Recent improvements in the electric lighting of steam railroad cars

This paper deals with the axle generator system of electric lighting for steam railroad cars, and describes recent improvements in control systems for obtaining proper voltage from the generator under all conditions and proper regulation of battery charge to conserve the life of the storage battery. Methods of control depending upon voltage of the battery have not been wholly successful. Since the beginning of 1914 extensive use has been made of systems of control of the battery charge based upon actual input and output in ampere-hours, and one such system, which has proved successful, is described. In the development of the system of control by ampere-hour meter, tests were made by means of a special graphic recording ampere-hour meter which gives a complete record of the treatment received by a storage battery with any axle generator system. Actual records from long runs are reproduced, to show the results obtained in the operation of the system of control of charging by ampere-hour meter. With this system the battery has minimum work to do, in most cases operating between points of 75 or 80 per cent of full load and full charge, and the lighting load is put on the generator as much as possible.