Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-06-22
GREAT RAILROAD PROPOSITIONS.
$25o, 900, 900 a Year Would Be Saved if
Electricity Replaced Steam.

Until recently there does not appear 10
have been any suggestion to conserve all
the water power of country to drive
all the railroads of the same country.
| Yet this is what it is now proposed 10
do tin Switzerland.
That thrifty little country possesses no
coal, but does contain many Alpine
| streams capable of direction so as to
render high heads available for power
purposes. A number of these streams
have already been utilized both for local
power and lighting, and also for the oper-
alton of mountain railways.
Now, however. it is seriously proposed
to develop the hydraulic power Of Swift
zerland as whole, and apply it electric
ally to the propulsion of the trains on
| the existing main line railways, thus
coal for railway transport purposes, and
developing the power resources of the
land itself.
| Such an undertaking necessarily de-
mands most careful preliminary investi-
CATION and planning, and portion of this
work has already been done by govern
ment commission. 1t seems that the
mean requirement, taking the average of
the winter and summer service, calls for
a continuous development of 100000
horse power, while the maximum load
may become five times this amount.
This latter estimate assumes the provi-
sion of the best storage methods avail
able, such as the construction of reser-
voirs for equalizing the supply OF water,
and the installation of electric storage
| batteries for meeting the daily load
fluctuations, so that it will be necessary,
for the success of the scheme, that 500.-
600 horse power of hydraulic energy be
| developed. Ii does not yet appear that
the water powers of Switzerland are ca
| pable of meeting such q demand, and the
commission has this side of the problem
| under investigation at the present time.
A far greater scheme than the above
| is that laid before the American Insti-
tute of Electrical Engineers by Messrs.
Stillwell and Putnam, this being nothing
| less than the conversion of the entire
motive power system of the railroads of
the United States from steam locomo-
tives to electric traction and stationary
power houses. This paper includes a
complete analysis of the present operat-
ing costs of the railroads under exist
| ing conditions, comparing these with n
careful estimate of the corresponding
costs for complete electric traction.
| As consequence of this investigation
| II appears that if the single phase sys-
| TEN, as adopted by the New York, New
Haven and Hartford railroad, were in
| stalled on all the railroads of the United
States, with generating stations such as
are now in actual service, the aggregate
cost of operation, now about 81, 400, 900
600 a year, would be reduced by about
$3.50, 100000 This result would require
the installation of power plants deliver.
ing about 12,500,0O0,O00 kilowatt hours
year; and assuming radius of trans
mission of $50 miles it appears that q
maximum output of about 100000 kilo
watts would be enough TO operate III,
entire railway service Of the Unitet
States as il existed in 1905.
| Compared with this magnificent schem,
| the proposition under consideration il
| Switzerland appears trifling The small
| er plan, however, may and probably viii
be put into execution first, and it MAY
furnish experience by which the latel
and greater undertaking will be guided
The Forum.