Railway Storage Battery Car Co.

Federal Storage Battery Car Company

The Railway Storage Battery Car Company was the name adopted about 1913 for the former Federal Storage Battery Car Company. We do not know at this time why or how the name was changed and/or whether it reflected a change in the corporate organization.

One authority ^{25} says, “Thomas Edison started the company solely as a means of selling his storage batteries.” Edison may have been involved in the establishment of the company by others, but it was never his company. The Edison Papers website of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, lists the Federal Storage Battery Car Company under the category of “Non-Edison Companies.” ^{323}

Ralph H. Beach was President of Federal Storage Battery in 1910, so was probably holder of that office from the firm’s beginning. It appears he held that office in all the various permutations of the company.

In March of 1910, a streetcar powered by Edison storage batteries began operating on a crosstown line in New York City. The car was designed by Ralph H. Beach of the Federal Storage Battery Car- Company with input from Thomas Edison. ^{323}

Although Federal Storage Battery was a “Non-Edison” company, a study of the Edison Papers shows that Edison was intimately involved with the company in terms of technical matters, management and promotion, both before and after its name change to Railway Storage Battery Car Company in 1912, and at least as late as 1921.

An annual report of the Railway Storage Battery Car Company says the company was “Incorporated in 1912 to manufacture storage battery cars.” And “has contract authorizing the use of the Edison Storage Battery for its cars.”

Offices of the company were in New York City, but the company’s plant was at Silver Lake, New Jersey, near East Orange. Edison was intimately involved in acquisition of the Silver Lake property.

One authority says Railway Storage Battery operated into the 1920s, but it is listed under “Car Builders” in the New York City section of White-Orr's 1930 Classified Business Directory.

Link to THE L.I.R.R.'S FOUR BATTERY CARS at http://arrts-arrchives.com/battery.html .

Link to the Tanana Valley Railroad's battery car at http://www.davesrailpix.com/odds/ak/htm/tvr01.htm .

Cast of Characters —

Ralph H. Beach (1860-1920+) was born at Linden, Michigan. After graduation from the Fenton, Michigan, High School, he went to work in an iron-working plant. This was a disappointment to his parents, who wanted him to study medicine, but Ralph was a born mechanic. ^{322}

Beach began to study electricity, and in 1888 went to work for the Thomson-Houston Electrical Company in St. Paul, Minnesota. By 1892, when Thomson-Houston merged with Edison General Electric to form the General Electric Company, Beach held a position of relative importance, and he became Manager of that company’s railway department, which expanded greatly under his direction. ^{322} It was probably through his activities in that position and his personal interest in electrical experimentation that he became friends with Edison, who addressed his notes to him simply as “Beach.”

Beach was probably involved in the formation of the Federal Storage Battery Car Company, and in its reorganization as the Railway Storage Battery Car Company. One source, dated 1918, says he was then head of the Electric Car & Locomotive Corporation, and we have seen a stock certificate for that company dated 1917.

For More Information —

The Edison Papers at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey at http://edison.rutgers.edu .

1920 census, Manhatten, NY
Ralph Beach, age 59(?), b. Michigan, wife Maude, occ. civil engineer

1910 census, Manhatten, NY
Ralph H. Beach, age 49, b. Michigan, wife Maude, Manufacturer Motor Cars

1900 census - cannot find in index