Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 January 1916 — ALL FAVOR ELECTRIC POWER [ARTICLE]

ALL FAVOR ELECTRIC POWER

Many Important Facts Brought Out In a Comparison Between Its Use and That of Steam. The fact that no boilers are required on electric locomotives elminates one of the large sources of trouble for the motive power department. One locomotive can also be run over several different divisions without injury to it or without reducing its efficiency. Under present operating conditions, with steam locomotives, it is rarely “possible to run either a passenger or freight locomotive over more than one engine district, which will average from 100 to 160 miles. Under electrical operation, solid through trains can be run over several divisions without any longer stops at the present terminals than would be made at ordinary way stations. ' . The maximum results for steam engines are obtained partially by the quality of the coal used and by the ability of the fireman to keep plenty of coal in the firebox. With electrical engines they can be run at fairly uniform speed and in making long, heavy moun-* tain climbs they should be as efficient for the last few miles near the top of the climfal as when starting up the grade. The success of the work will mean the gradual electrification of whole systems.