Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 188, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 August 1913 — Electric Freightyards. [ARTICLE]

Electric Freightyards.

One of the most difficult problems in connection with railway electrification is the electric operation of switching yards for freight service. Where the third rail system of operation is employed, it will be conceded, probably, that operation of a freightyard by electric power is out-of the question. The work of yard men is dangerous enough at the present time; and if we were to add to present dangers the necessity of keeping clear of a labyrinth of highly charged third rails, extending all over the labyrinth of tracks, it may well be expected that the result in casualties would shortly result in a public outcry mid consequent legislation compelling the abandonment of the system of electric distribution, however, such as is now in use on some lines, it becomes possible to equip a freightyard for electric operation by suspending a network of electric conductors overhead. This has now been done for the New Haven railway at its Harlem river terminal in the northern part of New York city. This terminal covers an area of two hundred or three hundred acres, and its tracks have a total extent of eighty■lx miles.