extremely well studied plans, and after much light
having been thrown upon the question of electric traction by three years
of new experiments.

Fig. 1 shows the electric car at the moment of its start from Frankfort,
Fig. 2 shows the arrangement of a turnout, and Fig. 3 gives a general plan
of the electric works.

[Illustration: FIG. 1.--THE ELECTRIC RAILWAY, FRANKFORT, GERMANY.]

The two grooved tubes are suspended from insulators fixed upon external
cast iron supports. As for the conductors, which have their resting points
upon ordinary insulators mounted at the top of the same supports, these
are cables composed of copper and steel. They serve both for leading the
current and carrying the tubes. The same arrangement was used by Messrs.
Siemens and Halske at Vienna in 1883.

The motors, which are of 240 H.P., consist of two coupled steam engines of
the Collmann system. The one shaft in common runs with a velocity of 60
revolutions per minute. Its motion is transmitted by means of ten hempen
cables, 3.5 cm. in diameter. The flywheel, which is 4 m. in diameter,
serves at the same time as a driving pulley. As the pulley mounted upon
the transmitting shaft is only one meter in diameter, it follows that the
shafting has a velocity of 240 revolutions per minute. The steam
generators are of the Ten Brink type, and are seven in number. The normal
pressure in them is four atmospheres. There are at present four
dynamo-electric machines, but sufficient room was provided for four more.
The shafts of the dynamos have a velocity of 600 revolutions per minute.
The pulleys are 60 cm. in diameter, and the width of the driving belts is
18 cm. The dynamos are mounted upon rails so as to permit the tension of
the belting to be regulated when necessity requires it. This arrangement,
which possesses great advantages, had already been adopted in many other
installations.

The electric machines are 2 meters in height. The diameter of the rings is
about 45 cm. and their length is 70 cm. The electric tension of the
dynamos measures 600 volts.

[Illustration: FIG. 2.--TURNOUT TRACK OF THE ELECTRIC RAILWAY, FRANKFORT,
GERMANY.]

The duty varies between 80 and 50 per cent., according to the arrangement
of the cars. The total length of the road is 6,655 meters. Usually, there
are four cars _en route_, and two dynamos serve to create the current.
When the cars are coupled in pairs, three dynamos are used--one of the
machines being always h