TUBE, TRAIN, TRAM, AND CAR
OR
UP-TO-DATE LOCOMOTION
[Illustration]
TUBE, TRAIN,
TRAM, AND CAR
OR
UP-TO-DATE LOCOMOTION
BY
ARTHUR H. BEAVAN
AUTHOR OF “MARLBOROUGH HOUSE AND ITS OCCUPANTS,” “IMPERIAL LONDON,”
“CROWNING THE KING,” ETC.
WITH MANY ILLUSTRATIONS
And an Introduction
BY
LLEWELLYN PREECE, M.I.E.E.
[Illustration: colophon]
LONDON
GEO. ROUTLEDGE & SONS, LTD.
NEW YORK: E. P. DUTTON & CO.
1903
[_All rights reserved._]
“THE CHARIOTS RUN LIKE THE LIGHTNING”
PREFACE
The object of this work is to present the subject of Electrical
Locomotion to the public for the first time, the author believes, in a
popular form, giving interesting information about Tube, Train, Tram,
and Motor-car, but avoiding, as much as possible, technical and
scientific detail.
Electrical traction is of national importance, destined perhaps
materially to abate the evil of overcrowding, by providing cheap and
rapid means of access from centres of industry to country districts and
_vice versa_.
It was predicted by George Stephenson in 1825 that his system would
supersede all other methods of conveyance in this country. Similarly can
it now be prophesied that throughout the world electrical traction will
ultimately supplant all other forms. An age of electricity is dawning,
when “power” may be obtained direct from fuel or from the vast store of
energy existing in the heated interior of the earth, or even from the
atmosphere that surrounds us; when every mountain stream and gleaming
waterfall throughout Great Britain, and each tide as it rises and falls,
will help to generate the subtle fluid, which, produced on a vast scale
abroad, where giant cataracts and mighty rapids abound, may be imported
to supplement our home supply, and be utilised in every manufacturing
district; when all our main lines will be electric, and “light railways”
ubiquitous; when coal-less ships and aerial machines, with perfected
accumulators, may possibly traverse sea and ocean, and invade the domain
of condor and eagle; when farms will be cultivated by electrical
contrivances, and their produce expeditiously conveyed to market, and
the sanitation of our streets be ensured by the universal use of
horseless vehicles. An age that may witness “current” laid on for
domestic purposes to every house in the land as a matter of course; and
also as machine-power to village settlements, where artisans engaged in
certain kinds of trade may work amidst the pleasant surroundings of
home. And thus the abstract principle, “Back to the land,” may become an
accomplished fact.
To bring the body of this work precisely up to the date of its
publication being obviously impossible, I take the opportunity of making
passing reference to the railway disaster on the Métropolitain of Paris,
when eighty-four passengers were killed, and which has caused the public
mind to be much disturbed by the possibility of danger in the London
Tubes.
As regards trams, the London United Tramways Company established a
record of traffic during the August Bank Holiday period, the total for
the four days being 878,000, that on Monday alone being 330,000
travellers. A serious electric tram accident occurred at Ramsgate in
August, when nineteen persons were injured by the colliding of one car
with another at a point where the lines converged.
Then, as to motor-cars. The great Gordon-Bennett race in Ireland this
summer was won by a German. A tentative Act of Parliament for regulating
the traffic, to come into force January 1st next, and to continue for
three years, has received the Royal Assent, the speed limit being fixed
at twenty miles per hour.
A service of motor hansom cabs is shortly to be established in London.
The Fischer “combination” omnibus has successfully passed through
repeated private trials, and will probably be adopted by one or both of
the metropolitan chief companies.
Motor bath-chairs, to hold two people, and propelled by electricity,
will be accomplished facts at the World’s Fair, St. Louis, next year.
I have now to acknowledge, with thanks, the assistance of Sir William H.
Preece, who kindly read through the proof-sheets of this volume just
before he fell seriously ill in August, and of his son, Mr. Llewellyn
Preece, who has written the Introduction, and I now leave “Tube, Train,
Tram, and Car” to receive the verdict of those who travel.
ARTHUR H. BEAVAN
_September, 1903._
INTRODUCTION
BY LLEWELLYN PREECE, M.I.E.E.
The object of this book is to give the public a general idea as to the
progress now being made in the application of electricity for transport
purposes, and it was intended that Sir William Preece should write the
introduction and correct the author so far as any technical
misstatements were concerned. Unhappily, Sir William Preece has fallen
victim to a very severe illness, which entirely incapacitates him from
any work, and will prevent him from doing anything for some months to
come. Just before his illness, however, he had gone through the proofs
and made certain corrections, all of which, the author tells me, have
been accepted, but owing to the great delay in the publication of this
book which has already been incurred, and to the impossibility of
discussing these matters with my father, I have not been able to check
the proofs since the alterations were made.
The advances which, within the last few years, have been made in the
application of electricity for the purpose of transportation are shown
very clearly in this book, and if the author has made one or two flights
on the wings of fancy regarding the future which may be somewhat
startling to the reader, it must be remembered that if many things which
are of everyday occurrence had been suggested to any of us fifty years
ago, and if we had been told that it would be possible to travel at the
rate of a hundred miles an hour, we should have been somewhat inclined
to laugh. As the reader will learn, such travelling is to be very
shortly a fact.
At the same time I do not believe that it will be so much with the
high-speed work as with the tramway and light railway work that
electricity will be of the greatest service to the public in the future.
I look forward to the time when there will be a network of light
railways surrounding every town in the kingdom, enabling the population
to spread itself out once again in the country.
Central power stations distributing electric current over a radius of
fifteen or twenty miles will enable these railways to work at very low
cost, and therefore carry passengers considerable distances at low
fares.
The tendency at the present time being to reduce the hours of labour,
whether mental or manual, the time at the disposal of a workman for
travelling will increase, so that with an eight hours working day and
cheap electric light railways, there will be no reason why the poorest
labourer should not live in the country, and at least sleep in a pure
atmosphere.
The adaptability of electricity to motor-car work has hardly yet been
sufficiently realised. People see the luxurious electric brougham,
described in this book, running on the streets of London and other large
cities, but few have any idea that not only the wealthy aristocrat, but
everyone will, before long, be able to ride in such carriages, possibly
not so luxuriousy fitted up, but equally comfortable and speedy.
The usual cry at present is that electric cars are very nice, but the
owners have great difficulties with the batteries. Undoubtedly batteries
have given trouble in the past, and still do so to some extent. But if a
man buys a horse and gives it in charge of the gardener’s boy, he is
likely to have trouble with his horse. In the same way, if a man buys an
electric carriage and expects his coachman to look after it, he only
naturally does have considerable trouble. There are several companies
prepared to look after and maintain in continuous use, not only the
batteries, but the complete carriages, and this is greatly improving the
reliability of the electric car, and allaying the fears of those anxious
to have such carriages.
Besides this, the battery itself is making great strides forward: its
capacity per cwt. has largely increased, its life is much longer, and
its reliability under great variations of discharge has considerably
improved. In fact, it may be safely said that even now the electric car
is more reliable than either the petrol or the steam car. At present it
will not do the same distance on one charge, nor will it do the great
speed other cars will, but this is the great reason why it should appeal
to the British public. The craze for high speeds does not affect the
majority of people. I believe that it is only a question of a few years
for the petrol and steam cars to be placed in museums and shown as
monstrosities of the past, like the mammoth elephant, and that every
cab, omnibus, and private carriage throughout the country will use
electricity as the motive power.
In fact I do not think it unwarrantable to assert that, so far as this
country is concerned, many of us will see the day when the only form of
energy used for transportation will be that known as electricity.
LLEWELLYN PREECE
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
PAGE
THE OLD AND THE NEW ORDER OF RAILWAY LOCOMOTION 1