San Jose Electric Road in operation since September 4

The San Jose Cal.,

Electric Road.

California has proved a good field for the introduction of electric railways and bids fair to have a number of such roads out of all proportion to its population. One of the most noteworthy of its electric roads is that which has been installed and put in operation by Mr. Frank E. Fisher, the electrician of the Detroit Electrical Works, and of which we give an illustration on this page.

View on Fisher Electric Road at San Jose, Cal.

The San Jose & Santa Clara Electric Railway has been in successful operation since the 4th of September. The passenger traffic averages 130,000 per month. The present equipment consists of 18 cars, 6 dummies and 6 closed street cars. The construction is underground throughout, a little conduit on the Fisher system, with depressed rail, being used. The road starts at East San Jose, following Santa Clara street to the city limits, proceeding thence along the Alameda to the limits of Santa Clara, the road covering a distance of 4 miles. A double track is used, making 8 miles of track and 8 miles of underground construction. The speed averages 8 miles per hour through the city, and 10 on the Alameda outside at the city limits. The power station is equipped with two of the standard dynamos built by the Detroit Electrical Works, a Hazelton boiler, and a Wheelock automatic engine. The fuel used is crude petroleum, which costs $1.75 per barrel in San Jose, coal at present being $20 per ton. Notwithstanding the high price of fuel there is a difference of 50 per cent. between the cost of operating the electric cars and performing the same service with horse cars.