STORAGE BATTERY CARS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1972, 31 January 1914, Page 8

STORAGE BATTERY CARS.

GISBORNE'S SYSTEM. ' AN INTERESTING REPORT. Recently, a party of. Wanganui Borough .C«uneiuors, aeeernpaiiied by tljo Mawr (Mr. T. B. Williams) ajid Mr. l< , . JP. Talboys, tramways engineer. visited Gisboruo to inspect tho Bdison-Beaclj-stdrago battery tramcars, which havo now been running for some months in tho Poverty Bay centre. Since, nis return to Wanganui Sir.- Talboys has vrrittejt ft- ■ report on tho systern. Aβ Borough Councils in several parts of the Dominiert that aro contemplating tho installation of a tramway system havo discussed tho storage battery car, tho report has a wido value After' giving details as to the m'easuremeHts and capacity of tho cars, the report mentions that each car is fitted with Edison A 8 cells, 100 for driving and' fivo for lighting. The 100 cells aro connected up in series to give tho required voltage for the motors. The capacity "of tho batteries in cno car is 300 ampere hours, and on a fair, rail runs the car approximately 70 to 76 milo3.'' JTho.cars tako from four to five hmirs to charge, end' tliis is done at night. . Tlio. routo is ono mile only, nnd is perfectly level, without .curves. Tho system has beon running for tho past 10 mojiths, and the maintenance on the motors, controllers, asles ; wheels, batteries, etc., has been practically ail. This' is not to be wondered at in' mn* sideration of the short time tho sys-tem-has been in use.

"Tho electric storage battery ear as installed at Gisborno (continues, tho report), • has bo far-, I understand given satisfaction. Tlio short timo tiissfc it has been in operation precludes tho formation of any. reliable judgment as to the < probable cost of niaintenaiice over a period of years. ; But, assuming even its complete success, at Gisbofne r from'every point of view , ,- I am of the opinion that, this storage battery car I would bo unsuitable' for tho Wangaivni system. The special circunistanees which favour the now system at Gisborno aro wa.ti.tfag hero. Mush more ■powerful cars and"'larger are required ■hero' oil account of the .gradients and 1 the- curves on our routes,' and the periodic,lieavy traffic; aiid the greater speed iat which our cars aro -operated. The average speed of tho Gisbarne cars is from 8 to. 10 miles per.hour, with light loading, and this would rnateriaily drop during heavy leading owing to the heav-i ier discharge of the batteries. Then, i again, tho day's work on one."of out cars averages more than twice tlie mileage demanded: from a, Gisborno car, .and'this would mean much heavier batteries, or, . alternatively i more freouent charging, of duplicating sets. Tile passenger-carryiug capacity of the Gisborne cars is much less than that of the Wanganui cars s ; and. tlio closo body typo is not altogether I in_ favour hero. , , The fares charged in Gisborno are considerably heavier, namely, one penny per hali-milo, section, as against 3d. for approximately 2 nsiJes 62 chains on the Ajamoho scetion, and6d..for.si miles on tho CastleclifE route. The- number of stops' required on tho route plays an important part in determining tho mileage obtainable frofli one charge. , "Altogether, I am decidedly ef ppjny ..ion , that tho Edison storage battery cars tunning in-Gisborne. aro unsuitable for routes, with stiff gradients and heavy traffic, tlio battery ■ being appar* oiitly niqrti successful with cars or. light i structure, and cars, of this buikl ivill not stand the loading • which they are .subjected to in bigger towns. ..Their© is no doubt that tho Bdison battery is iu'somo respects superior to tho pther£tliSigߣ;:iea'd,;bzitterici>,;'as fts; ; mt'chaflicaliircugth prevents dcteworai" tiqn through shock.and vibration; and though 1 <Jo not think it is yet capable, ef' competing with the overhead trolly 1" system,, its success.-in Gisborno demonstrates that there is a field for. it in 1 emails systotii.s'' where; tW local , .conditions aro favourable. - ' It js, in my ■opinion,, too early'to prophesy whether ' the modern storage battery cars will fulfil all that is claimed of them, but it will have a good effect on tho general design of cars and power consumption of tho trolly system. 'The designers of a batter? car must give' l far more thought to problems of minimum weight antl maximum efficiency than those who deal with cars receiving power from a central station. la comparing the two classes of cars (the battery car and the trolly tar) with regard to weight, it is evideut that tho self-contained car is htiiidioapjied by .having to carry the batteries plus the usual eleetrical equipment, except tho trolly-polo; and base* • ' "A conimendablo feature which I.no-ticed-iii the battery oars of Gisborne, and which leads to greater power efficiency per ton propelled is the adoption of roller-bearing wheels on non-revolv* ing asks. Competition leads to improved conditions, and doubfless some of tho improvements evolved recently could with advantage-be applied to the. trolly system. ' Unfortunately, up to tho present wo liavo been baudicappod in Wanganui by lack of money for experimental purposes, but when piir system can aftord tho cost, ifc is my intention to experiment -on those, lines, and adopt some of the principles now applied to the battery cars, which, if successful, would lead to higher efff. cioncy.' ' . ■''

. "In conclusion* J wish it t« bo distinctly understood that my report deals with the Edison storage battery cars in use at Gisborne. ■ It has been stated to me''that there is a latter typo which is a distinct improvement on tho Gis' •bomo one, but whether this notvor battery car. overcotnes tho difficulties I have eiiuiaera'tedj. I am, of goutso, not in.a position to,say."