The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-01-28
MILWAUKEE CONTRACT
TO ELECTR|FY LINE
GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. SAYS IT
is MOST IMPORTANT OF ITS
KIND ON RECORD.

One of the most important electrlh-
cation contracts ever placed was that
recently taken by the General Electric
for the identification of the Puget
Sound lines of the St. Paul railroad.
The contract which General Electric
has taken calls for electric locomotives
substation apparatus and line mater
ial Transmission lines covering ll5
miles between Three Forks and Deer
Lodge will comprise the initial work.
There are to be four divisions to the
work. which when finished, will cover
44o miles with approximately $50
miles Of track between Harlowton,
Mont, and Avery. Idaho. Ultimate
plans provide for pushing this electri-
ifcation forward from HarloWton to
the coast, distance Of $50 miles.
This ST. Paul work is the first at
tempt to install and operate electric
locomotives on tracks covering several
engine divisions--in this case four
Low Cost of Power.
Power will be supplied by the Mon
Itana Power company. which has at
Ipresent $500 kilowatts of developed
power and further developments UNI
der construction of 1T5000 kilowatts.
1.-THE power for electric operation has
been contracted for by the railroad at
Ia cost of trifle over " cent per ko-
watt hour on the basis of SO per cent
load factor. The contract provides
THAT the 44O-mile identification shall
be in operation by January l. 1918.
The electri1cation system is to be
direct current.
General Electric figures submitted to
tie st. Paul show an estimated saving
lii operation equal to 20 per cent on
The total cost of identification with
Tout allowing for the increased capac
lily of its lines which electrifcaton
makes possible or Improvement of SER
vice The estimated figures provide
for an increase Of So per cent in ton
mage per train and a SAVING of q per
cent in time per trip.
Powerful Locomotives.
The trolley construction will be OF
the catenary type similar to what the
New Haven has. Already 80 miles OF
poles have been set.
The electric locomotives to be made
by General Electric will be the most
powerful of their kind ever built. They
win weigh 260 tons and will have 9
greater continuous capacity than any
steam locomotive now in existence
Nine freight and three passenger loco
motives are provided in the initial or
der The freight locomotives can han
, die 2500-ton trailing load on a l per
cent grade at speed of 1G miles and
on heavier grades two locomotives will
be used These locomotives will re-
quire inspection only after run OF
10000 miles, require no stops for water
: coal, dumping ashes, cleaning boilers
and other delays demanded by the con
ventional steam locomotives.
j Statement by Electric Company
In this connection the General Elec-
trio company says:
"The electrifcation of the Puget
Sound lines of the Chicago, Milwaukee
e. ST. Paul is the most important steam
road electrification ever undertaken or
even seriously contemplated; in fact
the letting Of this particular contract
would seem to mark a new era in cleo
trio railway work. The initial work
includes the electrifcation of one
complete engine division, 113 miles in
length and the total mileage, when
yards, sidings, etc, are considered,
|amounts to 16S miles This work is
ALREADY under way and in the early
future, If the initial work proves sue
cessful, three additional engine divi-
sions will be electrified, making APP
Iproximatey 440 miles of main line
track or total of $50 miles, when
yards and sidings are included 1t
would appear that all this work is well
assured and plans are being made to
lextend the electrified zones to the coast
(which would mean $50 route miles of
main line steam road converted to
electric operation"