Railroad Forums 

  • Hoosac Tunnel Electrification

  • Discussion relating to the pre-1983 B&M and MEC railroads. For current operations, please see the Pan Am Railways Forum.
Discussion relating to the pre-1983 B&M and MEC railroads. For current operations, please see the Pan Am Railways Forum.

Moderator: MEC407

 #32322  by DonPevsner
 
(1)When did the FIRST electrified freight train (electric locomotive
hauling an "idling" steam locomotive plus its train) run through
the Hoosac Tunnel?

(2)When did the LAST such run occur; i.e., when did B&M dieselization
bump the steamers through the Tunnel?

(3)I know that the catenary ended in North Adams Yard on the
western side of the Tunnel, but where did it end on the eastern side?
 #32338  by eddiebear
 
Electrified 1911-1946. Passenger & freight trains were hauled with steamers simmering, not working through the tunnel. East end was at Hoosac Tunnel Station.

While the electrification was shut down in 1946, steam was active west of North Adams into early 1950s. Steamers handled local freight, Mechanicville Yard and the B & M contribution to run through passenger power between Troy and Rutland.

 #32682  by NellsChoo
 
You may already know part of an East end catenary is still by East Portal

 #67439  by Engineer Spike
 
I wonder if the B&M had not gotten into financial trouble in 1913 if the juice would have been extended to Troy, Mechanicville, and E. Deerfield, if not all the way to Boston.

 #67566  by TomNelligan
 
The B&M, unlike the New Haven, never showed any serious interest in mainline electrification. The wires at Hoosac were necessary to avoid suffocating train crews, but I don't think there's any evidence that the B&M ever planned to extend them east or west.

Short smoke-abatement electrifications were found in several other places at the time, like Great Northern's Cascade Tunnel, NYC's Detroit River Tunnels, and Cleveland Union Terminal.

 #111527  by Engineer Spike
 
Tom,

I made my statement with the fact that B&M was controled by NYNH&H. The New Haven management was well aware of the advantages of electrification. If this was not the case, NH would have ended it with the connection to the NYC at Woodlawn.

 #111580  by Noel Weaver
 
The Boston and Maine and the New Haven were not in the same situation
with regard to electrification. It had no where near the traffic that the New
Haven of the era did and outside of the Hoosac Tunnel, did not have the
tunnel/terminal situation that the New Haven did in New York.
The tunnel electrification on the B. & M. served the railroad well in what it
was intended to do.
Incidentally, even though the tunnel was electrified, the steam locomotives
remained on the train and got pulled through by the motors. In the case
of passenger trains, the steam locomotive was necessary to provide
steam for the train while in freight service, there were no major engine
house facilities in the area for turning and servicing steam engines.
Noel Weaver
 #893196  by MEC407
 
A member of the B&M group on Yahoo, John S. Horvath, found a wonderful old black & white film from 1928 that gives us a brief glimpse into the Hoosac Tunnel electric operations circa 1928.

Take a look: http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675 ... road-track


Big thanks to Mr. Horvath for the link!
 #893295  by jaymac
 
...and thanks to you, MEC407, for relaying to the rest of us.
 #893400  by Leo Sullivan
 
I noticed that in the film, the locomotive is working steam to start the train.
I believe that I have read, in special instructions that they should do so to
assist the motor in starting.
LS