74 POWER DISTRIBUTION FOR ELECTRIC RAILROADS. 
portion of the track. We can now go back to Fig. 46 and 
form a tolerably clear idea of the current to be furnished. 
On section 1, A B, we may fairly count on a normal load of 
150 amperes, rising to occasional maxima of, say, 450 am- 
peres. On section 2, preserving about the same ratio since 
it is really a continuation of secticn 1, we may expect 
about go amperes average and 270 maximum. Cn section 
3 with four cars the average would be about 60 amperes 
and the maximum about 150 amperes. These figures how- 
ever do not tell the whole story, for they give no clue to 
the points at which the maximum currents must be fur- 
nished. This matter depends, of course, on local conditions. 
On sections 1 and 2 it is quite within the range of possi- 
bility to have all the cars on either track piled up at either 
end of the line under unfavorable conditions. We should 
then be prepared for handling a load of not less than half 
the maximum at the ends of the sections, and preferably 
more than this. On a very large system it is quite out of 
the question for all the maximum load to be concentrated 
at one end of the line, but on a small road there is a much 
greater chance of such a contingency. It certainly would 
not be safe to allow for less than 300 amperes at the ends 
of section 1, and about 250 on section 2. 
With section 3 the case may be still different. Sup- 
pose we have a base ball park at E (Fig. 46). ‘To handle 
the crowds comfortably or at all would probably require 
massing about K fully double the normal number of cars 
on the branch and having them all heavily loaded at once, 
and what is worse starting them all about the same time. 
300 amperes is little enough to allow even with careful 
handling of the cars with respect to starting. 
We may now tabulate our currentsabout as follows: 
Secta T Seck 2 Seckan: 
Average 150 90 60 
Normal maximum 450 270 150 
Extraordinary maximum 
at end of section 300 250 300 
The maximum for the whole road would probably 
seldom or never exceed 750 amperes, since the conditions