In the book Van Horne’s Road, mention is made to a proposal to electrify the CPR, due to the vast potential of Ontario and the Mountains for hydro-electric power.
I’ve found nothing else about major electrification in the 1880’s, besides underground railways, nor information on road locomotives.
Does anyone know anything about such?
If the whole line was electrified, would they have converted to diesels in the 1950’s?
I am not sure about the CPR question-but suspect it was proposed
Look for info on the Milwaukee Road western states electrification and the Virginian but I believe both were after the 1880s
Both were later converted to diesel-quick answer-cost/efficiency/standardization-maybe someone can confirm this but the early electrics were an alternative to double/triple heading steam locos in mountainous terrain, by the 50-60s diesel loco power/reliably/flexibly made them more cost effective than the maintenance of the wires.
With the proposed electrification, I gathered that it was going to be 2,000 miles of mainline electrified, and all the major branches, if not the entire system electrified.
Thanks for the info on early electrics too.
The first standard gauge electrification in N America was B&Os in Baltimore. The reason was smoke in a long tunnel under the city. I don’t know the date but I think the 1880s would be pushing it. When NY City passed an anti smoke ordinance in the early years of the 20th century electrification got its biggest boost. Diesels eliminated (largely) the smoke problem and, as collateral damage, what electrification hadn’t already been done in by cost/efficiency problems.
B&O’s Baltimore tunnel operation was electrified in 1895 and was the first steam road electrification in the United States.
for more added Canadian electric links try http://www.hcry.org It’s an ontario electric railway museum with links to other electric rail sites and museums in the US and Canada