ELECTRIC METERS FOR STREET GARS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16462, 14 June 1919, Page 4

ELECTRIC METERS FOR STREET GARS.

The Electric Railway Journal gives some instances of the utility of meters on street cars with a view to checking waste of energy. Some comparative tests, made with the same equipment on level lines and gradients, show that as much as 26 per cent, saving in energy could be made in this way. Originally 2.093 kilowatt-hours per car-mile was obtained in a test in which the dials of all meters were kept covered, so that'The driver could not obtain any information as to the current ho was taking. Subsequently, after a period of training in which instruction was given on the handling of cars, by observations of meter readings an energy saving of 0.253 kilowatt-hour per carmilo (about 12 per cent.) was obtained —-in spite of the fact that climatic conditions wore less favour-able than in the first trials. On very severe hilly routes it was eventually found that the energy consumption could be reduced from 3.41 kilowatt-hours to 2.52 kilowatt-hours per car-mile—a saving of 26.1 per cent.—mainly duo to better handling of controllers and brake equipment.