ELECTRIC OPERATIONS OF STEAM RAILWAYS 221 



neighboring systems and until railway engineers are agreed as to the 

 fundamental questions of frequency and methods of train control it is 

 probable that no large project will be put in hand. A further oppo- 

 sition to be met is the mass of present-day, steam-railway methods and 

 prejudices. The steam railway has a long history and each system has 

 its highly-trained corps of operating engineers. Electrical operation 

 introduces many new points of view, old dangers disappear and new 

 precautions have to be taken. Besides these matters, there are various 

 less important disturbances to steam practise which will have to be 

 provided for, among the most serious of which are the clearances of the 

 third rail and trolley at crossings and at overhead structures ; the clear- 

 ances on draw-bridges and the methods of leading currents through 

 such bridges; new splice bars to accommodate rail bonds and the tell- 

 tale for notifying a brakeman on top of the car of a low bridge ahead. 

 It seems probable that the next step in this development will be the 

 progressive equipment of a complete system involving through traffic 

 over long distances, with its attendant feeder and branch lines. When 

 such a system is once installed and the minor difficulties above enumer- 

 ated developed and overcome, a rapid application of electricity for 

 steam operation will follow. 



