678 REPORT—1904. 
tons of coal are saved annually, which, at 10s. per ton, means a yearly saving of 
some 5,860,000/. 
The electrical transmission of energy generated by water-power has reached a 
great development in America, the longest transmission being probably the 232 
miles of line that connect the De Sabla power-house with the town of Sausalito, 
in California. The author gave particulars of several other American and Con- 
tinental installations of large size delivering energy over great distances. 
The only large electro-hydraulic plant at present in operation in this country 
is the 7,000 horse-power installation of the British Aluminium Company at Foyers, 
which has been working since 1896. The same Company are, however, now 
developing a further installation on Loch Leven, whereby they expect to get 17,000 
horse-power, the whole of which will be used for the production of aluminium. 
Another large water-power scheme is at the present moment being developed 
in Wales by the North Wales Electric Power Company, whose first installation— 
which derives its power from Lake Llydaw—with a fall of 1,150 feet will give 
8,200 horse-power. 
The latest British scheme is that of the Scotch Water-Power Syndicate, who 
are developing a water-power obtainable from Loch Sloy, situated near Loch 
Lomond. The fall is 757 feet. The energy will be transmitted at 40,000 volts 
overhead for a distance of twenty-two miles to the industrial areas of the Vale of 
Leven and the Clyde, where it is calculated there will be 5,000 horse-power avail- 
able for delivery. 
The author calculates generally, with regard to water-power installations in 
this country, that interest on capital, depreciation, upkeep, and working expenses 
will amount to about 12 per cent. on the capital expenditure, so that for a water- 
power scheme to be economically sound the total capital involved must not exceed 
eight and a half times the annual price which can be got for the whole of the 
energy. 
2. The Use of Electricity on the North-Eastern Railway and on Tyneside. 
By C. H. Merz and W. McLettay. 
The objects of this paper were (1) to describe the application of electricity to 
railway traction by the North-Eastern Railway Company as recently inaugurated ; 
(2) to indicate the rapid progress which has been made in the uses of electricity in 
the Tyneside neighbourhood, resulting in the displacement of 50,000 horse-power 
of steam machinery ; and (8) to discuss briefly the principles which govern the 
cheap generation and distribution of electricity for industrial purposes. 
The Electrification of the North-Eastern Railway Suburban Lines —The 
electrification scheme, covering forty miles of double track, has been designed on 
the third-rail continuous-current system, and what was formerly practically an 
hourly service on the routes dealt with is now a quarter-hourly service. 
The system of train operation adopted is the Sprague Thomson-Houston 
multiple unit system. The main advantages of the multiple unit system are that 
trains of any length may be built up without affecting the efficiency of operation 
or diminishing the speed of the train. 
In addition to the electric passenger train, electric locomotives are provided for 
dealing with the goods traffic. 
Other Uses of Electrical Energy on the North-Eastern Railway.—Hlectricity 
is also used by the North-Eastern Railway for lighting and motive power at their 
passenger stations, locomotive works, and repairing shops. 
Transmission System and Sub-stations.—The energy is generated at the power- 
stations as three-phase alternating current at a pressure of 6,000 volts, and is trans- 
mitted to five sub-stations, which are equipped with rotary converter sets of an 
ageregate capacity of 15,000 horse-power. Current is fed to the conductor rail as 
direct current at 600 volts. 
Generating Station.—The generating station from which the current is obtained 
1 Published in the Hngineer, September 9, 1904. 
