The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-07-08
POWER DEVELOPMENT
CONTINUED from Page u

kConunueo from rage IL
engine divisions, by January /. 1918,
and that the 44O miles between these
points win be covered by the worl
and trains in operation.
The first division of 113 miles calls
for four substations containing step
down transformers and motor gener-
ator sets with necessary controlling
switchboard apparatus to convert
100000 ", go cycle 3-phase power to
1000 V. direct current. According to
engineers this is the first direct cur
rent installation using such a high
potential as 5000 ", and this system
was adopted in preference to all 9TH
ers after careful investigation ex-
tending over two years. The 2400 ",
direct current installation of the
Butte, Anaconda & Pacific railway In
the immediate territory of the c., M.
& st. p. Identification has furnished
an excellent demonstration of high
voltage direct current locomotive op-
GRAFTON during the past two years. A
comparison based on six months
steam and electric operation shows a
total net saving of more than 20 per
cent on the investment or total cost
OF the identification The comparison
also shows that the tonnage per train
has been increased by IS per cent
while the number of trains has been
decreased by rs per cent with a saw
ing of ~ per cent In the time required
per trip.
Locomotives Weigh $50 Tons.
The General Electric company is
now turning out the locomotives and
expects to have equipment ready for
the initial operation on the first unit
by October |, 1915 The locomotives
are the first to be constructed for
railroad service with direct current
motors designed for so high poten-
tial as 5000 W and will weigh $50
tons They will have a continuous
capacity greater than any steam or
electric locomotive vet constructed.
From Harlowtown to the coast the
main line Of the road crosses four
mountain ranges; the Belt mountains
at an elevation of 576S feet the Rocky
mountains at an elevation of $3.50
feet the Bitter Root mountains at an
elevation Of 1900 feet. and the Cas-
cade mountains at an elevation of 1910
feet. The first unit calls for locomo>
tive operation over 20S miles of 2
per cent grade between Piedmont and
Donald, at the crest of the main
Rocky mountain divide, which will
prove thorough test on the locomo-
tive capacity and general service per-
Torrance in overcoming natural OBJ
stacles The General Electric COM
pany Is now constructing freight and
3 passenger locomotives of this type.
the passenger motors to be provided
with a gear ratio permitting the OPP
GRAFTON of 800-ton trailing passenger
trains at approximately so miles per
hour, and will be equipped with an
oil-hred steam heating outfit for the
trailing cars.
Hauling Huge Loads.
The freight locomotives are design
ed to haul 2500-ton trailing load on
all gradients up to per cent at a
speed Of approximately 16 miles per
hour and this same train load I'M
broken will be carried over the 1866
and 2 per cent ruling grades on the
west and east slopes of the Rocky
divide with the help Of a
second similar locomotive acting as a
ousher. Track provision is made at
Donald, the summit of the grade, to
.nable the pusher locomotive to run
lround the train and be coupled to
he head end to permit electric brak-
ng on the down grade. In this case,
he entire train will be under com
'ression and held back by the two To-
omotives at the head end, the entire
leetric braklng of the two motors be-
ng under the control of the motorman
n the operating cab of the leading en-