The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-16
MAIN POWER PLANT AND DAM
AT GREAT FALLS, MONT.

steam locomotive Mt approximately half the cost.
1t Is always ready to start, has no fires to nurse
ana only n switch need he turned To set il in
motion. 1t Is practically unaffected 10y snow
troubles because of its great weight and bower.
IL Is clean, 1t Is dependable in all atmosphrrc>
anu easy on track and rohdbed because of the
e1uah't distribution OF its propulsiyc drivers.
"n"l the summit of Il grade is reached AMI
tne descent begun there is Il noticeable absence,
OF the speeding up and also choking down proc.
e>>eS so common To steam traction on down hin
work. The electric locomotive slips down the
"i"uhthlilSidr az precisely the same speed all The
way. and while gruNitation is hrlpinr il, prog.
ress the loc"m"tir" is making II return 10 H.
owners. ly reversing its giant motors They
hec"hlr electrical generators during the d">crtf.
ana mus return Ia the supply wires overhead
nywller from - Ia ~ per cent. of the current
II would us, If climbing that grade.
lhni Is 7" say, the locomotive bound down
may mus u" made to help its electric fellow
b"nId up the m"ultainSide and drawing current
from the same conductors. This reversal of Inc
motors actually exercises brnking control over
the speed of TN" train during the descent and
SUBSTANTIALLY does away with the employment
tll"n "f air brakes. In other words. the ulr
brakes are fitted only as an emergency equip
meil', ana when not needed II substantial
economy in power consumption is effected.
some ldel OF what these electric lucumoliyr~
ar" can i" gathered from the fact that one uf
them, composed of two coupled units. weighs
~ tons and has an over all length of NJ i,,'
when hauling n 2.JU ton freight train un, ODD,
these monster tractors can climb a | per c,n,
grad" M the rate of sixteen miles an hour ami
Whel S'nrtd for passenger service il can muuj'
me same grad" with an $40 ton train nt II ~,rrI
ot thlrty miles an hour. When fulll ruuilI,'
TINS mountain division Of the road Will have
forty Of th">" electric titanS.
E"olnIni'nllN ih"r" is II great lesson in cua-
S'rNn'inn IN his application of electric 'rar'iuu
| y To 'hl" IN" total l~w"r developed amounts ,,
oS'N.W kilowittS, and only 5,Wn of this i 'l'
product OF steam, the rest of the energy l,IG-
drawn from falling water. l,cSi'lc> thr~r I
S'hilati"ns other hydrOelrctric power @,lrNrin.'
n'"htS iir" under way, ami ii VIII not be- lou. hr.
I"rr thrr" viii u" available in that muunIHiuul~
region electrical energy of nearly 2iiNp hIn
watts. Instead Of coal being burned To produce
TINS energy III" fore" of falling waters will >,ryr
instead ANA the nation elsewhere will hcutol
by the fuel thus conserved.
What this trunk line has done is n fair iudD,
OF what may he expected ON other railroads.
especially wl"r" suitable hy,lroelrctric plant,
can 'e established within convenient reach 81
the rail routes, Electric traction has had many
d'n'"I'tl"S to battle with. hut technical cuuuiu-
has dealt successfully with the great ,naiorl'
h these. Where favorable conditions cNl,f
for the substitution of electric hnulage the day.
81 the steam tractor are numbered.