Why did GN survive the experiments and not Milwaukee or Virgian? And why didn’t Pennsy electrify ovver the Ghennies.?
I don’t understand your first question - the GN electrification through Cascade Tunnel and its approaches was scrapped either before or at about the same time as VGN’s, and a good 10 - 20 years before MILW’s.
The second question has multiple answers. It was looked at several times since about 1909 (!) or so, but rejected each time for a variety of reasons. The biggest and most common one was the $ needed - no big surprise there. But in the 1910’s, it was killed by the PRR’s development of better steam locomotives ! (someone said the only instance of electrification being replaced by steam). Also, PRR never had a really good electric freight locomotive until the E-44’s came along around 1960 - oddly, the P-Road did much better at perfecting steamers than its electrics - there were multiple experiments that were either failures or not successful enough to go into full production. It almost happened in the 1950’s, but diesels for the entire system were also needed then, and were close enough to electrics to be cost-effective in that application, and so the money went there instead. It was looked at again in the mid-1970’s, but possible traffic diversions to the ex-NYC route with ConRail nixed it. Then, when Amtrak essentially forced CR off the NorthEast Corridor circa 1982, the electrification became a segmented orphan, and so was scrapped. Penn State History Prof. Michael Bezilla wrote a book out of his Ph.D. thesis on this in the late 1970’s - which focused a lot on PRR’s management on the technological innovations needed by its electrification - and in 1976 - 1977 or so he had a multiple-page article in Trains on it. I have both at home . . . I’ll post more detailed citations later on.
- Paul North.
I would think regarding the Pennsy Issue, it probably was money at least in part.
Didn’t Milwaukee’s customer base eventually weaken the western extension to the point they simply had to file for abandonment.
Yet I’ve read they had one of the better routes across the Rocky Mtns. One might wonder why someone else didn’t take over at least part of it.
Apparently the GN’s primary reason for electrification of it’s line was the 1st Cascades Tunnel built between 1897 and 1900 was the answer to the snow and weather and the switchbacks(8) over Stevens Pass. The Tunnel #1 had a ruling 1.7% grade (going Eastbound) and was finally electrified in 1909 due to the issue of fumes in the tunnel from the steam locomotives.
Tunnel #2 was compled in 1929 and is 7.8 miles long. The electrification went through the tunnel from skykoomish on the west to Wenatachee on the east with a rising grade from west to east of 1.56% . BN pulled the electrification from Tunnel#2 in 1956 and handled the fumes in the tunnel with a fan system and foors which would allow the fans to evacuate and change the air in the tunnel in 20 moinutes after a train had cleared the tunnel. BN and BNSF had no electrics in there fleets so no need for electrification.
Another Thread here has thoroughly explained the MILWRR’s problems with their electrification and why it went away.
Pennsy’s electrification was mostly due to the heavy urbanization along their lines. And additional electrification was most likely precluded by the availability of excelent supplies of Anthracite coal on its lines.
VGN’s electrification was done away with the merger into N&W when the electrification became a victim of the way the VGN’s lines were utilized in the new merger with N&W. The VGN and parallel N&W became one way and it became problematic returning the big VGN’s electrics back for their next trip with the west bound empty coal trains. the non electrified N&W line with a lesser gradient carried the loaded trains eastward.
See my post near the top of the 1st page of this thread here:
I believe there was an article in Trains (early 1980s?) dealing with the PRR extending the electrification to Pittsburgh during the 1930s, and the proposed electrics for the line. 1935 would have been the best time to start, as previous projects were winding down, if government assistance was still available.
Demise of steam was the basic reason for demise of electric in most cases. Electric was because of tunnels where steam suffocated the crews; it was thought that diesels were the cure. They were, but not all and fumes did cause problems but air conditioning helped. that. Fumes also consumed the fresh air in the tunnel causing engine problems when mu’d by not haveing air (oxygen) for ignition after units one or two. MLW, GN, VGN, NW, B&M, even NH and others were effected.
As for the PRR (and the DL&W and NH for instance) it was the Depression. By the end of the depression there were diesels with electic traction on each unit. So they thought there was no need for extending electrification and the NH even removed it from the Danbury Branch.
Sorry Illeft out the IF on this thread. How do you think GE and Westinghouse mase out