Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-06-15
RAILROAD ELECTRRICATToN.
Big Inland Empire System Attracts
Attention.

Dltlty OF ueaVy railroad elSctTiuca-
tion has been demonstrated In the
installation of the single phase
alternating current system on the
Spokane & Inland Empire railway,
and since its adoption has aroused
universal interest and also the great
est activity in an engineering way
not only In this country but through
out Europe and 1t 10 today probably
the most discussed thing In the
scieutiflc press abroad. The fact
that the Graves line is the largest
heavy electric railway in the country
and the first to adopt the system
should be matter of pride to every
person In Spokane and a source OF
great congratulation to the movers
in this enterprise "
r. H. Shepard, special representa-
tive of the Westinghouse Electric
company OF New York, made the
foregoing observation In the course
OF an interview at the Spokane
hotel yesterday at the close OF an
inspection trip over the interurban
system. He added:
Since the Spokane q Inland peo-
pie made public announcement OF
the adoption OF this system, the New
York, New Haven a. Hartford has
endorsed 1t for passenger train haul
age out OF New York city and the
Grand Trunk 10 using electricity in
hauling Its trains through the st.
Clair tunnel. In Europe the great
est activity is evidenced by the In
vestigators there and In reports by
the various governmental commits
sions, charged with the special duty
OF investigating the use Of eiectrici-
~ on government railroads.
The royal commissions OF Ger
many and Sweden and the
governmental commission OF Switzer-
land have adopted the single phase
alternating current system for their
governmental electrifications. It Ia
reported that the electriication In
Germany involves an expenditure of
&6O,0O0,OO0, while In Sweden the
initial installation will be matter
Oh 400 miles and subsequently more.
and that In Switzerland II will ultI-
mately include most OF the railroads,
II ID q matter OF further interest that
two OF the large railway systems in
England are installing for initial
Decentralization the single phase sys-
tenn, and ] may add that since its
practicability has been so thoroughly
demonstrated on the Spokane line,
no one would predict the limit OF
the scope OF electrical application,
which, OF course, Is dependent upon
local conditions.
The decision of Jay r. Graves.
j. q. Ingersoll. chief electrical en-
gineer. and A, L. White and those
associated with them IN this original
electrifcation win be classed as an
epoch In future reference to the
history OF heavy railroad electrlfca-
tlcn.
what has been proved on their
lines In that which has been sought
for years by engineers looking to
electricity for the handling OF heavy
service. The popular idea has been
the electricity would supplant steam.
but that has been the popular idea
only. The methods In vogue in
common operation called for too
large expenditures for transforming
apparatus and feed wires. The cost
of copper has been 80 prohibltive
there has not been any considerable
advance In its adoption In real
railroad work.
The advantage of the single
phase syatem Is that power can be
transmitted In the same form In
which IL Ii generated and used on
the motors without the necessity of
intermediate moving apparatus which
II customary in the direct current
electrical system.
The ability of the single phase
motors to employ this current per-
mits OF its use over a wide range
OF operation by means OF a small
wire and the very great local con-
centration Of power needed In heavy
trains.
''The Spokane . Inland adopted
the system after exhaustive study
and investigation OF the new meth
DDS Of handling heavy trafie cleo
triealiy. They required equipment
TO move passenger trains and loco
motives TO handle trains OF 1000
tons and for operation over q sue
esssion OF grades of two per cent.
the maximum grade common with
large railroad systems.
THE system has been in opera