West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-02-11
ENGINE WEIGHING
270 TONS INVENTED
Largest Electric Locomotive Ever
Invented Stands Test at Bluc-
field-Boilt Especially to Haul
Heavy Freight Trains Over Steep
Mountain Grades in this State

Mountain Grades in this State
BLUEFlELD, W. Va. Feb. What
was day dream of a great inventor
has just been realized by test made
here on the most powerful electric To-
comotive ever built. Fourteen thou
sand horsepower was used TO start a
single fun tonnage train. while nearly
eight thousand was used TO propel IL,
( folk Il Western railroad which has
| just been electrified
| These giant locomotives were built
especially to haul the heavy freight
trains over the steep mountain grade
of this division.
| Two locomotives are used on each
train, one at each end, because other
wise the enormous strain on the car
couplings from concentrating at one
point. the enormous amount of energy
required to operate the train would
he dangerous. Each locomotive
weighs 270 tons, or over 1.00000
pounds per train. Their capacity ex-
ceeds that OF any steam or electric
locomotive built. or enough to move
a 250-car train, or one 2 miles long,
on level track.
The train moved by these locomo-
| tives weighed nearly 1000 tons and
consisted of cars carrying 100 tons OF
coal. IL was started and handled
with perfect ease on the two per cent
| grade of what is known as one OF
the most difficult pieces OF construc-
tion in America.
A test was also made on the cleo
| trio bralSing of the train down the
mountain grade, resulting in the cleo
| trio engines holding the train at a
| steady speed without the use of the
train brakes. This is accomplished
by the mechanical energy of the train
| on down grade being transformed in
| To electric energy by the motors act
ing as generators. This energy is
then returned to the system for use by
| other trains. This is the first time
that this system of regaining energy
has been put into use in this country,
and is destined TO be far reaching in
| it's effect.
The enormous energy utilized in
| operating these trains is fed to the
locomotive from single-phase alter
mating current system over one wire
no larger than a lead pencil at $4,000
volts. pressure 20 times greater
| than that used In the New York sub
| way. The energy is generated by
| steam turbines I'm a special power
house built by the railroad company
| TO operate this division. IL is located
by the railroad tracks near the mines
at Bluestone, from which coal can be
economically secured.
The electrified zone OF the Norfolk
| a. Western, one OF the heaviest coal
carriers i'm the world. consists of
nearly 100 miles of track, and is not
only the heaviest and most extensive
| electrifcation OF a freight line rail
| road I'm the world, but is the most
| noteworthy electrifcation under way
today Up this heavy grade are car
ried $4,000 to 100000 tons OF coal a
| day. 1t is also the first electrifca-
| ton in the world that will replace the
heaviest steam locomotive service.
which on this division is regarded as
the heaviest in the world. An inter-
esting fact i'm connection with this in
stallatlon is that the Mallet locomo-
tives replaced embody all the latest
improvements in steam locomotives.
including superheaters and mechani-
cal stokers, the latter OF which was
absolutely necessary since the locomo-
| tives were so big that one man was
unable to keep them supplied with
coal. and even with three OF these
monsters. a speed Of only to 8 miles
per hour is obtained. while with two
Of the electric locomotives speed
of IA miles per hour is steadily main
tained over the entire grade, thus
practically doubling the capacity Of
| the lsne.
The importance of this installation
can hardly be overestimated in mark
ing an advance i'm the electrification
Of steam railroads II is interesting
TO note that this electrifcation is the
practical realization OF the ideas
which the late George Westinghouse,
inventor of the air brake. had nourish-
ed for many years, and its successful
conclusion is due In no small measure
to his activity along these lines.
II is confidently expected that the
excellent results obtained on this in
stallation will lead a number Of 9th
or roads 10 adopt electricity as a
means Of increasing their capacity.
--ss----
| The speech of President Wilson af