The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-30
Electric Train
Zone On To New
Haven In Spring
Railroad to Put 100000
Into Extension from SIAM
ford - Ready Within
Year
MAY ELECTRIFY WHOLE LINE
Present Plans Thought to
Be Another Step Toward
that End, Thus Joining
New York and Boston.

New Haven, Dec. 30-President Mel
len of the New York, New Haven and
Hartford railroad makes the state
ment that the roads electric zone will
be extended from Stamford to New
Haven. The vote Of the Directors of
the railroad authorizing the improve
ment was taken at their meeting last
week, but announcement was withheld
till now in order that Mr.. Mellen
might look over some estimates which
have been made by the roads engi-
neers. President Mellen hopes to have
the electric trains running through to
New Haven by December, 1912.
The contracts for the work have
not been awarded, but it is understood
that the actual construction Of the
extension will be started in the early
Spring. The contracts which are pro-
posed call for the use Of almost en-.
tirely the same kind of material used
in the line which was completed from
New York to Stamford about four
years ago. This is thirty-four miles
quired to complete it because of stub
born electric problems which had not
been reckoned upon when the pro-
ject was begun.
The extension is forty-one miles
long. The Identification will be car
ried through the City of New Haven
to the Cedar Hill freight yards, where
the changes in engines may be made
at the end of the four tracking from
New York. The extension will take
the lines running from New York all
over New England to the junction at
New Haven.
Some experiments haze been made
recently with reference to freight
hauling by electric locomotives, and
as a result some slight alterations in
construction may be made.
No method of paying for the extern
sion has been planned. It will cost
about $4,000 900, according to an Off
cial estimate. Short term notes may
be issued.
The running of trains over the New
York and Stamford route has materi-
ally cheapened the cost of operation.
The extension to New Haven is ex-
pected to pay for itself in a few
years.
A gigantic power house will be in
stalled in this city. A large land pur-
chase by the railroad in the Qu1n>
nipiac Meadows, near the new Cedar
Hill freight house. is supposed to
have been for that purpose. There
has been talk Of another power house
at Bridgeport, but this probably will
not be necessary.
Surveys looking toward the ultimate
identification of the entire New Ha-
ven system have been made recently.
Steps toward the identification of the
Boston suburban zone have been taxi
en-, and electric trains between Bos-
ton and Providence. are expected at
any time, leaving only the sections
between New Haven and Providence
and New Haven and Springfield for
steam traffic. Recent contracts have
been given by the railroad system for
running trains through the Hoosae
Tunnel by electricity and for the pur>
chase of electricity for the Western
Massachusetts trolley lines from the
new plant for which colossal dams
are being built at Shelburne Falls,
Mass.
The practical leasing of the Boston
& Albany Line by the New Haven
Railroad has led many to believe that
the route to be used in pushing the
identification from New Haven to
Boston would be via Meriden, Hart
ford, Springfield, and Worcester.