Passenger and freight cars equipped with on-board electric traction motors revolutionized transit rail system development. Electrical traction offered several benefits over the then predominant steam traction, particularly in respect of its quick acceleration and power. Power provided enough “oomph” for hills and mountains, while quick acceleration provided the answer for commuter services with multiple, close stops. Electrically powered trains moved polluting power sources away from metropolitan areas and took advantage of cleaner power. The bulk of systems gave electricity to rail cars via overhead wires which were connected to the car using a trolley pole or pantograph device. In a few rare examples, including Washington, D.C. and some New York lines, power came from a third rail buried beneath the street and picked up through a slot in the ground. Electrically powered trains utilized Frank J. Sprague’s invention, called regenerative braking, to return unused energy back to the power grid.
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Sprague – Street Railway Pioneer
After serving as a naval ensign in the early 1880’s, Frank J. Sprague became a scientist at the Edison Laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. Sprague made a name for himself at Edison’s labs by introducing mathematical procedures and methods for increasing accuracy, which in turn saved the labs a significant amount of money. In 1884, his interest in electricity and entrepreneurship led him to leave Edison Laboratory and form the Sprague Electric Railway and Motor Company.
In its first two years of existence, Sprague Electric produced two important inventions: a constant-speed, non-reactive motor, and regenerative braking. His motor was the first to maintain constant speed under varying loads. It was instantly popular. Sprague’s braking system provided much needed technology to enable the development of electric trains and elevators. Electric
Sprague – Street Railway Pioneer
After serving as a naval ensign in the early 1880’s, Frank J. Sprague became a scientist at the Edison Laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. Sprague made a name for himself at Edison’s labs by introducing mathematical procedures and methods for increasing accuracy, which in turn saved the labs a significant amount of money. In 1884, his interest in electricity and entrepreneurship led him to leave Edison Laboratory and form the Sprague Electric Railway and Motor Company.
In its first two years of existence, Sprague Electric produced two important inventions: a constant-speed, non-reactive motor, and regenerative braking. His motor was the first to maintain constant speed under varying loads. It was instantly popular. Sprague’s braking system provided much needed technology to enable the development of electric trains and elevators. Electric