The Street Railway Journal

Vbl. VIII. NEW YORK $ CHICAGO, FEBRUARY. No. 2. Electric Cars in Albany. Rapid Transit in Omaha. THE OMAHA STREET RAILWAY. Under the heading “Notes from the Field,” in the January issue of the Street Railway Journal, we gave a The present company who control all lines running detailed account of the operation of the electric lines of in Omaha with the exception of that to Council Bluffs, the Albany Railway Co. In the same connection we take and the Benson & Halcyon Heights Railway, a suburban pleasure in presenting the accompanying illustrations, line, are composed of three originally distinct companies, Fig. i illustrates, in a striking manner, the old and the the Omaha Cable Tramway, the Omaha Horse Railway new in the evolution of rapid transit. The car shown to and the Omaha Motor Co. The result of the simultane- the left of the figure is one of the original horse cars with ous existence of these three roads, until their consolida- FIG. I.—THE OLD AND THE NEW IN RAPID TRANSIT—ALBANY, N. Y., STREET RAILWAY. which the lines were equipped. The centre figure is of a tion, was great competition which damaged all three, by horse car that was employed on State Street before the building unnecessary lines, and by running some in the advent of electric traction, and which ordinarily required wrong direction. The three companies, appreciating their four horses to haul up the steep grade, and frequently in imprudence, very sensibly joined hands and formed the snowy weather six horses. An electric car with which the Omaha Street Railway Co. The result of this amalgama- first lines were equipped, manufactured by J. M. Jones’ tion has been the abandonment of unprofitable lines and Sons, of Troy, N. Y., is shown at the right of the figure, the substitution of electricity on the horse roads and on and as we stated in the previous “Notes,” makes the the Harney Street cable line, the result of which has been ascent of State Street with apparent ease and fair speed. a great saving of expenses. Notwithstanding this good Fig. 2, given on the next page, shows a view of State management a troublesome obstacle has constantly to Street with three electric cars ascending the eight per be contended against, and that is the natural disadvan- cent, grade, and the New York State Capitol in the back- tages of the city. Above Twentieth Street the city is very ground. Since our last “ Notes” some of the new cars, sparsely settled. Just west of the new City Hall on Eigh- with Thomson-Houston S. R. G. motors, have been put teenth and Farnam Streets— the latter the principal in service. business thoroughfare of the city—a great deal of open d 64 THE STREET RAILWAY JOURNAL. February, 1892. country is encountered, the houses are scattered over a double track lines, and the head of the rail beaten down great deal of territory, and there are deep ravines on each where the car jumped from one rail to the other, and on side of the street. This is the situation out as far as the single track lines the joint plates were worn at both ends western city limits. Besides, the grades are extremely and the rail heads were smooth. He also stated that he heavy and there are a great number of them. There is would advise the use of a girder rail by all means in the one on Farnam Street of nine and a half per cent, and city streets, but a T rail in the outlying districts where they range in general from four per cent, to nine per cent. the authorities would allow it. The steepest grades on The result is that on some lines trailers cannot be run, the various lines are very abrupt, and, in consequence, it but it is necessary to run a more frequent service of motor has been necessary several times to bend the rails verti- cars which, in passing, is much more convenient for the cally. There are not many short curves, the radius of public. Notwith- the shortest be- standing these ing about thirty- d i s a van tages eight feet ; the the public are rest range all the well pleased with way up to sixty the rapid transit feet. The poles afforded by the to support the company’s cars. trolley wires are When the ques- of pine, with the tion was asked exception of whether the those on the via- traveling public ducts, which are would consent to of steel. On the returning to the Edison lines No. horse cars, the 00 trolley wire answer was a is used, and on most emphatic the Thomson- “ No,” and that Houston lines whether the com- No. o. No guard pany would be wires are used to willing to make prevent interfer- the change met ence with the with the same telephone ser- reply. vice. There are at There are two present in opera- electric systems tion about fifty- employed by the three miles of company, the electric road and Edison and the six and a half of Thomson - Hous- cable. The stand- ton. There are at ard rail used on present in opera the former tion forty - five weighs fifty-eight Edison and and a half thirty-oneThom- pounds to the son-Houston mo- yard, of the John- tor cars, each son girder type equipped with with a very small two fifteen h. p. flange. On the motors. This cable road and number has been the Harney distributed over Street electric seven routes, line there is used namely, the Wal- a forty-five nut Hill line, pound to the eleven and three- yard, section D, quarters miles centre bearing, long, and operat- Johnson girder ing one-half Edi- rail. Oak ties are son and one-half employed to a Thomson - Hous- greater extent ton motor cars; than any other. the South Omaha On the down- FIG. 2.—VIEW ON STATE STREET—ALBANY STREET RAILWAY. line, eighteen town portion of miles long, oper- the city they are laid sixteen inches from centre to centre, ating Thomson-Houston cars; the Farnam Street line, six as in railroad practice, while at the outskirts they are laid and a third miles long, operating Edison cars; the Park five feet apart. All joints are suspended between two Avenue & North Twenty-fourth Street line, thirteen and ties laid sixteen inches from centre to centre. The curve a half miles long, operating Edison cars the Harney ; rails are of the same type as the straight rails, but are Street line, four and three-fifths miles long, operating provided with guards. The joints are standing up very Edison cars the Thirteenth Street line, six miles long, ; well where the ties are laid close together, but not operating Edison cars. The above mileage represents otherwise. There is a good deal of pounding to be ob- single track. The Walnut Hill line was the first in the served on the western portion of the Farnam Street line. city to be operated by electricity, and has been running The general manager of the company, Mr. W. A. almost three years. About two-thirds of the motor cars Smith, stated that the joints stood up better on single haul trail cars. The cable equipment consists of twenty- track lines where the cars ran in both directions, than on two grip cars and twenty-two trailers; the latter are dupli- double track roads where they ran in one direction only. cated in summer by open cars. About two-thirds of the He said that he had noticed in stringer construction that car equipment was supplied by the John Stephenson Co. the stringer joint plates were worn at one end only on Ltd., and one-third by the Pullman car company. February, 1892. THE STREET RAILWAY JOURNAL. 65 There is but one cable road in operation at present, chises. Most of the old horse cars are now used as the Dodge and Twentieth Streets line. This has been op- trailers. erating about four years, and is the only line in the city THE BENSON & HALCYON HEIGHTS RAILWAY. that uses track brakes. There was another cable line running on Harney and West Dodge Streets where five This road is owned by Mr. William Crary, of Omaha, trains were in operation. It proved very unprofitable, and is suburban in character, and was built to build up Hen- was replaced by four Edison electric cars. It has been son and Halcyon Heights, two suburbs of Omaha. It is rumored that the Dodge Street line is also unprofitable, but two miles in length, single track, with one turnout, and at as it is next to impossible for an electric car to climb the its eastern terminus connects with the Walnut Hill line. grades along its route the cable cars have been retained. Its trolley wires connect with those of the latter, and thus When the Harney Street line discontinued operating as a it derives its current from the Thomson-Houston power cable line the reserve power was utilized for running two station of the Omaha Street Railway. The roadbed is 135 h. p. Edison generators. The engine doing this work laid with a twenty pound to the yard T rail which is is of 600 h. p., and operates the generators by an exten- bending between ties laid about three feet apart. Two sion of the flywheel shaft, and on to which was coupled a cars constitute the present equipment of the line. They large flywheel connecting by a belt to Hill clutch pulleys were made by the J.

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