"Mining Boneyard" History Channel- Electric Trains

[samfp1943]

Yesterday evening while channel surfing, I happend onto an episode of the Boneyard which was concerning the coppermining activities around Butte, Montana. Specifically, the Anaconda operations and the reclamation efforts undertaken to mitigate the environmental damages done as a result of those mining activities. There were a number of scenes in which railroad activity was shown [ I'm guessing it was the original, Butte,Anaconda and Pacific-??] The scenes that really caught my eye were of electric locomotives operating off overhead wires and they appeared to be of the 'box-cab' variety. Sort of like the ones that have been shown working the RR's in NYC' terminal tracks.  

I had no idea that there were other electric lines besides the MILW out west. I was kind of interesting to see the older engines on television...  Just a comment.

[KCSfan]

You'll probably be interested to learn that the Great Northern was electrified for 70 miles from Wenatchee to Skyomish, Washington. This was done in connection with the completion of the 7.8 mile Cascade Tunnel in 1929 and lasted until de-energized in 1956. Like the Milw Road the GN operated both boxcabs and Little Joes. If memory serves me correctly GE built 20 Little Joes which went to the following roads: Milw - 12, GN - 5, and South Shore - 3.

Mark

[beaulieu]

The Little Joes that didn't go to the MILW or SouthShore, went to the Paulista Rwy. out Sao Paulo, Brazil. The GN electric operation was AC, the other two were DC power. The GN had two new electric locomotives built in the 1950's, They were GN class W-2, I don't think that GE gave them a model. They were both scrapped when GN scrapped the electrification, along with many of the older electrics. PRR bought a few of the older electrics and squeezed the remaining life out of them. Electric locomotives were common in Mining operations. Kennecott Copper's Bingham Canyon mine in Utah, and a US Steel iron mine in Minnesota used electric locomotives into the 1970's. Also don't forget the three modern electric coal mine operations in the West and the former BC Rail electric operation. And oops I forgot to mention Texas Utilities had an electric coal mining operation into the late '80s or early '90s.

[jeaton]

Try Black Mesa & Lake Powell for an interesting electric operation.

[tomikawaTT]

The Butte, Anaconda and Pacific (which carried copper ore from the Butte mines to the Anaconda smelter and never got anywhere near the Pacific) was electrified early in its history.  Some years ago, there was a tourist operation in Butte on some of the old trackage.  The car in use was the former line car, which was a gas-electric.

Chuck

[samfp1943]

The Butte, Anaconda and Pacific (which carried copper ore from the Butte mines to the Anaconda smelter and never got anywhere near the Pacific) was electrified early in its history.  Some years ago, there was a tourist operation in Butte on some of the old trackage.  The car in use was the former line car, which was a gas-electric.

Chuck

Thanks, Chuck;

   I think it was BA&P that was shown, two electric locomotives raced across the screen sort of resembled some post turn of century[20th] Lionel box cabs! Also shown were some distant shots of mine railroading in the area.. 

[dknelson]

Don't forget the Oregon Electric which had a substantial freight operation.  And north of the border BC Rail had huge electric locomotives.

This webpage has photos of various Milwaukee Road and Great Northern electrics so you can see the difference between the Little Joes and the GN's own streamlined cab electric.  Also an Oregon Electric double truck engine that later served on the North Shore ...

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/electric1.html

Dave Nelson

[nanaimo73]

The GN had two new electric locomotives built in the 1950's......They were both scrapped when GN scrapped the electrification, along with many of the older electrics.

I've read (in R&R 4-93) that 5018 was sold to Union Pacific, and they turned it into coal-fired turbine 80.

Sam, when the Milwaukee Road decided to electrify, they used the BA&P as their model.

Inco, near Sudbury, Ontario, also used a number of electrics in their large nickel mining operations. 

[artpeterson]

Hi - the GN electric that was sold to UP became a fuel tender behind the 80, which also ran as the 8080 for a while (the power unit was a PA conversion).  GE sold box cab electrics very similar to the BA&P units to a road down in South America, which ran into the 90s, at least.  As another commenter noted earlier in this string, Paulista had some "Little Joes" and they also had streamlined passenger electrics based on the NH EP-4s.  Paulista bought serveral streamlined parlors, coaches and diners from Pullman in early 50s, which ran behind the NH "look-alikes" for a while.  Art

[MichaelSol]

 The GN had two new Sam, when the Milwaukee Road decided to electrify, they used the BA&P as their model.

The Milwaukee made its plans to electrify in 1906. GE suggested that the BA&P ought to also look at electrification in 1907. Milwaukee hired George Gibbs as Electrical Engineer in 1908, and full electrification was given the go-ahead. The Milwaukee entered into power supply contracts in 1912 and both systems were designed in that year. BAP began operations in May, 1913, but the design of the much larger Milwaukee installation was substantially already complete. [Milwaukee Railway System Employes' Magazine "Electrification Assured," April, 1913, 1:1, p. 17].

The BA&P was electrified at 2400 volts based purely on the cost of trolley vs. engines, and Milwaukee was electrified at 3,000 volts because the lower cost of the trolley over the distance electrified offset the higher cost of the motive power.

 

[scottychaos]

I like those "boneyard" shows..I have seen the train, automobile and the airplane one so far..

one thing that bugs me though is the bit at the beginning of each episode, where they say "places called..boneyards".

NO one actually calls them boneyards!  except the history channel! just a minor annoyance..I know they needed a unifying term for the series, and "boneyard" fits..but when was the last time you heard a large open field full of old automobiles called a "boneyard"?? never..because they are never called that..they are called "junk yards".

and railroad "boneyards" are called "scrap lines" or "dead lines"..I have never heard of a "railroad boneyard" before, because no one has ever said it before..except on the History channel.. 

oh well..

Scot

[Anonymous]

The Nevada Northern has a couple of kennecot copper's electric locomotives stored inside the carshop at Ely, Nv.  they were there a few years ago when the crane was in the process of getting a new boiler.

[tomikawaTT]

Scot,

Respectfully beg to differ.  Aircraft dead storage and disassembly operations are frequently referred to as, "Boneyards," by those in the industry.

I do agree that the History Channel folks have extended it into places where it wasn't intended to go.  In their defense, "Junkyards," and "Recycling Centers," while more appropriate, would not have made as effective an impression as general title for a series of documentaries.  ("Recycling Center," especially, has an unfortunate connotation of landfills and domestic garbage.)

Apparently the successor to the BAP is alive and well - the Copper King Express operates over it on summer weekends if you happen to be in that part of Montana or are planning to pass through.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[kenneo]

The GN had two new electric locomotives built in the 1950's......They were both scrapped when GN scrapped the electrification, along with many of the older electrics.

I've read (in R&R 4-93) that 5018 was sold to Union Pacific, and they turned it into coal-fired turbine 80.

Sam, when the Milwaukee Road decided to electrify, they used the BA&P as their model.

Inco, near Sudbury, Ontario, also used a number of electrics in their large nickel mining operations. 

Dale -- Yes, it was the 5018 that the UP turned into a turbine to test burning coal dust.  Used a  PA as a cab unit and a "Big Boy" tender for the fuel.  The coal simply ate up the turbine blades like hot-dogs at an eating contest.

[nanaimo73]

Here is a picture of the PA 8080-
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=115586

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

GN 5018-5019 (classified as W-1's by GN) were huge motor-generator locomotives on a B-D-D-B wheelbase built in 1947.  Compare their appearance to the VGN EL-2B's 125-128, which were twin-unit motor-generators on a (B-B)+(B-B) wheelbase.  Both models were built to draw from 11000 Volt, 25-cycle AC catenary.