The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1915-10-07
MILWAUKEE SYSTEM
TO USE ELECTRICAL
POWER ON BIG SCALE
Fifty Huge Electric En-.
gines to Be Used in
Mountains.
LESSEN THE COST
Declared They Make Power
From Coal Evon Cheap
er Than Steam.

Chicago, nl.-The biggest electric
locomotives In the world are beine
delivered this week in patches to the
Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul Rail.
way System.
They form the advance guard of
nifty huge electric engines to be used
10y the road in operating 44O miles
of its transcontinental line between
Harlowton, Mont, 4,163 feet above
sea level, and Avery, Idaho, elevation
2,4s4 feet. They will also climb the
ROCKY Mountain summit, $500 feet
and the Belt Mountain summit. s..
! 700 feet. -
These locomotives are designed to
do the work being done at present
and rather too extensively by huge
Mallet steam engines, two of which
are used to pull heavy freight trains
up the grades of the Belt and Bitter
Root ranges. They are expected to
erect an enormous economy in oper-
alton.
In fact the purpose of the company
In electrification has not been to in
crease the speed of its trains, but to
increase efficiency and promote econ
omy in operation.
Are of New Type.
The new locomotives are of great
interest because they are the first
to be constructed for railroad service
with direct current motors designed
to carry as high potential as 5000
volts. They weigh 260 tons each and
have continuous capacity greater
than that of any steam or electric To-
comotive hitherto ever built.
One of these big machines can
snake" train weighing $500 tons
up one per cent grade with its g.
440 horse power and make light
work of the job. Two of them can do
the same On two per cent grade.
These monsters are 112 feet 8
inches long. There is nothing about
them to suggest the steam locomotive
which they will ultimately displace
In both freight and passenger service
If the faith of the designers is sus-
tanned. Looking at first glance more
like big mail car than anything else
the st. Paul's new type engine oper-
ates as mysteriously to the average
observer as did the first automobiles
in the eyes of those used to horse
drawn vehicles.
The design is such as to save track
wear and tear by minimizing the YER
tical and horizontal blows of drive
wheels through use of seperate mo-
tor, twin-geared to each of eight pair
of drivers. The drivers are spaced
at ten-foot intervals. The drive
wheels are fifty-two inches in diam
eter
They are equalized in pairs on each
side so that each of the four driving
wheel trucks on each side is inde-
pendent. The cab extends for nearly
the full length Of the locomotive.
Two men constitute the crew, though
only one is required to operate the
mechanism. The other is there for
emergency and to learn his trade.
Here are some of the most strik-
ing advantages of the electric loco
motive:
How They Save Money.
1t operates with the highest eff
cheney in the coldest weather when
steam locomotives often freeze up.
1T returns by Regeneration" a
large part of the power used in run-
ing up hill during the corresponding
run down hill.
1t requires inspection only once in
every 1000 miles of travel, whereas
the steam locomtive must be over
hauled at the end of each division.
1t uses no coal, requires no water
and has no ashes to dump.
1t carries no tender and has no
boiler and will run Indefinitely at a
uniform rate of speed.
1t reduces roundhouse tinkering
to the minimum and handles uniform
tonnage irrespective of weather.
1t does away with fuel trains and
clears the tracks for traffic that pays
dividends.
The best steam locomotive has to
be overhauled after running 100 or
125 miles, whereas the immunity of
the electric engine from this neces-
'sity is heavy advantage In operat-
ing efficiency.
A steam locomtive waiting at a
division point consumes eighty per
cent of the fuel it uses in actual ser
vice. whereas the electric locomotive
when idle consumes no power. The
freeing Of the track from fuel trains
is an element Of tie highest import
ance especially in mountainous coun-
try where double tracking is often
impossible.
Cheaper Than Steam Anywhere.
The direct current electric locomo-
tive, in fact bids fair to revolutionize
railway transportation methods, be-
cause while the Juice" to be used
-inI the opening stretch Of electrifica-
-tiop, on The St. Paul road is to ba
furnished BY Montana water power
companies, the road owns enormous