I heard that the Southern Pacific was planning to electrifiy it´s mainline over Donner Pass between Oakland and Ogden back in the 1910´s or 1920´s, but then finally dropped the plans. What was the problem? Money? Have there already been concrete plans about some electric locos?
Money could have been a problem since that was in the WW1 era, which limited the availability of cash. Also, the cab-forward design made it practical to operate steam locomotives through the tunnels and snowsheds without asphyxiating the engine crew.