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Washington, D.C., 1924. "Indian Refining Co. -- Havoline Oil." The "Wasson Motor Check" at 14th Street and Florida Avenue NW, glimpsed earlier in this post. Details of "this wonderful machine" in the comments below. View full size.
Every time a Shorpy picture includes a streetcar line with a Conduit for power supply, it seems it's inevitable that someone will ask about the system. Washington, DC and New York City were the primary users.
These drawings from a 1901 textbook on Electric Railways illustrate clearly how the system worked.
The streetcar tracks seem to have a groove in the center of the rails. Does anyone know if this is for an electrical pickup, or more of a cable car type of arrangement? If it is an electrical pickup, does this have a special name other than "third rail"? There certainly are no overhead wires.
[The center slot provides access to an electrical conduit. -tterrace]
All on the wondeful machine which has cast in the discard all theories as to what oil should do by showing what oil really does in a running engine.
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