KINGS COUNTY ELEVATED RAILWAY CO., }
346 FULTON STREET, BROOKLYN, N. Y. }
_Hon. E. M. Boynton, Prest. Boynton Bicycle Railway Co.,
32 Nassau Street, N. Y._
DEAR SIR:—I have taken great pleasure in visiting and riding on your
Electric Railway at Bellport, L. I. I was more than satisfied in
regard to its feasibility and adaptability to quick transportation.
By your single rail and narrow cars you have lightened many-fold the
weight of trains, and enlarged proportionally the carrying capacity
over steam roads, as at present existing, as you make a double-track
road out of a single-standard gauge track.
I am fully satisfied as to its economical construction and working,
its quick and rapid means of transit, and its absolute safety in
transporting passengers and freight.
I see no reason why it should not be universally adopted, as the
tests of both the steam and electric methods have proved its
practical success.
Very respectfully yours,
O. F. BALSTON, _Chief Engr. K. C. El. Ry._
(_Special despatch to the Associated Press._)
NEW YORK, April 4, 1895.—A committee composed of members of the
Senate and House of the Massachusetts Legislature to-day inspected
the Boynton Bicycle Electric Road from Patchogue to Bellport, Long
Island. The party entered a train at Patchogue at about noon,
and shortly afterward were traveling around sharp curves and up
steep grades at the rate of nearly a mile a minute, almost totally
unconscious of the rapid rate at which they were going.
The results of to-day’s examination are thus summarized by a member
of the committee: First, they are satisfied the system saves half
the weight per passenger carried; second, makes one rail do more
work than two now do; third, gives double the speed possible by any
other system; fourth, is about one-quarter the expense to build, as
compared with elevated railroads; fifth, is perfectly safe, silent,
dustless and doing double the work at half the usual cost.
The committee seemed especially delighted with the capability of the
road in giving a double track on a single post, thus solving the
question of rapid transit in the narrow streets of Boston and its
suburbs, where several charters are pending. The visitors agreed that
the Bicycle System was safe and less injurious to property than the
trolley system.
MANHATTAN RAILWAY COMPANY, CHIEF ENGINEER’S OFFICE, }
71 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. }
DEAR SIR:—In regard to your request for an expression of opinion in
relation to the practicability of the Boynton Bicycle Railway, I have
to say, that I think the system is thoroughly practicable; that the
rolling stock can be economically constructed, and much lighter per
live load carried than the ordinary rolling stock of equal strength.
By reason of the center of gravity coming directly over the single
supporting rail, there will not be that disagreeable oscillation
which takes place on the double-rail system, and which is so
destructive to the rolling stock; and for this reason a high rate
of speed can be maintained with greater safety than on the present
system.
Yours truly,
J. WATERHOUSE, _Chief Engineer_.
_Hon. E. Moody Boynton, President Boynton Bicycle Railway Company_:
In the difficult road at Coney Island, and with its sharp grades and
curves, where you have for two seasons passed one Bicycle steam train
by another, thus making a double track of the standard gauge road,
and wherein the running of ten thousand trains and the safe carriage
of passengers, without accident, at high speed, with great smoothness
and economy, have been accomplished, you have demonstrated your
system to be perfectly feasible.
I have no interest in your Company other than as an engineer, but am
pleased to give my impression concerning your road at Coney Island,
as your success there has been very remarkable.
Yours truly,
F. S. PEARSON,
_Consulting Engineer, 81 Milk Street, Boston_.
Mr. F. S. Pearson was Chief and Electrical Engineer of the West End
Street Railway, Boston; of the Brooklyn City Railway; New York City,
Jersey City, and many other roads.
PHILADELPHIA, PA., May 4th, 1895.
_Hon. E. M. Boynton, Prest. Boynton Bicycle Railway Co.,
New York, N. Y._
DEAR SIR:—In reply to your letter of the 3d inst., requesting our
opinion as to the merits of the Boynton Bicycle Railroad System, we
beg leave to say that we believe the system possesses marked features
of merit on the following grounds:
_First_; that a Bicycle railroad car, loaded with passengers, is much
lighter than a loaded car of the same passenger accommodation of the
present type, and consequently possesses corresponding economy in the
power required to drive it at a given rate of speed.
_Second_; that owing to the lightness of construction, electric
motive power, sufficient for the attainment of high speeds, can be
applied to each car as an independent unit, instead of requiring a
special electric or steam locomotive to haul one or more cars, thus
obtaining for high speed railroads all the flexibility and advantages
of the trolley system, as now employed in street passenger railroads.
_Third_; cheapness in the construction of the car, the roadbed and
track, particularly when electric locomotion is employed, requiring
an overhead structure.
_Fourth_; the advantage possessed by your system, in changing over
from the present steam road to the Bicycle road, arising from the
width of your car, which permits two cars to pass each other, on the
ordinary 4′-8½″ track, thus providing a double track road in the
space now occupied for a single track.
Yours respectfully, EDWIN J. HOUSTON.
A. E. KENNELLY.
HEADQUARTERS DEPT. OF THE EAST, }
GOVERNOR’S ISLAND, N. Y. }
My attention was first called to the Bicycle Railroad System, as
developed by E. Moody Boynton, some two or three years ago, and I
have since, from a careful examination of its workings, satisfied
myself of its superiority in several respects to other methods of
transportation. Its simplicity of construction and cheapness of
operation have commended it to my favorable consideration, and the
running of the experimental trains at Coney Island, and Bellport,
L. I., the former by steam and the latter by electricity, have
convinced me that its advantages are many fold.
The liability of accident appears to be at a minimum, and the
questions connected with the cheapness of construction, the economy
in operation, the great speed of trains, and the comfort and safety
of travel, appear to be entirely solved by the employment of the
Bicycle system.
O. O. HOWARD, _Major-General U.S. Army_.