Progress in Science.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIV, Issue 9, 2 March 1910, Page 44

Progress in Science.

The New Pennsylvania Railroad Electric Locomotives

IT is a curious instante oi what might be called the vagaries of mechanical evolution that the latest and most powerful electric locomotives, of which we present illustrations, should be furnished with those side rods and connecting rods, the abolition of which from the electric locomotives was

considered to be one of its • principal points of improvement. Theoretically, to get rid of the reciprocating movements and unbalanced rotating weights of the steam locomotive was eminently desirable, for these Unbalanced weights were the cause of much destructive wear upon the track and roadlx’d. Furthermore, the substitution of the compact electric motor, encircling the driving axle, was considered to be an ideal arrangement of compactness and efficiency.

When the electric drive came to be applied to steam railroads, as in the caise of the electrification of the New York Central and the New Haven roads, it was ■found that the above mentioned advantages were obtained at the expense of collateral disadvantages of a very serious character, for the low centre of gravity» the rigid wheel b:ise, and the

large amount of nori-spring-supported weight combined to make the loco motives very destructive of the track. Doth locomotives met with serious accidents, the former bursting open the track on a curve near Woodlawn, a ml the latter doing the same thing when hauling the White Mountain express at iiigh speed through Greenwich, Connecticut. The running of both types of locomotive has since been greatly improved by the substitution of fourwheeled leading trucks on the New York Central locomotive, and the introduction of pony trucks on the locomotives of the New Haven road. In designing the locomotives to be Used in the New York tunnel extension of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the engineers of the railroad company and of the Westinghouse Electrical Manufacturing Company have profited by the valuable experience of the pant few years, amt h.aye designed an engine, which will have the high centre of gravity and lle.xi•bility of wheel base which characterise the steam locomotive. It consists of two duplicate sections. The wheel plan of e.u-h section is the same as that of the edd eight wheel American tsteam locomotive, and consists of four coupled drivers and a four wheeled truck. The sect'ons are permanently coupled back to Rick by a special arrangement of Westinghouse friction draught gear find levers, so that the leading section effectually pilots the rear one. This (b--viat- all necessity of turningthe engine, which runs equally well in either direction. All manipulating levers are duplicated in each section, so that the operat< >r aim ply changes ends. The most original feature of this

engine, at least in American practice, is the removal of the motors from the wheel axles and the substitution of n

single motor which is placed above the frames and within the cab. This motor weighs, without gear, 45,000 pounds, and in weight and power it is the largest radway motor ever constructed. At each end of the rotor shaft is a crank, the two being set, as in steam locomotive practice, at ninety degrees. From these cranks a pair of coupling rods lead down to a crank-shaft (known as a jack shaft) which is carried in the frame in a horizontal line with the axles of the driving wheels. The jack shaft cranks are coupled to the drivers.

Now it will readily be seen that this arrangement avoids all the difficulties of counter-balaneing which have been such a nightmare to the steam locomotive designer and to the track superintendent, for, since the motor crank revolves uniformly and at constant effort, different therein from steam practice, the turning effort of the drive wheels is the same as for the motor, and is constant throughout each revolution. Moreover, it will be seen that since the movements of all rods and moving parts are those

of pure rotation only, it is possible to secure perfect counter-balance, and the engine delivers no more shock to the track and roadbed than a passenger ear of equal weight. The motor and massive side frame, the jack shaft, and all other gear, are spring supported from the driver and truck wheels, so that there is no track stress other than that local to a single pair of wheels. In this arrangement a motor support and connection the centre of gravity height closely

approximates that in the best high-speed I<>< omotivi s. A decided improvement in the ‘ Pennsylvania” type i* the use of a single motor for two pairs of drivers, and tier Iwmfits secured by its position. The motor is located high up from the road

bed, secure from snow, dirt and water, ami its design embodies electrical features never before secured on an electric locomotive.

The first twenty-four locomotives to be built will have the following dimensions:—

Total weight, 166 tons; total horsepower, 4000; maximum draw bar pull.

60.000 pounds; maximum speed, 60 to 70 miles per hour under load : diameter of drive wheels. 68 inches; diameter of truck wheels, 36 inches; weight on drivers, 104 tons; length over all, 65 feet; total wheel base, 56 feet.

The controller on the “Pennsylvania” type is scarcely as large as that on a Hoe printing press. None of the main power passes through it. it is re»”y

a switch corresponding to a telegrapher’s key. operated by eleetro-pireumatie means. With a level' which can be moved with one finger, the engineer can admit to tire locomotive a current equal to that available in a hundred trolley ears.

The electric supply will be secured from an electric conductor, or third rail, by’ four contact shoes on each locomotive. At some points where the great number of track switches will not permit this, power will be secured from an

overhead conductor through an airoperated overhead contact shaft of which there are two on each locomotive. The first locomotive, which is now being tested both as to speed and hauling pow : on the Long Bland Railroad, is giving satisfactory results.

Wireless Time Signals to Steamers. On the suggestion of Prof. Tissot of France, an international commission has been organised for the purpose of transmitting wireless time signals from stations suitably located on coasts and islands to vessels navigating all waters. The establishment of this system would make the determination of longitude at sea very accurate and independent of the arrors of the chronometer, which would indeed become superfluous. For transmitting the time signals Tissot recommends the wave length of 1,800 metres, or about 5,900 feet, which is used at the Eiffel Tower station. <•> <t> The Wright Bros. Honoured. Before leaving New York for their home in Dayton, Ohio, a few days ago, Orville and Wilbur Wright entered tho French Consul’s office in New York late one afternoon and received from France’s representative crosses and diplomas of the Legion of Honour. Not until several days later did Miss Kathrins Wright accidentally discover in one of her elder brother’s pockets the decoration that is so much prized and sought after by distinguished men here and! abroad. So engrossed was he in business relative to his aeroplanes that he had forgotten to mention it to his sister. An Aeroplane Tour. The second week in December is noteworthy from the fact that Maurice Far)nan. a brother of Henry Farrnan, started to make the first cross-country tour ever undertaken by aeroplane. Leaving Hue, near Versailles (France) at - 2.52 p.m. cn December 9th, he arrived at Chatres (42 miles distant) in 53 minntes, Hying over Trappes and Rambouillet en route. His biplane, which resembles that of his brother, averaged 47 miles an hour in making his flight. The weather was fine, there being . scarcely any wind. The flight formed the first stage of a trip to Bordeaux, which M. Farrnan hoped to complete in four or five additional flights. <3> <S> <S> The Wright Aeroplane Company. The Wright Company has recently been incorporated in New York for the manufacture of tlie Wright Aeroplane in the United States. The company’ is capitalised at 1,000,000 dollars. Wilbur Wright being president and Orville vice-presi-dent. Among the directors are such men as Cornelius Vanderbilt. Howard Gould, and August Belmont. The company will erect a factory at Dayton, Ohio —the home of the Wright Brothers—and will also have an aviation field where purchasers can be taught the operation of the machines. It is expected that many American sportsmen will soon become interested in aviation and own aeroplanes. <•> ■s> The Baths of Diocletian. King Victor Emmanuel recently visited the Baths of Diocletian, which it is proposed to isolate and restore on the occasion of the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the proclamation of United Italy. The king has approved the project to repristinate the of

Michael Angelo, who adapted the ancient ruins to the present church instead of building a new facade, as was originally intended. Thus the ruins will remain untouched. The sum of t32.O<H) has been provided to meet the expense of the necessary work*