Anonymous

“ By your single rail and narrow cars you have lightened many-fold the weight of trains, and enlarged proportionally the carrying capacity over steam roads, as at present existing, as you make a double-track road out of a single-standard gauge track. ”

“ Dear Sir:—In regard to your request for an expression of opinion in relation to the practicability of the Boynton Bicycle Railway, I have to say, that I think the system is thoroughly practicable; that the rolling stock can be economically constructed, and much lighter per live load carried than the ordinary rolling stock of equal strength. ”

“ As we have already shown, the Bicycle car is absolutely controlled by the overhead structure, both from any tendency to bound or leave the track in any possible manner; in fact by its momentum it is also self supported, like the bicycle, causing only a slight strain on the structure, even when maintaining a high rate of speed. This being a fact it can readily be seen that the side motion of the car could not in any case be great, and a speed of even 100 miles an hour could be maintained without inconvenience to passengers. ”

“ Numerous narrow gauge roads now in operation in the West prove their advantage over the ordinary standard gauge, in the saving of friction and the ease with which they turn sharp curves. No narrower gauge road than the Bicycle can possibly be constructed, and, as narrowing the gauge decreases friction, surely we have the greatest possible advantage over anything yet constructed. Its economy and simplicity is very superior. You can never get less than a single wheel, or line of wheels, or less than a single rail to run upon. ”

“ The nearest approach to rapid transit we have yet attained is an average speed of ten miles an hour, and there are some hours in the morning, and at night, when not even half the people can be seated, but the balance are packed in like sardines in a box, obliged to stand up and hang on to straps for from one-half to three-quarters of an hour, instead of receiving the accommodation for which they pay. ”

“ A driving-wheel six feet in diameter can doubtless be made to run a Bicycle locomotive one hundred to one hundred and twenty miles an hour with short stroke engines, and double the number of revolutions they now make, its speed being limited only by friction and air pressure. Ninety miles an hour, however, would probably for the present satisfy all reasonable wants for express trains, and a proportionately lower rate of speed for local and freight trains. ”

“ With these cars it has also been found, that the greater the speed the smoother they run, providing the rail itself, upon which the cars run, is true. But supposing for the sake of argument that the rail is not smooth or true, even the uninitiated can readily see, that the Bicycle car having only half the number of wheels, meets only one-half the inequalities of the rail, and wherever these occur, cause only a vertical motion, whereas the standard gauge cars have both the lateral and vertical motion, in consequence of being let down first on one side and then on the other. ”

“ Practice has demonstrated that the twenty-two ton Bicycle locomotive is so truly balanced, that when running on a tangent, the upper horizontal bearing-wheels seldom touch the overhead guide beam, an inch space being left between them; and it is found that even when running on curves, at high rates of speed, as the train is made to lean inward to balance the centrifugal force, the friction of the overhead or guiding-wheels is but trifling. ”

“ It is a wholly different matter from narrowing the gauge. So long as the reliance for stability is on the support of a pair of rails (the center of gravity falling between them) , all narrowing of gauge must be a disadvantage; and as it is impossible to maintain a pair of rails exactly horizontal, there must inevitably be a jerking of the train from side to side, which, at high speed, becomes exceedingly dangerous; because, whenever the level is not perfect, there is a tendency created to lateral impact against one rail or the other. In bicycle motion all this tendency is eliminated. ”

“ A man has in one day propelled himself and his machine five hundred and fifteen miles. The principle of the bicycle, saving enormously in weight and friction, is here presented for application to existing and to future steam and electric roads without change of gauge or interference with existing trains. ”

“ According to the Bicycle principle, the Bicycle cars would be able to keep themselves in an upright position, while in motion, without any assistance of the upper guide-beam; but to quote the Engineering News, “Of course as stability depends on the existence of rapid forward motion, and that motion ceases at stations, and is liable to have to cease at any moment from accidental causes, provision must be continuously made by overhead rail and guide-wheels, or otherwise, for support in case of need. Otherwise if the vehicles stop, they will at once tip over. ”

“ The Bicycle cars will obviate this difficulty, giving every opportunity for the saving of time at the stations, which in making 40 or 50 stops is considerable. The income of the elevated railways may be greatly increased and the expenses decreased, and at the same time give the public the much talked of and desired rapid transit. There is every reason to believe that the Bicycle express trains could average 40 miles per hour on the elevated railroad, making only the most important stops, while local trains could more than double the present average rate of speed. ”

“ The liability of accident appears to be at a minimum, and the questions connected with the cheapness of construction, the economy in operation, the great speed of trains, and the comfort and safety of travel, appear to be entirely solved by the employment of the Bicycle system. ”

“ With one locomotive pulling a long train it is entirely different, as the adding of a number of cars is counteracting the traction of the former, and must be equalized by a corresponding weight of the locomotive, thus furnishing a dead load of no benefit, and besides, necessitating an increased motive force. In making up a train of these independent car motors, flexible electric connections will enable the engineer in the front car to control all the motors, and thus operate the whole train. ”

“ When a Bicycle car is rounding even very sharp curves, and at a rapid rate of speed, the swaying motion or tendency to throw the occupant laterally, is very slight and can scarcely be felt. The reason for this is obvious, as the Bicycle car is held rigidly, so far as any lateral motion is concerned, but tilts naturally to the right or left according to the direction of the curve. ”

“ The advantages of the Bicycle System in rounding curves, and reduced rolling friction, have been described in former pages, and it should be very evident that a much lighter motor can be constructed, and with light Bicycle Needle cars, will give a speed greater than anything yet attained. Another disadvantage of the present heavy cars and motors, is the necessity of gearing the motor down to get power enough to start the car without burning the armature out. ”

“ Each car has its own motor, and is therefore entirely independent, thus facilitating switching or changing from one track to another; it will also be possible to have the trains of almost any length, as each car furnishes its own traction and as a greater number of passengers increases its traction, no adding of dead weight is necessary. ”

“ The difficulty of emptying a car quickly, containing 80 or 90 people, and obliging them to file through an aisle, is well understood, as we have all tried it, to say nothing of the inconvenience of pushing one’s way through a car, packed with standing crowds, in order to get out at the desired station. The delay at stations to allow entrance and exit is no inconsiderable obstacle to the desired rapid transit, as the time consumed is, on an average, nearly what it takes to run from station to station. ”

“ This proves that a train of similar capacity can be run from New York to Boston and back with a coal consumption of but one ton, where from fifteen to twenty tons are now consumed. A single Bicycle car has usually been used, containing seats for one hundred and eight people, and at short intervals on the middle of the road, this car has been run ninety miles per hour, with passengers on board. Having run seven thousand trains, connecting with other lines selling through tickets, the safety, economy, and unquestioned success of this System has been practically demonstrated. ”

“ Second, the amount of gain, providing the weight of trains were equal, would be the actual friction saved by Bicycle trains, as we have shown, from the action of the single wheels on the rail. That this would be considerable will not be questioned, and yet this is not all, Light cars may be run on this system at very high rates of speed with the greatest safety, and because they are light, with wonderful economy.
May not cars of the same weight be run on standard gauge roads? It is impossible; as in running at any considerable rate of speed, they would inevitably leave the rail ”

“ This supersedes the intermediate shafts of the present gear motors, whose friction and liability to breakdowns render high speed impossible. [43] The Bicycle cars running so much easier, permit the coupling of the armature directly with the driving-shaft without the necessity of intermediate gearing and all the evils connected with it. As the motor is in the car itself, it is entirely free from all the dust and dirt to which those now used are exposed, and every part is constantly in full view, and within easy reach of the engineer. ”

“ By reason of the center of gravity coming directly over the single supporting rail, there will not be that disagreeable oscillation which takes place on the double-rail system, and which is so destructive to the rolling stock; and for this reason a high rate of speed can be maintained with greater safety than on the present system. ”

“ Now, in regard to collisions, which are apt to occur from many causes, even where a separate line is furnished for outgoing and incoming trains, unless some means are furnished to make such a contingency impossible. There is an electric system at present in practical operation in Austria, where in case trains approach one another too near for safety, a bell is set ringing in the engineer’s cab of the train following, which warns him of danger, and continues to ring until a safe distance between the trains is established. ”

“ Comparing weight to work done, about one ton of train weight is now required to convey a passenger, [4] and the average freight train, empty, weighs more than the paying freight carried by it; whereas it is practicable for the Bicycle trains to be made to carry more than five times their own weight without five-fold loss of wasteful friction, thus affecting a saving of at least ten-fold in freight, and twenty-fold on passenger trains. The Bicycle cars already built, seat 108 passengers, and weigh complete only five tons. ”

“ A large saving of friction in rounding curves by the substitution of Bicycle spindles for ordinary car wheel axles, and consequent economy of power in moving trains, and a rate of speed more than double that heretofore obtained on railways, with comfort to passengers, and economy in the conveyance of freight.
Greater safety; as a train grooved between an upper support and lower rail renders any derailment impossible, and the train must run true, smooth and safe. ”

“ Second; that owing to the lightness of construction, electric motive power, sufficient for the attainment of high speeds, can be applied to each car as an independent unit, instead of requiring a special electric or steam locomotive to haul one or more cars, thus obtaining for high speed railroads all the flexibility and advantages of the trolley system, as now employed in street passenger railroads. ”

“ First, from the fact that a single line of rails is used, it is not necessary to cover up a street entirely, thus blocking it up from daylight, as is now done in a great many places, but Bicycle structures may be built as shown on page 35, where posts are set at curbs on each side of the street, forming little or no obstruction to light.
Anything which tends to darken streets in front of property tends in a measure to depreciate the value of that property, as stores and apartments will certainly not rent as readily as those which have the full advantage of daylight. ”

“ At the top, center and bottom, ten bands of steel encircle the car vertically opposite each division wall of the compartment, which practically divides the car from top to bottom. Eighty-eight steel rods run through between the seats across the car, the ends being in the steel frame, and thus draw the whole solidly together. The corners of the car, being covered with steel, are protected, and the strength and lightness are unsurpassed. Thus one hundred pounds is made to do the work which requires ten hundred to thirty hundred pounds in the old-fashioned heavy two-rail car. ”

“ Small feeding roads may be built in sparsely settled districts, where the farmer of moderate means may build his own roads, and transport his grain and produce to town with but a trifling cost. A road sufficient for this purpose could be built for probably about two thousand dollars per mile, especially in districts where timber is readily obtainable. This would be a great boon for farmers, as at present some of their products scarcely pay for raising, and their only means of transportation to the large towns is by horses and wagons. ”

“ The difficulty with the present car motor is, that the power necessary to round sharp curves must be so much greater at these curves than on a straight line, due to the width of gauge, and consequent grinding and wedging, as well as the large rolling friction, that the motor must be constructed heavy and powerful enough to answer the purpose in either case. ”

“ In the former case, the top guiding-wheels need not be in contact with the overhead rail at all, except at stations, and hence there is much less necessity for exact construction or great strength or durability, and the evident possibility of maintaining much higher speed with smooth motion, because, the faster the speed the stronger should be the forces tending to maintain vertically, if the Bicycle principle be, in fact, capable of such extension, and the action of these forces is perfectly smooth and uniform. ”

“ A very light rail may be used in this description of railroad by placing longitudinal timber underneath, which could be formed by a tree hewn or sawed on one side for the rail to rest on. Passing underneath is the cross-timber placed at right angles, to the side of which supports for the upper structure are fastened. Bicycle locomotives may be constructed weighing from two tons up to any weight according to the load necessary to be drawn. ”

“ Certainly a gale of wind which is strong enough to endanger Bicycle cars or structures, would carry the heaviest standard gauge train off the track.
In the Bicycle System the trains as they pass along serve in a measure to ballast the structure at the very point where the wind pressure blowing against the sides of the cars would have any effect. ”

“ The actual space occupied on the surface for a Bicycle road, need only be enough to rest the supporting rail, where a standard gauge road would require a great deal of expensive work to prepare a level surface the necessary width, upon which to rest the ties. ”