STORAGE BATTERY CAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 25, 24 July 1911, Page 6

STORAGE BATTERY CAR.

AN INTERESTING PROPHECY. Mr. W. D. Lysnar, the Mayor of Gisborne, states that with the outgoing mail for America the Gisborne Council is ordering two Edison storage battery tramcars, which are the latest development in electrical traction. When in America last year Mr. Lysnar had a personal interview with Mr. Edison, who was then engaged in adapting his storage batteries to heavy locomotives. There is a law in New York State which prohibits locomotives burning coal from entering -within a certain radius of the city, and at present some of the lines have made their terminus outside the radius, and others continue with the aid ,of an adoption of the overhead wire ! electric system. Having invented a light storage battery tramcar, Mr. Edison was seeking to devise a means whereby locomotives could proceed right into New York city under electric power. Mr. Lysnar has the fullest confidence in the new order of street cars. "I will go as far as to say," said he, "that within three years you in Wellington will have commenced to scrap your cars in favor of the storage battery car." The type of car to be ordered by Gisborne is a box-car, with longitudinal seats, capable of accommodating 26 passengers. The car weighs 4>/ s tons (m against 9 or 10 tons weight of Wellington cars), and can travel at the rate of fifteen miles per hour.—Dominion.