity, that, mysterious. but potential ' agency to which man has hitched the chariot , '. wheels of commerce, ts the modern David t that bids 'fair .to .vanquish 'and ' banish the ; KiOltam of sieam from tne raiu While many years 'fromi .now,; perhaps,: the steam-engine may be seen careering upon., lon"g journeys, it is thought' that its -place .in suburban :. and I tnterurbUn . passenger 'and freteht hauls Will SOOH be usurped by the elec- trie motor. : .'- Already some; Of, the targes' traffic-, handlinr roads in the country are taking up ,' , , 'I.- r. ... ,. wunuui mup. ; iwo raoion wiu.oraw ine Heaviest - , -. - . T, , . the motor for suburban service and , terminal t ins, - which will weigh -875 tons. Each motor xpf!,ment th Pennsylvania regarded. No work. Leading in this innovation are the New" i. to be capable of a maximum speed of from sixty .JJ company turn to. , t! ' .i- ft-: - riwii, aAcA are electrifying their roads for some distance out of themetropolis.' V' Yf is (understood that the Pennsylvania, the Reading and other lines handling, a great . deal of suburban traffic are also contemplating , the use of electric motors to supplant steam. ; ; Within ten" years, eminent authorities be- ' K S lieve. steam locomotives will be used only in long runs across ine country., wnue. snorter hauls will be made almost exclusively by elec-i , tricity r: .' . . z j. NE has only to contemplate the extensive plans, already matured, lor the substitu tion of electrical power for steam at great railroad tetrminals. to realize'how largely the former giant is to, be relied upon to turn, the .car wheels of the future. . -i ,-v ; -i- f -:. . - With the constant increase of : passenger' and freight traffic, the multiplicity of trains and grow ing demands upon terminal" facilities, the quick, effective and economical handling of business in and about the big cities has been a problem that has grown like evil genii. 1 ' - , For one ;thing, the ' noise and 'dirt of steam drawn trains , have been seriously objected to by persons along the right of way, both in city and suburbs. .f-..-,:vr v.V' -I.,.' ;V-:. First of the trunk lines ; to undertake the handling of trains by electric motors was the Balti more and Ohio "Railroad, in its1 tunnel under the city of Baltimore. . " 1 ' v This is long tube, in which northbound trains encounter a considerable upgrade, i 6f most heavy, - trains, two engines would be required, with a, cor- responding increase of tne smoxe nuisance. , , All trains are hauled through by powerful elec- - trio motors, which slip smoothly and noiselessly along, and haxo no uifflculty m drawing their bur - - n f . . 1 . - r . - I . . . e .1 xst-aucceas.aeemeauio. oner . auiunon pi; m problem presented -at the New York terminals of the larger lines 1 -r; As a reirQlt,"the New' York Central and Hud son River Railroad is electrically equipping its metropolitan terminal for distance of thirty-four miles on the main line, from Grand Central Station to Croton, and for twpnty-four miles on the Harlem Division, as far ns White Plains. . ' . All w-rvr r trrilUe within this territory. will , to 1 " "'.' :n uud tLo first equipment for. k- rush and " . ; " ' " . Li ' i- ' - , ! . .," V,-t;';::..;vvV' ;.f;,-l'-:'. , ..rV hrmigh, trains iwiUusiBt'iof fifty large motors. For some time .a spemenmotor, ; built, by "the' General Electric .Company and tho - American Lo- comotive Company, has been given exhaustive tests. 'TIiaoa mntnn m no f Vn alra tViA Vivfw- nil f -m i To I .i:i'n'' ' i n , i ti.!.- - ruir- from the .' Grand Central Station to Croton, 'drawing "fW 'l?: 435-ton ; train, in forty-four , minutes. motors will. draw the heaviest - Weighing ninety-five tonsj and with, potential energy representing 2200 horsepower,' these electric otUmm be marvels irf their way. Therwill have eight driving wheels,. compared with four of the steam loco.ino.tiye, and a draw-bar pull of 84,000 niT9t 27500 tons of the steam horse. : tSSr ZAFS tide a six-mile stretch of track near Schenectady; Js.,Y. There the-ability of the motor was compared with that of the steam engine in a number of ex periments.. : , . - '.-. - . . ' Starting together, and drawing equal loads, the : i .electric motor within' two miles; passed the steam .. engine, and was at least two train lengths ahead.: A . .-, In, electrifying the 'New-York end of its line,-' : from its metropolitan. terminal" as far a 'New Ko- . chello, . twelve, miles awayi the " New York,' New : Ilaven and Hartford Eailroad.will spend $3,000,000.' Plans' provide for a six-track road, two tof the 'tracks to be for1 steam locomotives and four for . electric motors.-- It is intended. to abandon all local , service by steam. j . ' . i " : 1 . , ,. v ' - At a cost of mere than $6,000,000 two divisions 1 of the Long Island: Bail road have recently aban doned steanrfor electricity - -j.. ., , t; I From Brooklyn to, Belmont Park race track, a . distance of fifteen miles,, kni from - Woodhaven 'Junction, on that line, to Rockaway Beach, also . fifteen miles, . powerful motors are now drawing vtrains. ' - ..:-':- '' .',.;'.":;,;.;.,.',.",'" . W'hen it is stated that the cost has been $6,000, ; 000 "it means-that that amount has been spent so , fa.'.. The plans of i the company are much more extensive, however. ; . . 4 , . . C It is estimated that to carry them out in full , will mean an expenditure of $40,000,000. - v This will probably be in conjunction with' the Pennsylvania, New York and Long Island Bailroad a link that is intended to connect the Long Island and trt Pennsylvania systems by way of the East river tunncL , . . . ? . -. . , Within a few vpir it tricity wU have banished the steam horse from a greater part of Long Island..;" . : ,. Another straw which, to railroad men, seems to - indicate that eloctricitv will eventuallv. and at nn ' very disU-it day, replace the present motive power .on American lines, at least for all except long hauls, is the series of experiments, recently begun by the a . 1 " ' 1 ennsyivama xtaiiroaa aoout i'lttsburg. ( - " A new motor turned out by the Westipirhonse company . is being used' to haul the heaviest trains '(about that city. -: UjA , ; -.- With -1350 horsepower, t nearly 50 per cent.' greater than that of the ordinary. steam engine, it : " pnll train of fifty cars with smoothness and ease,' and with a . entire : absence of noise, ; A&veo ana cinaers, wnicn nsu- - fy Etrctocry - . of a hpaw frf.iaht train nndnr steam Particularly York, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Chicago and other cities, 1 Once taken up for terminal, urban and sub. ; ' urban traffic, it is thought the electrical step to in -. terurban service will be a short one,' especially in' ; the case of cities not, very far apart, such as many along the Atlantic seaboard and in the Central- -States.. V.":' , ' .; n Before electricity is used for the longer cross- country hauls a number of present-day, difficulties , surrounding the transmission of power must be . overcome. ." -' - - - 1 "In certain parts of Europe, notably in Swit cerland, Germany,-France and Great Britain, im mense strides have been made in the utilization of . ' electrical power. ''t The Northeastern Bailroad of -England works ; '' its suburban lines with electric motors, and electric . trains are run between Liverpool and Southport by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railroad. -r .1 J ' v . Recent improvements and inventions have so .far advanced the possibilities of general electrical r . service that ' railroad men of America have been . -closely watching its strides. In many , parts of the country the utility of the motor has been demon-. strated. " : - ' ;- - "..- - ' .Everywhere- outreaching trolley ' lines have , wrought havdc-with the suburban business of steam railroads. East of th Mississippi the usual steam ; railroad fares are from two to three cents a mile, ! , while, the long interurban trolley lines haul pas-;: ; aengcrs at from one to one and a half cents.', . " ( Multiplying steam trains to meet travel re-, quirements is more expensive than increasing elec trical facilities. . With the steam road, the fixed charges, cost of. fuel and engine . labor increase with each additional locomotive. ;-"t While a large amount of capital is required to establish electrical service, in the. construction of . power houses and transmission systems, the pro portionate cost of subsequent expansion is not so great.' . It is estimated, too, that. a high-clasr freight service, in light," swiftly-moving electric trains which can be readily divided and distributed, will " prove - at - onoe - an economical and paying propoei tion. ' "'!'. , " ; . ' " t . . Some years ago a railroad expert furared that the earnings of the New York, New Ilaven and Hartford svstem amounted to $10,400 a mile: of ' t 4he New York Central, $7000 a mile: of the Illinois Central, $1900 a mile, and of the Sputhern, $1400 a mile. -. ;; j r ' " , ... lie assumed that the average railroad did not "earn more' than $2500 a mile,.' while, 'at that time," jntorurban . electrio roada were averaging about sfrmiflcaiit is r 1 . , .III - III O" joc Mj q( flAQj- JitMT, DQr .. - Third RaJj Jicel Cat on the. Mznry Lang. Island J&ilrobsi Secrc ocoj?ow. fe&irs $3800 it mile,' and some went as high as $5500. ' ; ' Electricity, applied to short isti .tches of road formerly under steam 'has demonstrated a striking economy and effectiveness. ' ..-, 5 :. . ".' .. Between "Lwkport and Tonawanda, N, T, 1 distance of 15 miles, a branch of the Erie has been electrified and leased by the Buffalo and Lockport Railroad. Only freight is hauled over this line, and 160-ton locomotives are used." The results have been verv satisfactorr. .-rull grown freight trains are electrically oper-the tndjanapolu, Lebanon fc Irankfort ivaiiwsy. ated about Buffalo, by the International Railway. Motors ou t Albany & Hudson lino work up to The Chicago, Harvard and Geneva Lake Railway ;.0 miles an hour; on the Nantaxki-t i:. n. K to handles, in the same way, Ut steam retghi.raiJL4t)ilesajiJou.JhoJLi1riiiatt ("!''! II . t- the Chicaco - and . Northwestern system- without , 50 miles. break imr bulk. .. " Trains of eighteen freight cars are hauled with snccrna bv th RO-tnn mntnn f V St I Am and Illinois Suburban Railway. Tins is exclusively a freight road, and claim to the pioneer t'W- trical freight line in the c- irv. xricai ireijjni line in tne cor ' A( flobokrn, N. J., the ; 'trieally equipjxvl section !oi minal distribution and dv I.i. i fin rl.-c-"-1 r 1 t r- CZ-t; i febs .&0. 2v?xr ?fj3c&?or: - ", As the tracks are numerous and the travel of cars in switching is generally short, a great saving ,' is effected by abandoning the use of steam locomo tives. ' ' '...i. . .. ' - From Indianapolis to Muncie,' Ind., 53 mile trolley coaches as large and as heavy as the avcrssr steam car . are drawn by 300-horsepower motors. Upon part of the route a speed of a milo a minute is maintained. A mile a minute schedule has been arrsnjrd ff . IWween Sclienectn ly fl' l llctween Sclienecti'ly heavy double-track eli-.-'rii' hiph speed for both r; : trains. It would p: ". ' vnniv in pnw rf 1 1 , f r
