874 



REPORT — 1892. 



credit whatever for the Cassel installation; and that the whole credit for ihis 

 (probably the earliest) example of power transmission by alternating currents is due 

 to von Miller, who, at a time when most electricians were still in doubt as to the 

 possibility of parallel running, boldly laid down a plant, the success of which was 

 not only dependent on parallel running, but also on the economical and safe trans- 

 mission of power by single phase alternating current, using for this purpose the 

 ordinary type of alternator as made for lighting. The plant was started on May 

 15 last year, and has been working since then without a hitch. 



By the courtesy of Herr von Miller I am able to give the following readings of 

 the working of the battery sub-station taken at my request about a month ago. 

 Although €at that time of the year the load is necessarily light the total efficiency 

 of the transformer, even if we neglect the correction due to lag, is satisfactory. 



Alternating to Continuous Current Transformer, 



5. A new Electric Locomotive. By E. H. Woods. 



The electric locomotive, which is illustrated by the cartoons exhibited, has 

 been designed in the first instance to meet the requirements of heavy trafhc on 

 metropolitan railways in substitution of steam. 



The only electric railway now working in London (viz., the City and South 

 London) does not seem to fulfil the conditions demanded by the very heavy 

 suburban traffic of the metropolis. It has, however, been in a certain measure 

 .successful, as indicating the possibilities of electric traction on railways and the 

 economy to be effected by the use of iron tubular tunnels following the lines of 

 .street at a sufficient depth below the surface to avoid sewers and pipes and dis- 

 turbances to property. The result is that several bills have been promoted during 

 the last session of Parliament for the construction of similar lines in various 

 directions. One of the most important of these is the proposed Great Northern 

 and City Railway, from a point near Finsbury Park station, on the Great Northern 

 Railway, to Finsbury Circus. It differs from the others in that it is intended to 

 run the ordinary passenger trains from the main line of the Great Northern 

 Railway to the heart of the City without change of carriage. To do this it is 

 obvious that electric engines of much greater power are required than those at 

 present iu use on the City and South London Railway. It is claimed for this 

 engine that it would fulfil all the conditions which this line demands, whilst, if 

 made on a smaller scale, it would be more ecouomical'Tor working the traffic of 

 the other lines referred to than those at present in use. 



It is proposed to work on a central rail similar to that used in the 'Fell' 

 system, and to arrange the electric motors vertically, so that the driving wheels 

 may be horizontal. The necessary adhesion is to be obtained by means of springs, 

 which press the driving wheels against each side of the central rail. One great 

 advantage afforded by this arrangement is that it enables the electric motors to be 

 kept constantly running, even when the engine is stationary, thus avoiding the 

 great loss of power incidental to the starting of the engines now in use. A friction 



