The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-10-21
B. & O. ELECTRIFICATION
New Motive Power For This Section
of Road Said to be Under Con-
sideratiOn by Officials

New Motive Power For This Section
of Road Said to be Under Con-
sideratiOn by Officials.
Congested terminals will soon be a
thing of the past if the present plans
of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
are carried out. Electrical engineers
both from the Westinghouse Electric
& Manufacturing Company and the
General Electric Company, the two
largest manufacturing concerns of
their kind in the United States, have
been busy for several months compil-
ing data for the identification of the
Cumberland Division of this road. 'Ac-
cording to the latest reports the Sew
enteen-mile Grade between Altamont
and Piedmont, has been picked by
these engineers as the point for dur
ability test on the local division.
That the Baltimore and Ohio is also
considering the electrifcation of other
parts of the road seems almost GER
tainty, for at the present time a corps
OF engineers in the employ of the
General Electric Company, in charge
of Homer Youngerman, chief engi-
neer, are now working along the NJ.
d X. Railroad, branch of the Balti-
more and Ohio. This road was recently
acquired by the Baltimore and Ohio
and taps the virgin coal fields of West
Virginia. According to Mr.. Younger
man, the proposed power plant to take
care of that portion of the road will
be located along Cheat River at
point between Rowlesburg and AL
bright, in Preston county, West Va.
1t is said that the location of the
hydro-electric plant to take care of
the first part to be electrified will be
between Piedmont, West Va, and.
Bond, Garrett county. Water will be
used as power for generating the cur
rent wherever possible At points
where it is not possible to secure pow
er of this kind the power plants will
be located in the coal fields. This will
eliminate the hauling of coal over the
road which is necessary in the use of
steam locomotives. 1t will also elm
mate the hauling of hundreds of tons
daily over the road for company use
at the various coaling stations.
On number of western roads
where the electric locomotives are al
ready in operation, they are fast tax
ing the place of steam. At the pres
ent time when traffic is congested,
sidings crowded, cars needed but are
standing idle because of lack of mo-
tive power to keep them moving.
trunk line steam railroads as well as
interurban electric roads and even
many private or branch roads are
lsoking for some relief from the sit
uation. This situation is most seri-
Gus at terminals owing to the lack of
sufficient numbers Of switching loco
motives and to the inefficiency of the
required type of labor, not only for
the operation of locomotives, but for
maintenance, upkeep and repairs.
The value of electrifcation of ter-
minals and even larger sections of
trunk lines has become so well rec
ognized and has met with such mark
ed success that no one doubts the abil-
lty of electric locomotives to help the
situation. j. f. Davis, electrical en-
gineer for the Baltimore and Ohio.
has spent much time during the past
SIX months in looking over the system
on other roads. At the present time
MIR. Davis and his score of assistants
are busy getting together the mass of
data that was secured during these
trips.