GIANT RAILWAY ENGINE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 144, 14 March 1921, Page 2

GIANT RAILWAY ENGINE

ELECTRICITY SUPPLANTING

STEAM. Crowds gazing in awe at the wor ' < J’* most powerful electric locomotive, the newest giant on exhibition . at. the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul terminal, had a glimpse into the future (says an American poper). The vision is of electricity, entirely supplanting steam and railroading, reaching undreamed efficiency and comfort. The new Goliath, about to Le placed in service on the 44f1-mile over the Continental divide of Montana and the Cascade range of Washington, dwarfs locomotives of the past. A little more than 90 years ago Stephenson’s first steam locomotive made its maiden trip in England, Thirty-four vehicles composed the train of 90 tons and it attained the marve ous speed of five to 10 and even 15 miles an hour! And in advance rode a signal man o electric locomotive alone weighs three times as much as son’s whole train. It could draw 3a such trains as Stephenson’s up a 1 pci cent, -rade at 16 miles an hour-or on a level nine such trains & f- a mile a minnh The first steam locomotive in Wiscon- ■ 15U8 weighed 23 tons. The electric giant weighs 275 tons. It is 88 feet long i ias 4200 horse-power, can pull a tram 65 miles an hour and cost 112.000 Tt takes the place of four ordinary steam to railroading of the electric giant are these-. Does away with fuel trains; runs nt an even speed; uses neither coal nor water; always randy to start; no ashes to dump; no flues to clean; no boilers to inspect; goes the heaviest snowdrifts; unhalted by zero weather; handles twice the load of a steam locomotive at reduced cost: smokeTesa. noiseless, dirtlees, and Waterfalls en route supply the electrio energy for operation of th» 446-nnle electric zone, which took three years to build at a cost of 12.MX).0W dollars.