Lesley Tate

The electric rail car, made by local electric vehicle makers, Electromobile Ltd, carried a load of passengers on the railway from Otley to Pool-in-Wharfedale.

The firm's managing director, Charles G Conradi, grandfather of Mervyn Lister, of Otley chartered surveyors F M Lister and Son, was the son of renowned ship's captain, Captain Charles Conradi - the first to reach Nome, in the western coast of Alaska.

In February, 1927, in front of representatives of the railway companies, Electromobile's rail car carried out a few tests on the railway behind the Prospect Works, Leeds Road - now Colin Pitt's garage and filling station - before making its successful trip to Pool.

Billed as Otley firm's 'useful invention', The Wharfedale and Airedale Observer reported that the rail car was to be transported to Shoeburyness near Southend in Essex, where it was to be used by the War Office on a branch line for "conveying artillerymen to the gun ranges."

The newspaper reported that the invention was particularly interesting because of recent suggestions of electrifying the railways in Wharfedale - an innovation that would not actually take place for 70 years.

It pointed out that the invention did not involve the electrification of the railway line or the laying of any overhead lines or cables. Rather, that the rail car was powered by electric batteries carried on the car and re-charged at terminuses.

Directors of the firm pointed out that owing to the competition from motor omnibuses, railway companies all over the country were having to give serious consideration to retaining and winning back branch line traffic.

The electric rail car excelled in that it had low running costs and carried about the same number of people carried by one or two buses and could also work together with ordinary rolling stock.

It was believed that the car would be popular with passengers - since it didn't smell, give off heat or vibrate annoyingly.

The car would run for 40 miles on one charge - although a larger battery would take it further.

The Wharfedale & Airedale Obserever described the car as 'compact and self-contained' with only the driver's seat at either end, a brake and control gear totalling the driving mechanism.

Built for the War Office, the car was only semi-enclosed and had no windows - presumably so they wouldn't be smashed through gun fire, although it did have unbreakable glass at the front and back.

It sat 16 people, had canvas covers for bad weather and could pull a trailer - for additional passengers.

The go-ahead firm was also involved in the building - again for the War Office - an electric locomotive capable of pulling 300 tons which was to be used for carrying naval guns.

But it wasn't just the inventions of the firm that was interesting. The company's managing director, Charles G Conradi, was the son of ship's captain, Captain Charles Conradi - one of the first to establish a settlement on the west coast of Alaska.

His great grandson, is Mervyn Lister, senior partner of chartered surveyors, FM Lister and Son, Manor Square, Otley.

The great mariner, Capt Conradi, was born in 1855 in Chile. He became a mariner, obtained his Master Mate's certificate and then became a ship's captain.

He was married in Scotland in 1877 and emigrated to the United States - taking two of his sons, but leaving Charles, known as Charlie, behind.

Mr Lister says "Captain Conradi was involved in transporting settlers from Britain to the United States. He took command of the US transport ship Garonne, which had steam power as well as having three masts with sails.

"Following the Yukon Gold Rush, gold was discovered on the beach in Alaska, and in 1899, Captain Conradi took a ship load of prospectors on the Garonne and put them ashore at a place which he named Nome, and thus became known as 'The Father of Nome'. His was the first ship to arrive there and he was instrumental in establishing a settlement there."

A newspaper at the time reported that in order to reach Nome, the location of which was only vaguely known at the beginning of the first big rush, Capt Conradi was forced to use a little strategy in beating out his rivals, so he 'kidnapped' a man from St Michael who had travelled into Nome over the ice.

"Capt Conradi brought the old British steamship Garonne from London to the Sound in 1897. Formerly in the Australian passenger and mail service, she was put on the run between Sound Points and St Michael. Shortly afterwards, the story of the first big strike on the beach at Nome leaked out to the world and the vessel's owners, desiring of getting the first vessel into Nome, ordered Capt Conradi to take her there.

"The position of the unnamed settlement, which was later called Nome was only vaguely known at the time. The old Russian charts, which were the only available ones at that time, were unreliable and only of slight aid in reaching Cape Nome, from which the town took its name.

"On his way North, Capt Conradi put in, as usual, at St Michael, and went ashore to take luncheon with friends. During the meal, they remarked that a man who had once been to Nome by land was at that time on the vessel glancing over the Seattle papers which she had brought on her northward trip.

"Hastily excusing himself, Capt Conradi took his launch, hurried back to the vessel and the moment his feet touched the deck, ordered her to proceed northward. She only had been underway a short time when the 'kidnapped' individual came hurrying to the bridge in a state of great excitement. 'You've carried me away from St Michael, Captain', he cried. 'I'll lose my job if I don't get back. What am I to do?'

'It's too late to change our course now' said Capt Conradi. 'the best thing I can do is drop you at St Michael on the way back' The captain then paused. 'Say, by the way. You've been to Nome, haven't you?' 'Yes, replied the kidnapped one, I went in a sledge once'. 'Well, we're going to steam up the coast, and when we get to something that looks like the new camp, you tell us, and we'll stop.'

The day finally arrived and the unwilling passenger declared that a cluster of tents on the beach in the distance was the new camp and the Garonne put in.

The cargo and the 350 passengers were landed in what the Captain considered at the time the most convenient spot. Time proved that this particular spot really was the only available one, and the only big dock in Nome now stands there. From the proximity of Cape Nome, Capt Conradi christened the new camp Nome and the name stuck.

The Garonne scarcely had begun to discharge her cargo at Nome when the Roanoke, of a rival line, hove in sight. Guided by Capt Conradi's choice of a landing place, the vessel had no trouble making port there. Though winning by rather a narrow margin, Capt Conradi's victory was enough to give his own line the advantage for some time to come.

Captain Conradi later took command for a time of an antiquated 'sidewheeler' named Centennial - which was later seized by the Japanese during the war with Russia - and then the steamship Ohio.

It was reported in one of the newspapers around 1935 that "Captain Conradi, the commander of the steamer Ohio, is one of the most popular navigators in the Northern waters.

He was in command of the first steamer to land passengers on the shore of the Bering Sea in 1899, when he brought up a large crowd of Argonauts on the Garonne.

At that time, the waters in this section were largely unknown, and he charted this portion of the Bering Sea. On one trip to Nome, he was unable to make an observaton, on account of the sun, and the knowledge which he gained in 1899 proved of immense value to him.

He retired after 43 years at sea and lived in a house at Point No Point, near Seattle. He died and was buried in Seattle in 1941.