CHAPTER XIV -Tom Swift and His Electric Locomotive

In Chapter XIV of “Tom Swift and His Electric Locomotive,” titled “Speed,” four months have elapsed since Tom Swift signed a contract to enhance the Hendrickton & Pas Alos Railroad using his innovative electric locomotive, the Hercules 0001. Despite the disappearance of the saboteur, Andy O’Malley, hired by the antagonist Montagne Lewis, Tom remains wary of potential threats. He employs safety measures around the Swift Construction Company’s premises, where development and testing of the Hercules 0001 are ongoing.

Rad, a loyal but envious associate of Tom, believes his assistance is crucial for the locomotive’s success. Though aged, Rad insists on accompanying Tom to the West for final testing, a notion Tom gently refutes, considering Rad’s age and opting for Koku’s company instead. Mr. Damon, another of Tom’s companions, expresses his desire to witness the locomotive’s final test, underscoring his own commitment despite other personal interests.

Most of the chapter focuses on Tom’s challenge: achieving a maximum speed of two miles a minute—a goal he believes is attainable but technically unproven due to limitations at the Shopton testing site. Conversations with his financial manager, Ned Newton, reflect Tom’s determination to confirm the locomotive’s capabilities before its ultimate trial on the Hendrickton & Pas Alos tracks. Although theoretical calculations support the Hercules 0001’s potential, its practical performance remains uncertain, with Tom planning a secretive, high-current test to push its limits, albeit with precautions against derailment.

Meanwhile, unresolved concerns linger about the failures of a private detective agency to track O’Malley and another suspect, leading Tom and Ned to doubt the agency’s competence and ultimately to rely more on physical security measures to protect the invention. The chapter closes with anticipation of a crucial night test that Tom regards as a decisive moment for his project, underlined by a mix of optimism and apprehension about the endeavor’s outcome, and a continued vigilance against sabotage.