Hallo,
here is some interesting stuff about the Milwaukee Road’s Power Supply, I found out during my investigations in the web.
Use the link below to see the simulated power supply at the Milwaukee Road in the Bitterroots, at Drexel, Eastportal and Avery:
http://lads.myspace.com/slides/slideshow_random.swf?u=364322290&aid=1060780
May, you will find the following background info interesting - Cheers Uwe.
The Energy for the electrified portions of Milwaukee Road’s transcontinental mainline between Harlowton, Mt and Avery, Id, as well as between Othello and Tacoma/Seattle, Wa, have been provided by a company owned 110KV 3 phase AC transmission line, running parallel to the tracks. The typical wood pool line can be clearly recognized at many Milwaukee Road photos. Some portions of this lines remains in our days beside the abandoned ROW, now used by different owners for several uses.
All together 22 Substations where necessary to convert the 110KV 3 phase AC power into 3000 Volt DC which has been supplied to the trolley. Later, the substations have been improved for 3200 Volt DC power supply, to support the heavy freight trains. In our days, may the current could be converted using big power converters, but in the days back of Milwaukee Road’s electrification, it was not possible to handle such power, rather than by the use of large motor generator sets. At first, the 110KV 3 phase AC has been converted into 2300VAC by large transformers. Taking this, huge 3 phase AC motors drove DC generators and the energy has been converted from one kind of electrical energy, for a long distance transmission to mechanical energy and back to another kind of electrical energy, as required for the short distance transmission through the trolley and usable at the electrical engines.
As the power equipment needed to be protected from the elements, the Milwaukee Road built large and very impressive brick buildings containing the transformers, the motor - generator sets and the control. Most of the substations constructed with a flat roof, but the Substations at Drexel, Eastportal, Avery, Ele Elum and Hyak, has been built with a gable end roof to handle the heavy snow during the winter time.
Initially the largest and most powerful substation was number 13 at Eastportal, within a capacity of three of 2000 kW motor generator sets. In 1955, substation number 6 at Janney has been upgraded with an additional motor generator set for more power supply at the Pipestone Pass and outnumbered the Eastportal Substation in power.
See some real photos at:
http://www.trainweb.org/milwaukee/substations.htm
here is some interesting stuff about the Milwaukee Road’s Power Supply, I found out during my investigations in the web.
Use the link below to see the simulated power supply at the Milwaukee Road in the Bitterroots, at Drexel, Eastportal and Avery:
http://lads.myspace.com/slides/slideshow_random.swf?u=364322290&aid=1060780
May, you will find the following background info interesting - Cheers Uwe.
The Energy for the electrified portions of Milwaukee Road’s transcontinental mainline between Harlowton, Mt and Avery, Id, as well as between Othello and Tacoma/Seattle, Wa, have been provided by a company owned 110KV 3 phase AC transmission line, running parallel to the tracks. The typical wood pool line can be clearly recognized at many Milwaukee Road photos. Some portions of this lines remains in our days beside the abandoned ROW, now used by different owners for several uses.
All together 22 Substations where necessary to convert the 110KV 3 phase AC power into 3000 Volt DC which has been supplied to the trolley. Later, the substations have been improved for 3200 Volt DC power supply, to support the heavy freight trains. In our days, may the current could be converted using big power converters, but in the days back of Milwaukee Road’s electrification, it was not possible to handle such power, rather than by the use of large motor generator sets. At first, the 110KV 3 phase AC has been converted into 2300VAC by large transformers. Taking this, huge 3 phase AC motors drove DC generators and the energy has been converted from one kind of electrical energy, for a long distance transmission to mechanical energy and back to another kind of electrical energy, as required for the short distance transmission through the trolley and usable at the electrical engines.
As the power equipment needed to be protected from the elements, the Milwaukee Road built large and very impressive brick buildings containing the transformers, the motor - generator sets and the control. Most of the substations constructed with a flat roof, but the Substations at Drexel, Eastportal, Avery, Ele Elum and Hyak, has been built with a gable end roof to handle the heavy snow during the winter time.
Initially the largest and most powerful substation was number 13 at Eastportal, within a capacity of three of 2000 kW motor generator sets. In 1955, substation number 6 at Janney has been upgraded with an additional motor generator set for more power supply at the Pipestone Pass and outnumbered the Eastportal Substation in power.
See some real photos at:
http://www.trainweb.org/milwaukee/substations.htm
