TRAMWAY SERVICE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13718, 23 June 1915, Page 7

TRAMWAY SERVICE.

ULI'ORT BY EDISON UATTKRY CO.'S RKPKHSENTATI VK. CAR CONSTRUCTUJ'N AX I) XOT 15ATJI:KJ£S AT FAULT. The tramway .service formed the- subject of considerable discussion ut Inst evening's meeting oi' the Borough Council. 'Hie Mayor, Mr Sherratt, said tlmf Mr Harris, rt-presenUiti ye <n the kdison Storage Battery Co., lia-cl submitted a report on the trams, and it was market! "strictly for the information of the Borough Council only." lit* had read it through, and 'considered the ratepayers should heave a chance of knowing exactly what . he said about the- caas. He di<l not- think they should hold anything back, -ami lie- would ask the Town* Laerk to read the report. Cr. .Bright :■> , 1 assume you have the permission of the gentleman m question? The Mayor (to the Town. Clerk) : Did he say anything? The Town Clerk , remarked thai 'Mr Harris said that his Worship could do what be thought fit, but so far ;u* bo was concerned it wa.s .supplied m confidence. Cr. Munns : It is time we told the ratepayers the position. If there is any responsibility about the report we .should all take it. There are all .sorts of insinuations we are keeping things back, and 1 do not understand why we should not tell them the position.' We did not order lh# ears. He was, he added, pleased the Mayor had taken up the attitude ' he had. Cr. Bright: The report came to the Borough «« a confidential' report' fur the Borough Council only, jmd should the Mayor take the responsibility of making it public? Cr Miller agreed with Cr. Bright, and | thought if they published Mr Cross' report it. would 'he quite siiHlcien*. The Mayor said there was nothing m j the report to keep hack. Messrs Cross, Harris, the Town Clerk, and himseh" j had been m conference for three hours, and there was .nothing m the report that should not go to the public. Cr. Wildishi said he would liko the 1 report read as long 'as they were not breaking faith. j Cr. Lawless thought the Council might consider the report first, and give it to 'the press afterwards if they ' thought fit. It was a. confidential report, and they had no permission to use it. '■•".[ pr. Munns: We had a confidential application from an engineer, and it got Unto the press. ;■ , Cr. Lawless : And who got away with the papers? The Mayor said he was m favor of the report being read m open Council, and a motion to this effect was carried.. The report was m effect as follows: — Learning through the public press that your Council wa« experiencing sonic difficulty with your storage battery cars, the writer came at onco to Gisborne, and, with your permission, has made a careful investigation,- and can conscienJ tiously import that any, unsatisfactory j operation, is ■ due .primarily to the adI verse conditions under which the system is being worked. { \fn the- first place,, we regret very much that youir Council did not immediately • communicate with us directly you experienced any difficulties, as we wrote your Borough Engineer, by instruction of the- Kdison. Storage Battery Co., asking to be advised if tho slightest trouble was experienced, buit up to this day we ; have received no official reply,. For I your information I enclose copies of two • letters'. ■ W-o are sure your lra.imvay ■ manager will agree that no other system on the market tOjday, if operated under the same conditions, would have stood the same test a« the present system has. I The battery cars have been m continuous use for over two years. Still no provision has been made to permit either of the i cars to get even an aninial overhaul. Periods between daily rnnning have allowed for merely temporary adjustments and repairs, with the result that the time arrived- when temporary repairs would c.irrv on no longer, and , the schedule was disorganised. j Like cars of any other system, the • whole equipment, bodies, etc., require periodical overhauling and re-painting, .out this- Ifcate' npt beet* carried out m the.battery cars, as your manager could not j possibly run the- service and have the icars m the paint-shop at one and the ' same time. Although it is well known I the cars are the first of their kind m i .'Now Zealand, the Council has made no 'provision for spares, and both the syfiI tern and its staff are extremely handi- ■ capped, not only m case of emergency, but also m case of ordinary wear and tear. , There are details requiring. adjustment to meet local conditions with any system, but, naturally, more so with im- ! .ported cars constructed along lines adapted to New York City and congested traffic, but the unfortunate position appears to have been that these adjustments were no carried ouit owing to insufficient rolling stock to maintain the t time-table. ; • ' ' ' I During a visit here m April, 1914, the writer strongly recommended your Borough Engineer to equip the cars with 'power brakes, so 'as to comply with the ) Works Department's regulations, and to ! add more cells to each car, which would not only giver higher speeds^ but would ! effect greater economy by storing ,the j energy row dissipated by resistance j while-, charting. ' ' j Tho Edison Company m the earlier types of cars of this, .character has had a little trouble witli faulty engineering on the part <>£ tlv6 car tnaiiiifneturefs', but since then the designing of the Eldison. battery cars has been plnced under ft.i entirely new. organisation and manftgetnent, which has liad most of the cars remodelled and new types constructed along standard- lines, by standard car•.builders, and with .standard equipment.' j After mentioning prominent users deriving entire satisfaction, the writer proceeds : In. corinection with the Edison battery, the right course to adopt was to refer any trouble to the rrianufacturers, who make a. practice of standing ' behind their products, and are only too glad to place tho knowledge of their experts and their years of experience at ' the request of their clients. v We find the trouble experienced with the batteries lias been entirely due to outside- sources, and can m no way be | connected witli the internal working of the cells. In fact, wo believe your manager agrees that the Edison battery has, to date, fulfilled all the claims of it.« manufacturers, probably more than, fulfilled them if the adverse. conditions are realised. If the batteries have not fulfilled these claims, and the faults are due to the batteries themselves, then we shall make it pur business to see the Council right. It is very apparent the sources of trouble m the cells are due to two things — the absence of facilities for cleaning, and water getting into the battery compartment. Had the latter been altered to meet local 'conditions and to keep the water from the cells, and periodical cleanini effected by steaming, and the whole repainted, &* recommended m the pi/inted instructions (and for which purpose the Edison Company make a, special preparation), no Uotiblo of any kind would have been experienced with the batteries. Copy of these printed instructions was forwarded some "twelve mon^s ago, addressed to your Borough Engineer. Electrical apparatus of any kind will not stand up to the presence of water, but even so, owing to the rugged nature of the cells, only a. very few were damaged, and that externally. Still, the cars are .running without these cells, and to all intents and purposes doing good work. The damaged cells ran bo vecanned, nnd as far a3 we can tell at present, will then show little, or no depreciation m their capacity, arid wo would aßk you to forward same to us so that wo can have the repairs put under way. Tho batteries generally, show little dr no depreciation m their capacity, and Although their working is a little sluggish under existing conditions, this can be rejuvenated be renewing tho solution and giving the cells a single special reverse charge. As to the exact nature and characteristics, of the cells, if yoi^ wjjl let us have for a few weeks, now that some 'now cells have arrived, Bay two or three ceU» taken at random from the car batteries, we shall be pleased to make detailed testa.

In regard to the mechanical features, \ experience has shown (hat the type of truck and wheel base of same used cm the cars is not that best adapted to the local gouge uud conditipns. On future cars this can be adjusted, and later improvements included by adopting a standard storage battery truck r>s developed by the J. O. Brill Company. Standard 'electrical equipments manufactured by the General Electric Company or Westinghouse Company should also be installed on any new cars to minimise the difficulty of obtaining renowals for ordinary wear and foar. and the bodies should be built, m New Zealand to suit New Zealand conditions and to reduce the high freight and duty charges. . . The batteries we are prepared to supply without the above, providing the bodies and equipment are of approved design. The present cars should be given a thorough overhaul, battery compartment and cells cleaned and painted, according to enclosed printed instructions issued by the Edison Storage Battery Company, and a few spare parts and cleaning facilities, provided. If this is done and properly carried out and maintained, there is no reason why your present cars should not give entirely successful and economical service for years to come. In another letter we are detailing just what is required to bo done to put the units into good, order.' When fully realised, the conditions under which these two cars are operating prove conclusively the .commercial economy effected by the adoption of the Edison storage battery system for street tramway installation. Also the manner m which the system can be adapted to synchronise with yonv electric lighting project, demonstrates the practicability of operating an economical 'transit service m conjunction with the electric lighting plant withoinVany additional investment m a. further, generating plant', and resulting m coinifiercial advantages to both the lighting And the tramways departments. '■ It is also obvious : that many more cars could be operated without necessitating further i increase m the lighting plant. In utilising this plant, not only aro the overhead charges reduced m the tramway expenses, but also the extended use of the- lighting iplanfc reduces the average cost of generating the current for light and power, i" s » .. ' .. For. thus, reason central station engineers throughout thfe * world are making, special reductions i t<» storage battery users', 'ad the revenue obtained by charging cells during otherwise light loading represents practically ;a net profit. These facts . must "not be lost , sight of m. considering the present system, also the comnterciar'successl effected as against the costly operation of any other system under the same conditions. The system is now., incompletely installed, and starved, yet ' with it all 'is showing to-day comram ial and mechanical advantage m restricted operation and adverse conditions under which no 'other system could possibly exist, much less show commercial succe.su.' From t!>e results- obtained' there, is no question as to the economy of the Edison storage' battery system j and that your mechanical troubles are merely a matter of adjustment there can be no dojubt m the minds of thoso who have been associated ; with the working of the ..system, nor aa to its 'commercial and mechanical success if the Council extend the installation, embodying- the latest improvements ai)d providing pfop6r facilities for its care'and operation. The running of the < present, cars has clearly defined the best practice to adopt for extensions, and this procedure of importing tho first cars and building subsequent -cars locally, with knowledge based on'tlte cxperienoe gained with the operation of the 'imported cars, was adopted with the system m Auckland and Christchurch. It is now evident tliat future cars should be, constructed , m New Zealand, and one or two' should be fitted for trailer- operation: Smaller and interchangeable batteries should bo provided and fitted m underslhiig compartments. Arrangements could then be mado for changing a discharged set within five minutes. This would provide continuous operation and maximum flexibility. Cars should bo designed for higher, speeds and fitted ivitjh magnetic brakes m addition to the ratchet to meet the public w.ork£ requirements. ■ Electrical equipments and truekiof standard manufacture, the latter-.- fitted -with roller bearing journals to -; moet local conditions, instead of roller bearing wheels as at present. • " Ultimately, the batteries of t!ie present cars could be utilised m the new and tho older cars used for trailers. The writer repeated m effect his remarks as to the success of the Edison storage battery m Christchurch and other places, adding: In conclusion we 'can assure your Council that the Edison Company stands behind its guarantee arid, with the same type of cells is to-day offering a guarantee that the Edison battery will be capable of one hundred per cent. o*f its rated capacity at (ho end of four yeare, instead of 90 per cent, capacity at the end of three years as was originally guaranteed. We shall be pleased i at a-ny time to co-operate with your Council towards the success of ibs tramway system, and to supply any further information required, also, m conjunction with your tramway manager, to submit to the Council full particulars and estimated cost : for completing the Borough's present tramway installation, which would undoubtedly prove the most economical and efficient tramway system that it is possible for your Council ft> instal. Copy of letters- — June 3rd, 1914.— W. T. Mansfield, Esq., Borough engineer, Gisborne. — Dear .Sir,— We understand that one of the battery, cars has been under repair for some time. If you are experiencing any difficulty, the services, of the writer are yours to command, now or at any futur# /time. We have also been instructed by Mr Edison to get m touch with you and supply any information required &s regards operation and maintenance of the batteries; • Under separate cover, we are forwarding yon photo showing latest type of truckless centre entrance storage batter car. These trucks can be equipped with magnetic brakes, life guards, hand brakes, eio. | etc., and with batteries sufficient for 90 to 100 miles per single charge with a speed' of 20 miles per hour. Their approximate cost delivered dt Gisborne complete m every detail and ready for the road js £2100. Should you require ■ complete specifications we shall be glad to supply.—Yours faithfully, A. R. HARRIS AND CO. ' . : This price applies to a much larger car than the present Gisborne car. iGars the size of the present, car, assembled m New Zealand, can be purchased at a ''considerably' lesser cost. July 3rd\ 1914.— Borough Engineer, Gisborne. — Dear Sir, — Further to your inquiry regarding Lithium hydrate, we are, instructed to state that the Edison Storage Battery Co. has never supplied lithium hydrate, nor will they consider doing so, as they claim that m order to obtain tho best results from the use of the Edison storage batteries fchpir own electrolyte should be used. The shipment of electrolyte, recently forwarded will undoubtedly arrive within a few days, when we would recommend immediate replacement of the present solution. While wo are sure that your engineers are taking proper care of the batteries, we would thank you to Jet us hear from you m any trouble experienced, and oblige. — Yours Faithfully, A. It. HARRIS AND CO. The Mayor said that with regard ' to tho two letters attached, addressed t>o Mr Mansfield, they had never reached the Council. — Or. Brown: Nor so far as the officers of the Council — -they never saw the printed' copy of instructions. — The Mayor : No, they never ,sa\r them. It was the first time any officers of the Council sa.w anything of these inetruo-tions.-'-Cr. Brown said ho remembered tho erection of the trains under Mr Williamson, and they never had anything m tho shnpp of instructions beyond n photograph. It was imply a case of fossick, as it was quite evident* the parts' had never been assembled. Proceeding, he said he was glad the report had come up because he had seen from the first that it was the construction of the cars was f*i:;Hy. In fact it "\vas Avonderful they hid got as good results as t^ey had. He coil not see hqyr anyone could hold i ha C<irciJ responsible, fc The storage battef'oa, 1 1 der other conditions,

; have been nlj ri^hf., but th« «hief difficulty was m tlio, construction of tho cars. — Cr. Miller said that they bad always been given to understand that they would have to buy a complete car, but according 1 to the report they recommended building the oar m. New Zealand and buying the necessary machinery, etc. ' The Mayor explained that -with regard to spare parts Mr Cross had ordered a particular motor, bub the engineer had cancelled it and ordered another, which was practically useless. The Edison Mattery Co. was prepared to supply additional batteries. Cr. Munns asked about the weight of cars built m New Zealand. The Mayor said they would lior« to find that out. He also said he would ask Mr Harris about the matter of faW* - . . Vi: Munns contended that Mr Cross 1 ' report was contradictory to that of a previous report respecting' the trams. — Cr. Wildish said he was glad Mr Harris had come to Gisborne to give them his advice on the matter. Personally hi? was satisfied the storage batteries were all right, and he accordingly moved that m view 'of .-the" Council's experience with the storage battery system, and the expert opinion, that it is m the best interests to adopt the battery system, and that the tramway manager #be instructed to confer with. Mi" Hax-xis and -draw up an. estimate for, tho extension and .completion of the original tramway sehemsr. Cr. Munns: Have tr« got Mr Black coming? '. The Mayor : It is tte committee's report to come forward. Cr. Murms said he did not see the occasion, for the hurry. A gentleman who was financially interested had supplied the report. Personally he was m favor of .the Eklison batteries, but he was not. incEned to pledge the Council to that system on the report before them. They all knew how they had been losing money on the trams, and the amount had been a staggerer to him. He was almost m favor of the system, but at, the present juncture. He did not know that they should' accept the report as gospel. Or. Bright considered the motion too previous. The Council m committee hnd decided to get the advice of Mr Black respecting the trams. He thought they should tell them that the a-rticlp supplied had been most' unsatisf actor y. TTiene was no question about that. The article of the Beach Company had not fulfilled what they claimed for it. He Would put the onus on them of satisfying the consulting engineer that the system was the best one to adopt. He thought they should wait for Mr Black's advice before considering the report. . .Cr. Wade agreed 'that' it was too early to deal with such a motion. They knew the car had not been satisfactory, and Who was able to give an opinion better than the manager?. lid could hot give a, pledge to support this system of cars; he endorsed Cr. Brown's remarks about the erection of the cars, and he was against bolting away to America, for more cars. Had these cars been running full at Wellington they would not have lasted more than a few weeks. He would sooner see the motion deferred. ' O. Hill referred --..t0- the opinion of Mr J D. Douglas, Takapuna tramway engineer, of May, .1913, m -which he said that Gis-borne was positively "on top" regarding tramways. ; C^r. Lawless expressed himself as boing satisfied with the last claure of the motion,, and urged the tramway manager should get all the information from the agent he could. He thought it would be time enouigh to tie the Council's hands When their practical man said het recommended the system. Or. Bright moved as an amendment, .that Mr Harris be thanked for his report, and that permission be asked to 'bring tho same under the notice of an engineer who is to advise the Council respecting, the tram service. \He said he was not going to vote for a big expenditure on trams simply on the advice of the tramway manager," who, while he was a good man, was not an engineer or an electrician. If they were going to put the proposal to the ratepayer*, they would have to have the advice of a 'high.tr authority. They had to 'face and put befoifl the ratepayers a number of things—trams, , roads, etc.— and' he thought they would have to have a qualified engineer,- for the . Council. •• H-e was satisfied the ratepayers 'would never be satisfied , with that report. Cr. Miller took up a similar attitude. The Mayor said lie was against Cr. Wildish's motion, because ho did not think, they' had sufficient information. He . suggested that Mr Gross should, .be sen.t to Chri.stciuiii'ch to see the new tyixi with tho batteries pushing m and out, and get all the information. As regards the batteries, Mr Harris said the damaged., cells- could be recanned, and with little or no depreciation. He asked about the recanning, and found it could not be done m New Zealand, but that they woudcl have to be sent to America. He told ilr Harris that he thought it only fair tho Edison Company .f.iould give them new cells. or do the recanning iov ' nothing, but he was not m a position to say whether they would do that. He thouglit the motion too early.- There was no doubt tho new storage battery -'cars were a great. deal better than the ones the Council got; they had improved Wonderfully m. tho three years, and it was probable they , would have to go m for the storage Cattery cars m the future, but he could not support the motion at present. , , Cr, Wildisli, m replying, said he had mov«l the motion to save the necessity i'or Mr Black's. report. It was not the battery, but the construction of the car, that was at fault. ' ''.; Or. Bright remaorked 1 that inn less they had an engineer's report, they had no more chance of carrying the proposal than of flying over the moon. On going to the vote, the amendment was carried by 6 to 3, Grs. Hill, Lawless and Wildish being m the negative. A further amendment was moved by Cr. Lawless, to instruct the tramway manager to confer with Mr Harris, ana t-) report as to whether tho storage battery system was the. best and most suitable to adopt. Qr. Brown opposed the 1 suggestion as absurd and vmfaw to the . tr-a-mwiiy ma-ti-aaor. It was a question for a civil tln-ginee-r. . The amendment was negatived by 7 to 2. . , . ■';■ Mr Wm. H. Cross, tramway managery reported as follows: — "Further to my report of 6th May, re the present tramway plant, also tae best method of traction for tho borough of Giaborno tramways extension. Evidently that report has been circulated throughout tho Dominion by means of the daily press, also , that certain engineers who have been more or less op posed to the storage battery system of traction for vehicles or tramways, have misconstvueted it into a statement that t^e Edison storage battery has boon declared no good; and not capable of doing the work guaranteed by the Edison Co. That ia not so. In my report of May 6 (clause 5), I clearly state as follows: 'Since the mishap some time ago, duly reported, the batteries have given r.o trouble of note.' In actual practice they do not- give as good results as formerly, owing to the combination of circumstances working against them. The circumstances working against them are solely the fault of the _ Beach car construction and equipment, which does not provide proper accommodation for batteries, they not being protected from d'»rt pr dampness ; also tho electrical equipment m the Beach car, motors, controllers, eic, not being tho iflqat suitable for battery traction. J find tlia.t my ■original report m its misconstrued form is being made use of to the detriment of tho Edison Storage Battery Co. I make tho uhovo statement frankly m fairness, to the hattery. In fact, J shall go further, and say t-Jint after more than two yeava' practical demonstration m running an Edison storage battery plant I clearly recognise that there is a great field of usefulness, for this battery mi the form of lorrys or commercial trucks, especially heavy work round warehouse or wharf, or collecting and delivery work. Only recently I have been, visited by several South Island, business men. who wanted my ftdviee on the subject of adppting it for that class of work. In each case I recommended it without hesitation. lam handing you this statement as an answep to a,ny inquiries, that

may be made to the Council regarding the published report, referring to the efficiency or otherwise of the Edison battery as a battery for vehicular propulsion."