The spiral springs placed in the center of the Bicycle car allow only a
vertical motion, whereas the ordinary standard gauge cars, from their
width and the arrangement of their springs, allow an extreme swaying
motion, which in a long journey becomes very trying, and to a great
many persons is the cause of “sea-sickness.”
When a Bicycle car is rounding even very sharp curves, and at a rapid
rate of speed, the swaying motion or tendency to throw the occupant
laterally, is very slight and can scarcely be felt. The reason for this
is obvious, as the Bicycle car is held rigidly, so far as any lateral
motion is concerned, but tilts naturally to the right or left according
to the direction of the curve.
With these cars it has also been found, that the greater the speed
the smoother they run, providing the rail itself, upon which the cars
run, is true. But supposing for the sake of argument that the rail is
not smooth or true, even the uninitiated can readily see, that the
Bicycle car having only half the number of wheels, meets only one-half
the inequalities of the rail, and wherever these occur, cause only a
vertical motion, whereas the standard gauge cars have both the lateral
and vertical motion, in consequence of being let down first on one side
and then on the other.
As we have already shown, the Bicycle car is absolutely controlled
by the overhead structure, both from any tendency to bound or leave
the track in any possible manner; in fact by its momentum it is also
self supported, like the bicycle, causing only a slight strain on the
structure, even when maintaining a high rate of speed. This being a
fact it can readily be seen that the side motion of the car could not
in any case be great, and a speed of even 100 miles an hour could be
maintained without inconvenience to passengers.
It has frequently been asked, could a person breathe going at that
rate of speed? It is not necessary to say he could, as we are
constantly traveling over 1,000 miles per hour, without suffering any
inconvenience, as in either case the atmosphere is carried with us.
And again:—What would be the effect if a number of people were seated
on one side of the car? Would it not throw it out of balance?
These narrow cars bring the weight of the passengers on one side within
one foot of the center, the height being fifteen feet, the side strain
overhead would be one-fifteenth of the weight of the highest number of
passengers (36) possible to be seated on one side, and would only be
about 75 pounds on each of the four overhead trolley wheels. This would
only be a trifle, as they are constructed to carry from two to five
tons weight. This is an extreme case, however, as the cars ordinarily
would be about evenly balanced.