The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-19
GREAT RAILROAD PROPOSITIONS
a7SO.OOO,OOO n Year Would He Saved if
Electricity Replaced steam.
From he Forun

From The Forum.
Until recently there does not appear to
have been any suggestion TO conserve all
the water power OF a country TO drive all
the railroads Of the same country. Yet this
is what il is now proposed to do in Switzer-
land.
That thrifty little country possesses no
GOAL, but does contain many Alpine streams
capable OF direction so as to render high
heads available for power purposes. A
number OF these streams nave already been
utilized both for local power and lighting,
and also for the operation OF mountain
railways.
Now, however, it lie seriously proposed to
develop the hydraulic power OF Switzerland
ss a whole, and apply 1t electrically to the
propulsion OF the trains on the existing main
line railways. thus avoiding the necessity
for importing any coal for railway transport
purposes. and developing the power re-
sources OF the land itself.
Such an undertaking necessarily demands
most careful preliminary investigation and
planning, and a portion Of this work has
already been done by a Government COM
mission. 1t seems that the mean require
summer service, calls for q continuous de-
velopment OF 100 900 horsepower while the
maximum load may become Eve times this
mount
This latter estimate assumes the provision
OF the beat storage methods available, such
as the construction Of reservoirs for equal
iying the supply Of water, and the installa-
ton OF electric storage batteries for meeting
the daily load fluctuations, 30 that IL will be
necessary, for the succese OF the scheme.
be developed. II does not yet appear that
the water powers OF Switzerland are capable
OF meeting such a demand, and the commits
sion has this side ofthe problem under inves-
tigatlon at the present time.
A far greater scheme than the above is
that laid before the American Institute OF
Electrical Engineers by Messrs. Stillwell and
Putnam, this being nothing less than the
conversion OF the entire motive power sys-
tenn OF the railroads OF the United States
from steam locomotives 20 electric traction
and stationary power houses. This paper
includes q complete analysis OF the present
operating costs Of the railroads under exist
ing conditions, comparing these with a care
full estimate OF the corresponding costs for
complete electric traction,
appears that " the single phase system, as
adopted by the New York, New Haven and
Hartford Railroad, were installed on all the
railroads OF the United States, with general.
ing stations such "a are now In actual service,
the aggregate cost Of operation, now about
about $3.50 ,ooo, 90. This result would re-
quire the installation OF power plants de-
hvering about ~ 800 900 700 kilowatt hours
q year; and assuming a radius Of trane-
mission Of $50 miles II appears that a maxi
mum output Of about 10000 kilowatts
would be enough 10 operate the entire rail-
way service Of the United States az Il ex-
listed In 1905.
Compared with this magnificent scheme
the proposition under Consideration In
Switzerland appears trihing. The smaller
plan, however, may and probably will be
put Into execution hret, and II may fufnIah
efperience By which the later and ,mOAtsr |
undertaking viii be guided.