The Locomotive.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 91, 21 April 1904, Page 4

The Locomotive.

MUST IT GO ?

A writer in the American M'achiu(ft believes it must. Many, he says, will smile at the idea that sttjani locomotive will be superseded by the electric motor or the clectricallyCpcrated train; and yet such a condition!'is certainly and surely coinbig. -When electric cars were first Introduced our urban trallic was almost entirely dependent on horse stars except in a few cases where, a\ great expense both for installatidyjUHi maintenance, the cable car wa» in use. An enormous field was open ami more ripe for this new Held of transportation. Tn a single year 200,000 horses were emancipated from the street car service, and in ririlised countries the horse car no longer "exists, except on several litrs in New York city. As the demands of urban traffic were supplied it was a short step to sul>urban, until now in many localities one can ride on an electric car for 80 or 40 miles. In and from Detroit there are at least three directions in which one. can travel ','."> or 80 miles by electric car without Chunge, and each of these lines is operated by a single power-house. One car which goes to Port Huron, 73 miles, makes the run regularly in 2} hours, of which nearly half-an-houi is consumed in (ravelling the first three miles, which are in tho city limits ; so tlmt, allowing for stops at several towns, a running speed of about 40 miles per bbllr is maintained. One of the last systems in ihis-, country to Ire converted to electric power was the Hanhattun Elevated railway. The managers of this road clung to the locomotive for years after r«leet*icity had been found to be a I successful power for moving cars. ; The fact that the road was paying dividends, and that an enormous . expense would lie entailed in converting the road to electric power, Caused the management to defer this cl.ange until the inability to longer handle the traffic l>y steam power compelled them to do so. The results of this change are forcilily shown by the report of the road for the three months ended June 30, 1908. Comparing this report with the same three months of the pre*®*nß year, when steam was used, •hows an increase in gross earnings of 414,537 dollars, while the expenses decreased 99,017 dollars. Is It possible for the locomotive, with its enormous dead weight, its great number of reciprocating parts, its many joints and wearing surfaces «nd its high fuel consumption, to •land up in competition with a plain revolving armature driven by current generated by a great top spinning m a case free from all reciprocating motion ? No joints, no levers, a machine costing much less to Jnuld and mstal than a soc. recprocatinfe engine, and product tl^ dt r at V* lm « H known. I would answer very em- ««>"" go. Its doom is sealed Just JS!. 80 ™ t"is will come to remains to be seen. -