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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 9 (January 1, 1929)

Electrification Systems

Electrification Systems.

In the London area considerable activity has recently been recorded by the electrification of the Southern Railway. Now comes a move to provide extended electric services in the city of Manchester, the largest home centre outside the metropolis. The tracks concerned are the joint lines of the London, Midland and Scottish, and London and Northern systems, between Victoria station, Manchester, and the suburban resort of Altrincham, nine miles distant. Work has already begun on this important electrification, the overhead system being supplied with current at 1,500 volts, direct current. The change-over from steam to electricity will enable the train service to be speeded up appreciably, and, to a considerable degree, the competition of the road carrier for the heavy suburban business to be met. A “regular interval” departure service is to be introduced, and entirely new passenger carriages of the compartment type, with side doors, are to be utilised.

Manchester already possesses an important electrified system of the L.M. and S. Line, between Victoria Station and Bury. Some 28 ¼ miles of single track are involved, electrification being first embarked upon in 1914, on the protected third-rail direct current system at a voltage of 1,200. All trains are controlled on the multiple unit system, standard trains consisting of two motor cars and three trailers. The motor cars are equipped with two motor bogies, each of which supports two 200 h.p. 1,200 volt traction motors. These cars also contain the exhausters for brake operation. Shoe beams and shoes for picking up the current from the protected third rail are fitted on either page 20 side of each bogie, as well as on one bogie of each trailer car.