Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-02-03
MOUNTAIN ELECTRIF|CATION
Of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul
Railway.
'OLYMPIAN' MAKES FIRST TRIF
BY ELECTRICITY.

l
BY ,ELECTICITY.
| Piedmont, Mont, January %, 1915.
A. J. Earling, President C. NJ. & ST. P. Ry.,
/ Chicago, Ill.
!, Just crossed the Continental Divide with
'Olympian under electric power, locomotive
No. 100000. Everything fine. Regenerative
Braking perfect. Congratulations
Thus has been launched the most sig
nifcant railway improvement of the
last century.
The brief telegram of the est. Paul's'
electrifcation chief to President Earl
ing marks successful operation over the
summit Of the Rockies Of the first reg
ular transcontinental main line train
under electric power.
It means much more than that. 1t
means that there has been brought to
successful accomplishment the long
pondered plans of electrical scientists
for operating main line railways by
electricity-that the dawn of the cleo
trical era in railroading is here.
When the all steel transcontinental
train t'The Olympian' arrived at Three
Forks, Montana, today, instead of be-
ing picked up by the two great Mallet
steam locomotives that have hitherto
puffed and snorted up the slopes Of the
Continental Divide, it was attached to
an electric passenger locomotive, No.
100 and whirled away up hill on it's
first smokeless, dirtless, gasless and
noiseless journey over the summit OF
the Rockies.
kilograms from other sources, sup
plementing the laconic dispatch of Mr.
Goodnow. relate that The Olympian"
was operated for 115 miles over the
completed first unit of the 440 mile
stretch Of electrified main line between
Harlowton, Montana and Avery, Idaho,
at an even speed and under regener-
ative braking.
Regenerative Braking.
This latter means that on down
grades the train instead of consuming
electricity from the trolley wires over
head, actually produced it, returning to
the wires from twenty five to fifty two
per cent Of the power used in climbing.
1t also means that airbrakes were un
used and that the train was held at all
times under perfect control without re
course to the old style Of braking. The
new system, now definitely established,
provides the maximum Of safety, elm,
mates wear on brakeshoes and wheels
and overheating, and insures uniform
speed on the down grades.
Great Reduction In Cost.
Some idea of the enormous saving
which can be effected by the electriti-
cation of railways may be gained by
reading the following which was incor-
porated in the Congressional Record at
Washington one day recently:
Four hundred and fifty miles of the
main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee &
st. Paul Railroad being the portion
between Harlowton, Mont, and Avery
Idaho, is now being equipped for oper
alton by electricity Quoting from the
testimony given before the Senate Pub
lie Lands Committee in 1914 by John
d. Ryan, II director Of the Milwaukee
Railroad, and also president of the
Montana Power Co., which will furnish
the power:
"The railroad will pay under the
contract for power delivered over 450
miles of it's road something like $3.50,
900 year. 1t is paying now for coal
| to operate it's steam trains over the
same line approximately $1,750, 900, and
they furnish their own coal from mines
on their own road, and one third of
thier equipments used in hauling coal
to themselves, whereas with electric
power there is not any such waste. 1t
will save coal in the ground and an
enormous amount of money, and will
pc utilizing an absolutely waste pro-
duct"
Mr. Ryan testified that the Butte,
Anaconda & Pacific Railroad is paying
500, 900 per year for electric energy to
operate 80 miles Of road, as against
former cost for coal of $270,000, a saw
ing of STA 600 annually.