The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1920-05-13
MILWAUKEE, RAILWAY
CALLED WORLD MAVREL
COMPLETION OF COAST DIVISION
MAKES GREATEST ELECTRl-
FLED LINE.

With the opening recently of the
coast division of the Chicago. Mhwau-
See 4 st. Paul railway between Othel-
TO- Wash. and Seattle. what is gener-
Tally acknowledged to be one of the
greatest electrical engineering tasks in
American railroad ANNALS was brought
10 "a conclusion after five years of con-
iSiant planning and at an expenditure
of $2O,OOO,OOO, says the New York sun
and Herald
The United States thus becomes the
unquestioned poSsessor of the longest
electrified ruilroad i'm the world -ap-
proNhmately 700 miles of main line
tracbage, or the distance between New
York and Cleveland. Ohio. To this
must be added about 200 miles of ex-
tN track. bringing the total mileage
up to about 900 miles. or nearly the
distance from New York to Chicago.
The complete electrihcation now ex-
tends from HarloWton Mont to the
Pacific coast. crossing on its way two
mighty mountain ranges. the Rockies
and THE Cascades, with the exception
of about 200 miles still to be electri-
fled between Avery. Idaho. and Othel-
To- Wash
Electrfication of First Division.
The electrifcation of the first divi-
sion began in 1914 and was placed i'm
operation i'm December of the follow /
ing year, covering a distance of 44O |
miles across the great divide and the |
Rocky mountains. The usccess of this
was so pleasing 20 the
officials of the road that i'm 1917 it
was decided It oelectnify the coast di-
vision. now known ais the Othello. Ia
coma, Seattle elechric zone
This vast electric transportation sys-
tenn in its completed form operates 81
electric locomotives, including passen-
ger, freight and switching locomo-
lives. These locomotives have releas-
I'd for service elsewhere no less than
1872 steam engines. ait an annual slv-
ng i'm coal of 100000 tons and of 49,
100000 gallons of oil, for the railroad
its motive power wholly from
he natural water resources of the
country
Fifteen hydro electric power sta
ions make available combined cleo
ric horsepower of 100000 of which
he new division can use 100000 horse
power This AUTOMATICALLY generated ,
urremt is distributed to the road
through eight substations at different ]
,oints along the line. and is in addi
ion supplemented by a l00.000 volt
line paralleling the
racks
Equipment of New Division
Electric rolling stock and equipment
or the new division consists primarily
# five 5000 volt direct current loco s
motives, one of which recently aston
shed the railroad world by winnign "a
ing of war with two steam engines at
he works of the General Electric Y
at Erie, Pa These locomo-
ives. (which are the MOST powerful
ype of electric passenger locomo-
ives yet developed, are being used in 7
passenger Service to haul the "Olym- .
ian" and Columbian" the crack !
lyers travelling between Chicago and :
he west coast I
The MOST interesting feature of the
ew division is a remarkable two and T.
quarter mile tunnel through the SOL d
I rock Of a mountain side at Sno-
ualmie Pass. i'm the heart Of the Cas- :
AIDE range Heavy grades have been
at many points along the
ne In one place a 2 per cent grade \
vtends over distance of 20 miles, or
steady pull upward of 1O5 feet for
very mile progressed Yet the power
II electric takes these grades and
theirs almost ais bad at a 20mile an d
our clip, hauling a 10-car passenger s.
sain, while on level stretches they u
alke up time ait the rate of 60 miles $,
n hour. n
Traffic on the new road consists of a