464 Mr. Alexander Siemens [Feb. 26, 



The principal effect of this change has been the equalisation of 

 the chances of success for workers in all parts of the civilised world, 

 whatever their occupation may be ; provided they keep themselves 

 well informed, as to what is being done elsewhere, or they will not 

 be able to keep abreast of the times. 



Naturally there are other factors, which influence the competition 

 that takes j^lace everywhere in life, but the importance of rapid, 

 frequent and reliable intercommunication cannot be overrated, and 

 that must be the excuse for bringing to your notice to-night the 

 endeavours that have been made to introduce electric motors on main 

 lines of railways, with a view of accelerating the speed and increasing 

 the oi3j)ortunities of travelling without diminishing its safety. 



It is exactly twenty-five years ago that the first electric loco- 

 motive ran on a short line in an exhibition at Berlin, drawing a few 

 carriages on which people were taken round the exhibition. 



How primitive all the arrangements were can best be seen by the 

 picture now thrown on the screen. 



The two rails, insulated from each other and from earth, served 

 as lead and return, while the switches were of the simplest form. 



Some progress was made, when in 1881 a short line from Lichter- 

 felde to the Cadettenhaus was opened, although on this line also the 

 rails served as conductors. In the same year a short line with 

 overhead conductors was run in connection with the Paris electrical 

 exhibition. 



Two years later, in the autumn of 1883, the line from Portrush 

 to Bushmills was opened, in which the conductor was about eighteen 

 inches above the ground by the side of the rails, while the rails 

 served as return circuit. 



From these small beginnings the electric tramways of modern 

 times have developed, of which examples can be seen in nearly every 

 town. 



Their success naturally led to attempts being made to introduce 

 electricity as the motive power on railways ; but the totally difierent 

 conditions obtaining there, made so many and such intricate demands 

 on the electrical engineer, that the satisfactory solution of the pro- 

 blem has been long delayed — and even now oi)inions difler as to the 

 best method for universal adoption. 



At first, short lines of railways have been carried out, j^artaking 

 more of the character of tramlines with fixed stopping places, such 

 for instance, as the elevated railway along the Mersey docks or the 

 tube railways in London, of which the City and South London line 

 was the pioneer not only in this country but for all other countries 

 as well. 



On these lines continuous currents at the comparatively low 

 pressures not exceeding 500 volts are in use, and they are conveyed 

 to the motors from a third rail, while the running rails serve as the 

 return for the currents. 



Where the distances from the power stations have demanded it, 



