The tram-road at the Washington Mills, Lawrence, Mass., is used entirely for the transportation of coal. The motor car, in this case, is used as a locomotive and is capable of hauling a load of five thousand pounds. The illustration (Fig. 4) shows the car while making one of its trips in the yard. A tramway was early put in use about the factories of the Thomson-Houston Electric Company, at Lynn, Mass. The track runs in and about all of the different factory buildings and yards, and abounds with curves, some of which are twelve feet radius, and grades, the maximum reaching fourteen per cent. This heavy grade is easily climbed with the greatest loads. Three motor cars Three motor cars are constantly in use, and the work of the factory is facilitated by them in a marked degree. The illustration (Fig. 5) shows one of the smaller cars in the yard. Among the later tramway installations may be mentioned two roads at the Nashua Manufacturing Company, Nashua, N. H., and one at the Jackson Manufacturing Company, Nashua, N. H. Of the two located at the Nashua Manufacturing Company, one is used for transporting finished cloth from the cloth room to the storehouse, while the other is used for transporting cloth, as delivered by the mill, to the cloth room. The former road consists of about one thousand eight hundred feet of standard gauge track (4′ 8′′) and is laid with T rails. rails. The platform of the motor car is twelve feet long by eight feet wide, and is roofed so as to afford protection from rain or snow. The truck is equipped with two motors of three horse-power each. The illustration (Fig. 6) shows this car loaded and making a trip from the cloth room to storehouse. The other road consists of about one thousand feet of thirty-six-inch gauge track. The platform of the motor car is ten feet long by four and one-half feet in width. This truck is equipped with one three horse-power motor. The illustration (Fig. 7) represents the car loaded with cloth. The Nashua Manufacturing Company has also placed in its wheel-room a generator of sufficient size to operate both tramroads; this generator is cared for by the regular wheelman. The road located at the Jackson Manufacturing Company's mills is equipped with the double overhead trolley system. It is placed in the cotton storehouse and consists of about three hundred and fifty feet of forty-eight-inch gauge track. The platform of the motor car is twelve feet long by seven feet wide. The track is equipped with one three horse-power motor, this car being used for handling cotton in bales. The illustration (Fig. 8) represents the car when loaded with cotton, and also shows the form of double trolley used in this installation. At Whitinsville, Mass., the Thomson-Houston Motor Company is installing an electric road for freight service. The track is about one and one-quarter miles in length and extends from the shops of the Whitin Machine Company to the New York, Providence & Boston R.R. at Whitins station, connecting with that road. There is to be operated upon this road an electric locomotive of sixty horse-power capacity, having sufficient power to haul two loaded freight cars, weighing one hundred and twenty thousand pounds, at a speed of six miles per hour, and also having power enough to start this load on a three and nine-tenths per cent. grade, if necessary. A generator of eighty-five horse-power capacity has been placed in the machine shop of the machine company and is driven from their main line of shafting. The above briefly describes a few of the roads that can be seen at any time in successful operation. The third head to be considered is the application of electricity to hoisting apparatus. For hoisting work, machines are now made of almost any size and power, from the three horse-power whip, suitable for handling light loads at a high rate of speed, to eighty and one hundred horse-power machines for heavy work. A description of the fifteen horse-power hoist manufactured by the Thomson-Houston Motor Company may be of interest to you. The Nashua Manufacturing Company has also placed in its wheel-room a generator of sufficient size to operate both tramroads; this generator is cared for by the regular wheelman. The road located at the Jackson Manufacturing Company's mills is equipped with the double overhead trolley system. It is placed in the cotton storehouse and consists of about three hundred and fifty feet of forty-eight-inch gauge track. The platform of the motor car is twelve feet long by seven feet wide. The track is equipped with one three horse-power motor, this car being used for handling cotton in bales. The illustration (Fig. 8) represents the car when loaded with cotton, and also shows the form of double trolley used in this installation. At Whitinsville, Mass., the Thomson-Houston Motor Company is installing an electric road for freight service. The track is about one and one-quarter miles in length and extends from the shops of the Whitin Machine Company to the New York, Providence & Boston R.R. at Whitins station, connecting with that road. There is to be operated upon this road an electric locomotive of sixty horse-power capacity, having sufficient power to haul two loaded freight cars, weighing one hundred and twenty thousand pounds, at a speed of six miles per hour, and also having power enough to start this load on a three and nine-tenths per cent. grade, if necessary. A generator of eighty-five horse-power capacity has been placed in the machine shop of the machine company and is driven from their main line of shafting. The above briefly describes a few of the roads that can be seen at any time in successful operation. The third head to be considered is the application of electricity to hoisting apparatus. For hoisting work, machines are now made of almost any size and power, from the three horse-power whip, suitable for handling light loads at a high rate of speed, to eighty and one hundred horse-power machines for heavy work. A description of the fifteen horse-power hoist manufactured by the Thomson-Houston Motor Company may be of interest to you. |