To the Editor of the “Midland Evening News”.

Sir, My attention has been called to a paragraph in this morning’s “Birmingham Evening Post”, quoted from the London “Express”, and purporting to be inspired by Sir William Preece. It is possible Sir William may have made some remarks upon this matter, but evidently the interviewer has drawn largely upon his own imagination, as Sir William would not make any statement with regard to the amount of contracts, anticipating the tenders to be sent in by manufacturers.

The paragraph also states that Thomas Parker, Limited, are tenderers for this work. This is untrue; nor would Sir William make such a reference as to there being the likelihood of “re-opening the contest” after the 1st December.

The London “Express” evidently does not comprehend the whole situation that there are two companies involved, the “Metropolitan and District Railway” and the “Metropolitan Railway”.

It is true that tenders have been asked for, and a number of firms including American, German, English, French and others, are sending in tenders which will be opened on 1st December, and these will be dealt with as expeditiously as possible, the railway companies being anxious to make the change from steam to electric driving as quickly as possible. To this end they have been working now for over a year.

Yours faithfully
Thomas Parker
Electrical Engineer to the Metropolitan Railway Company
Wolverhampton

Midland Evening News. Monday, 16th September, 1901
The Underground Railway Deadlock

The Board of Trade have appointed the Hon. Alfred Lyttleton, K.C., M.P., as arbiter between the Metropolitan District Railway Companies on the question of the system to be adopted for the establishment of electric traction on the railways of the two companies. The District Company will be represented by Mr. Parshall, electrical engineer, who installed the Central London Railway, and executed commissions for the Glasgow and other corporations. Mr. T. Parker will state the case for the Metropolitan Company. The tribunal will meet almost immediately, and a satisfactory result is expected in a few weeks.

The Honourable Alfred Lyttelton, arbitrator in the matter of the electrification of the Metropolitan and Metropolitan District railways made a decision in favour of the “Yerkes” system as against the “Ganz” system to the Board of Trade. The Metropolitan Railway Company owns 9 miles of track and the District Railway Company owns 4 miles of track, both of which form the Inner Circle. Both companies are also joint owners of the City Line and Extension Railways. 

The “Yerkes” or continuous system uses a high A.C. voltage which is distributed, and at suitable sub-stations is reduced by a transformer and rectified by a rotary converter, to provide 600 Volts D.C., which is connected to a third rail. This system is well tried and tested and already in use on many railways. The alternating system, developed by Ganz and Company of Budapest, proposed the use of an overhead conductor supplied with 3,000 Volts A.C. At the time the maximum voltage used on a railway was 750 Volts and so there was some uncertainty about the use of such a high voltage.

The Midland Evening News. Wednesday, 22nd March, 1905
New Underground

  Mr. E. J. Chambers describes the first run

The Metropolitan Railway Company has now completed the electrification of its entire system. On Monday the last steam train vanished from Baker Street to the Uxbridge section.

Within a short period electric trains will be running on the Metropolitan section of the Inner Circle, although owing to the delay of the District Railway in completing its plans, the new trains will not yet be able to run over the full circle.

The first trip of a fully equipped electric train upon any portion of the circle was made in the early hours of yesterday morning. The train was taken from the depot at Neasden, via Baker Street, to South Kensington, and from there made the journey to Aldgate and back, travelling every portion of the Metropolitan Railway Company’s section of the Inner Circle.

Mr. E. J. Chambers of Manor House, Tettenhall, writes:

Through the courtesy of the General Manager, Mr. A. C. Ellis, I obtained permission to join the party for the first trip of the electric train over that portion of the circle belonging to the company, and while the majority of your readers were sleeping the sleep of the just, I started on my midnight adventure.

My friends at the hotel cast sidelong glances at me as I sallied forth at the witching hour, evidently thinking that another good man had gone wrong. Arrived at Baker Street Station, I found myself surrounded by the Argus-eyed representatives of the press, all the electrical talent of the enterprising railway company, the general manager, almost ubiquitous, and our old townsman “Honest Tom”, the consulting electrical engineer, with his able and efficient staff, all bent on making the trip a success.

Little do the public who thoughtlessly make use of the good provided for them, dream of the enormous amount of thought and care devoted to their service; of the army of officers and men who work con amore to make that service worthy of a place in history.

An Invincible Power

“All Aboard” meets with a ready response, and as soon as the line is signalled clear we glide out of the station, bound for South Kensington. No puffing and snorting of the “loco” to distract our attention; no cloud of steam to wrap us in its clammy embrace; no smoke to half asphyxiate. No, we journey on; we move as if by an invisible power, and, indeed, it is invisible, but none the less existent.

Far away, at the power station at Neasden, gigantic steam turbines are doing their work, generating an alternating current equal to a pressure of 11,000 volts, alternating down to 400 volts, which is then converted by transformer to a continuous current of 600 volts, and this current actuates the motors attached to the leading and trailing cars of the train.

Each of these cars has four motors, which together give out 600 horsepower, making a total of 1,200 horsepower for each train, the motors running at from 800 to 900 revolutions per minute, four intermediate cars without motors making up the train. Four hundred passengers can be accommodated with seats.

Splendidly lighted, ample space, fireproof carriages, elegant in design, and, above all comfortable. What more can the travelling public desire?

We passed the station on route at a speed that would astonish our ancestors, and reached South Kensington without a hitch. After a halt of a few minutes we started on our return journey, and made time back through Baker Street on to Aldgate, and visions of the Bull at Aldgate arose in our minds, but the thoughtful general manager had even anticipated this, and we were regaled with the good things of life to our heart’s content. We started for home at a pace that ought to satisfy even a Wolverhampton motorist. Baker Street once more, and cab to hotel, 3.30a.m.; explanations to hall porter, received after the manner of hall porters, and we are glad to seek repose.