Show ELECTRIC POWER FOR HEAVY GRADES GLADES OF TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROADS I Electric power In mountain railroading will be the next move of the great trans transcontinental transcontinental transcontinental continental lines It is believed that George J Goulds purpose In organizing the Western Vestern Power company was to get locations for power plants to be used in the tho operation of the Western Vestern Pacific rail railroad railroad railroad road The Western Vestern Power company compan now has agents agent all along the Western estern Pacific buying up water rights and good locations for power plants When hen these agents first commenced their activities it was generally supposed that Mr 11 Gould intend intended ed to reach out for tor some of the enor enormous mos profits which have been made by the large western power companies but now it Is understood that the Western Power recent acquisitions are aro mainly main 1 for the use of the Western Vestern Pacific although it is probable that power will be besold besold besold sold tor to mining companies and other con concerns I corns cerns along tho line of or the new railroad Edward H Harriman also favors elec electric electric electric power in mountain railroading As soon oon as ns financial conditions Improve It ItIs ItIs itis Is said he will spend about In equipping the mountain divisions upon his lines which cross three mountain ranges with electric power In Tn a recent Interview E H Harriman was wan quoted as saying I cannot think of ot electrifying until the money moncy market loosens up It is an im tm improvement improvement provement which Is bound to come be because becalm cause calm It Is In line with the cheapening of ot operation which must come before the people can hope J ho to realize lower Jower freight rates ratos The government will not permit of the combination of parallel and competing lines of or railway rightly enough hut but It should permit combinations combination of connecting lines for tor the purpose of further cheapen cheapening I ing the cost of ot operation The railroads of the country have for tor some years tars been spending millions million with the sole soIl view of re reducing reducing their cost Bost of ot operation to meet the demand lemand for lower freight rates It is in inline inline inline line with this effort that the project of electrifying the mountain divisions was started Plans Electrical Equipment Mr Harriman said his bis expert engineers had been In the mountains mountain for more than thana a year eor surveying the water courses cours s and the sources of supply for water power with a view to impounding it for the pro production production production of electricity It Is his hili purpose to electrify ele as soon as I possible the moun mountain mountain tain division of ot the Union Pacific road which runs over the the moun mountain mountain mountain tain division of the Southern Pacific which runs over the Herras erras and the th new mountain division of ot the Shasta route which will wilt run like the present route over 01 the tho SIskiyou mountains It Is understood that the tho engineers re reported reported reported ported favorably to the project There are reported to be bo a n large Inre number of streams capable of developing sufficient water power to run ron nearly nearl everything In Inthe Inthe inthe the universe It Is planned to use this power In a similar manner as the water waterpower waterpower waterpower power of ot the Niagara river Is used u ed to gen generate generate generate erate electricity at Niagara Falls Faits The Tho natural fall taU In the tho mountain streams could be utilized to turn great turbines which would be used In generating the electricity needed to operate the trains over mountains The cheapness of ot this In Installation installation compared with the results result that could be obtained has it Is said amazed Mr Ir Harriman The reports of at the engineers have hae been submitted to Julius Mr director of maintenance and operation oDe ration and have been approved by him When Mr rr came west with Ith Mr Ir Harriman he brought with him these thele reports and they were gone sone one over Ier thoroughly hh It Is understood that during durin his Ills stay In the mountains Mr Harriman will visit some come of the falls which he ex expects expects expects to utilize u In developing water power The estimated cost of the Improvement Is kept s sf ret but it is s understood to be bemore bemore bemore more than th n Careful estimates have been made of the saving which would be occasioned by the use of elec electricity electrIcity electricity in the mountain division No In Information information formation regarding this Is at hand but it Is said to be a material much greater than t an a large percentage of the Im Improvement Improvement provement t Beyond Be ond all this however Is 13 the fact tat that electrical power unlike steam power Is capable of ot large multiplication multiplication multiplication cation in mountain railroading Its sub substitution substitution substitution would mean for one thing that the capacity capa of the mountain lines tines would be more than doubled dou led It now takes two and three locomotives to get short trains over some of the grades whereas a single sin single gle sIc electrical motor would be capable of hauling a train much longer than the trains Which now use two engines The mountain division of a railroad op operates operates operates somewhat like the neck of or a bot bottle bottle bottie tle tie It is impossible to get g t more trains or more tonnage tOD nago over the th road than can be bo begotten begotten gotten over o r the mountains or through h the neck of the railroad bottle Accordingly when of the neck Is Increased the possibilities of at the entire road for handling traffic are correspondingly In Increased Increased increased creased It Is 18 for this reason reMon that moun mountain thin tain divisions areso are so dreaded by railroad operating men |