/ fu. NOVNC 2 1898 E. Street Railway Journal Vol. XIV. NEW YORK AND CHICAGO, NOVEMBER, 1898. No. 11. ORGANIZATION AND OPERATING METHODS OF THE UNION TRACTION COMPANY OF PHILADELPHIA The Union Traction Company, of Philadelphia, operates, in rebuilding and equipping for electric operation these through consolidations and by leases, about 450 miles of four constituent properties. The consolidation has track in the city of Philadelphia and its suburbs, and earns brought about great changes in operating methods and a nearly $11,000,000 gross. It is the largest single street rail- unifying of engineering practice, and a general description way property in theworld. It is a consolidation bylease and of the complete system as now operated will be of special merger of the People's Traction system and the Electric interest in view of the magnitude of the enterprise, the THIRTEENTH & MOUNT VERNON STREETS POWER STATION—UNION TRACTION COMPANY Traction system, which together operated under lease prior financial problems which have had to be solved, and the to the consolidation fourteen street railway lines in Phila- remarkable results which have been achieved by the pres- delphia. The consolidation was effected in 1895, and to ent management. the Union Traction Company was leased for 999 years the PLAN OF ORGANIZATION property of the Philadelphia Traction Company, which The company's operating organization, as shown in the operated under lease twenty-one smaller lines in Philadel- accompanying diagrams, is extremely simple. The presi- phia. On Jan. r, 1898, the company secured the one re- dent, who now acts as general manager, is the source of all maining important line in the city, the Hestonville, Mantua administrative authority, subject only to the Board of Di- & Fairmount Passenger Railway Company, by a 999-year rectors. lease, and now controls practically the entire transportation There are three department heads reporting to the presi- system of a city of 1,250,000 inhabitants. dent and acting as its technical advisers on matters of detail From time to time during the past four years there have as well as performing to a certain extent administrative appeared in the columns of the Street Railway Journal functions. These are the chief engineer, the superintend- the engineering plans and construction methods followed ent of transportation and the claim agent. In addition to 692 STREET RAILWAY JOURNAL. [Vol. XIV. No. it. these department chiefs are the general counsel, two master gineer, W. S. Twining; superintendent of transportation. mechanics, a special agent and the president's clerk, who James Bricker; claim agent, Nelson Sailor; general coun- has charge of purchases under direct instructions from the sel, Shapeley & Ballard; comptroller, D. C. Golden; audi- president. tor, J. D. Hiestand; special agent, C. P. Weaver; pres- In the engineering department are found an electrical ident's clerk, W. L. Maize; general superintendent, Walter engineer, in charge of dynamos and connections in the Ellis; engineer of way, H. B. Nichols; superintendent lines power station only, including switchboards; a superin- and cables, F. H. Lincoln; electrical engineer, Charles tendent of lines and cables, who is in charge of the dis- Hewitt; superintendent of motive power, W. J. Kerr; mas- tribution system, both overhead and underground, from ter mechanics, R. G. Oliver and Frank Wampler. the switchboards; a superintendent of motive power, who It is hard to see how this organization could be greatly has charge of station steam plant ; and an engineer of way, simplified, and it is certainly efficient, judged by the results who is in charge of maintenance of track and roadway, shown in the following comparative statement of operation conduits and general street work. for the last two financial years ending June 30. The pres- The care of all rolling stock, including car bodies, trucks ent organization has been in force for about one year only: 'ICE PRESIDENT / \ rOCK TRANSFERS ( J SUP'T OF TRANSPORTATION SUP'T ELECTRICAL SUP'T ENGINEER MOTIVE ENGINEER LINES AND OF WAY POWER CABLES 14 DIVISION (\ SUPERINTENDENTS \_J FIG. 1. —DIAGRAM OF ORGANIZATION—UNION TRACTION COMPANY 1897. 1898. and motors, is in charge of the two master mechanics, one Gross earnings from operation. ....$10,381,015 >io,86o,542 at each of the company's repair shops. \ Operating expenses .... 4.949,850 4,456,375 The superintendent of transportation is in charge of all time tables, of which a large variety has been prepared for Net earnings from operation • • • 5,43i,i64 6,404,167 use with the varying requirements of traffic. This officer Other income, interest, etc 99,630 110,895 Total net income • • • 6,515,062 has charge of the records and of the corps of inspectors, 5,530,795 Deductions from income: who report to him concerning the efficiency of service, Taxes and licenses 913,389 894,737 conditions of traffic, etc. hi the transportation department Interest and rentals • • • • 5,469,340 5,595,704 is also the general superintendent, who reports to the super- Surplus 851,934 (def.) 24,620 intendent of transportation, and is in direct charge of con- The operating expenses, including licenses and taxes, ductors and motormen through fourteen division superin- were in 1898 but 49.27 per cent of gross income, as against tendents. The latter carry the discipline of the men to the 56.48 per cent in 1897. The administration of John B. point of discharge, but discharges are made by the general Parsons, who has been in active charge of the property superintendent upon the recommendation of the division since January, 1897, has been characterized by rigid but superintendents. Engagements of the men are made bv a wise economy extending to every branch of the service. special bureau, which receives all applications. No change has been made or step taken without the most The company's vice-president acts in the absence of the careful regard for consequences and for the effect upon the president, and has direct charge of stock transfers. earnings of the system. The result is shown in an in- The directors of the Union Traction Company are crease of nearly 5 per cent in passengers carried and gross Thomas Dolan, William L. Elkins, Alexander M. Fox, receipts, a reduction of 10 per cent in operating expenses, James McManes, John B. Parsons, William H. Shelmer- an increase of nearly $1,000,000, or 18 per cent, in net in- dine, Alfred Smith, J. J. Sullivan, P. A. B. Widener, come, and the turning of a deficit over charges of $851,934 George D. Widener and George W. Elkins. The officers into a small surplus, which is expected to be considerably and principal employees are : president and general man- increased during the coming year. A most careful and ager, John B. Parsons; vice-president, George D. Wi- systematic study of traffic requirements and an adaptation dener; secretary and treasurer, C. O. Krnger; chief en- of the time tables to them have been the most important November, 1898.] STREET RAILWAY JOURNAL. 693 factors in the accomplishment of this remarkable result, company's management and its employees have never Money has thus been saved by cutting off useless mileage, been more satisfactory than is the case to-day. FIG 2. —PLAN AND ELEVATION OF 13TH & MOUNT VERNON STREETS POWER STATION and to all appearances the public has been quite as well power stations served, for certainly the relations between the public, the Owing" to the number of constituent companies and the 694 STREET RAILWAY JOURNAL. [Vol. XIV. No. u. o o fact that the electrical equipment of their lines was carried 00 oo on independently before the consolidation, the company J=i A o cj now operates its lines from no less than seven main power o stations and three sub stations, while three stations have u been abandoned. The 5 ^ location of these sta- fl a "3 o o o o O tions is shown on the a § § u W W<^ OOU a map, and the charac- 3 <a - cd cd .3 a s £ ter of their equipment bo co Jd a . a is shown in the ac- a 5 companying table. o o| 03 <a& ww we w These stations are all connected together by special "tie lines" Oi UJ of large capacity, so that O bo 00 O under varying a M.SJ 1/3 'w conditions of load they be bo 00 a a b al5 can be made to assist .a UJ a a a LU S3 a each other. The exact <u <u bo bo « 5 r, o <u cc S- a a .5.5. -O i a of this (/] V) method doing a o (/I rl m a 9 a o o o a a o o o o o O M z z will be described later. o v <l) o a o a u -2-2 < O a a I s 1 a a z The largest of these o O O o <n rcJ o T3 S o a _ a u a u Oi „ 01 —> stations is at Thir- O UJ <!<! I I I & (fl </> vi u > WWW*.<fl teenth and Mount Ver- <L> (LI . • (- -H a 3 « 3 -a z TJ u >-< WJ 00 tl z non streets, or "Sta- OOO O O O'J o -Sf M ° o o D Ph PhO f- O tion No. i," and this u < is also the most re- Q H Z cently constructed. OOO S o < IN O CO - o z The original station l-l CN o I (- and equipment were z CN Tj-cO o 00 CO CO CO o co D vo <* 1-1 greatly injured fire by I XXX XXXX X X X XX CO \D \o «l£l O \N about eighteen months 2.