On April 29, 1851, Professor Page of the Smithsonian Institution developed a train that traveled the five miles between Washington, D.C. and Bladensburg, MD. He succeeded in getting his 10.5 ton locomotive to travel at 19 miles per hour -- quite an achievement given the previous speeds were four miles per hour. Early experiments such as this met with a measure of success by proving that the concept of electric locomotives could work. Ultimately, these engines were failures due to the battery system. Without a constant charge running through the system, the engines were solely powered by batteries.
In 1879, in Berlin, Werner von Siemens demonstrated his electric locomotive. It carried up to thirty passengers at 4 miles per hour over 600 yards of track. It was powered by electricity running through a third rail. Siemens went on to build the first public railway using electricity, near Berlin in 1881. The invention quickly caught on, and in 1883 electric railways opened in England and in New York. Further electric railways opened, with a particular emphasis in urban areas. One severe drawback of the steam locomotive was that it spewed hot embers that could cause fires along the tracks. Another drawback of the steam engine was the pollution it created. With the electric locomotive, both problems could be avoided.
During the early part of the 20th century, the electrification of rail lines continued. Nations such as England, the United States, Germany, and Italy spearheaded the development of electric railways. Electric locomotives are still in use today. Some countries, such Switzerland, have extensively electrified rails. Others, like the United States, rely primarily on the newer diesel design instead of electric. Electric rail today is primarily used for passenger traffic, rather than freight. Some examples of electric passenger trains include the subway systems in New York, Washington D.C. and Chicago.
Originally, the electric locomotives used direct current (DC) power, but suffered from its low voltage and need for frequent substations to maintain the power. In the 1930s, alternating current (AC) was adopted as a means to power the electric locomotives. It solved the issues related to DC power and brought only a lower traction as a drawback. Two different means supply power to the motor. The first is a set of cables that run above the track. An overhead device known as a pantograph connects to the wire while the "shoes" collect the electricity. The other method of transferring power is along a third rail that runs alongside the two main rails. The locomotive's "shoes" run along the third rail, collecting power.
