Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

Hg. 1.—ONE OF THE NEW YORK CENTRAL RAILWAY ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES, WHICH WAS TESTED AGAINST STEAM LOCOMOTIVES IN APRIL 1905. 1 his engine, which weighs 100 tons, and develops about 3,000 horse power, proved its superiority to the steam locomotive. J he view shows railway officials and their friends assembled to watch the trials. - ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES. BY J. F. GAIRNS. THERE is a popular idea that electricity can do anything, and that before many decades have elapsed the steam locomotive will be finally shelved as the prin- cipal means of railway travelling. It may be that this will be so, for the possibilities of electric traction are great ; but there is little prospect of the steam 1ccomotive being dis- placed for long distance express and goods traffic until many years have passed. Yet al- ready the electric locomotive occupies a place in modern transportation that makes it a serious rival to the steam locomotive in many ways, and there is little question that it will become more and more important for railway operation as the years go by. It is often claimed that the electric locomotive is partic ularly adapted for very high speed. Prophetic novelists speak glibly of 150 and 200 miles- an-hour express trains. It is true that speeds have been obtained by electric locomotives much higher than those of the steam loco- motive, but only by special machines gradu- ally worked up by trial after trial, and con- suming enormous quantities of electric energy ; whereas no steam locomotive has ever been constructed merely with the object of attaining extremely high speed without a train and under corresponding conditions. On the whole, the speed records, under com- mercial conditions, of electric locomotives are much below those of the steam locomotive ;