Milestone-Proposal:Mainline Electrification of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, 1895: Difference between revisions

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{{ProposalEdit|a1=Mainline Electrification of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, 1895|a2a=The Milestone achievement took place in the City of Baltimore, MD.|a2b=The Milestone resides in the IEEE Baltimore Section.|a3=The design and construction work took place in the period leading up to 27 June 1895 when the mainline electrificaiton first went into service.  It remained in service until 1952.|a4=The Baltimore & Ohio Belt Railway electrification marked the first time that electric propulsion was applied to mainline freight and passenger operation. Smoke free propulsion was mandated by local ordinance which forbade smoke flues or vents in the Howard Street Tunnel that passed under a fashionable area of Baltimore. An electric locomotive provided the sole propulsion to a train that consisted of standard passenger and freight rail cars plus an idle steam locomotive.|a5=All prior application of electric power to rail operation involved the use of street railways or was limited to the movement of freight cars at slow speeds over street trackage to industrial plants located thereon.|a6=The technical challenges were two fold. First, movement of mainline trains at normal speeds required the design and construction of a locomotive with 1000% greater power than any constructed previously. Second, the provision of adequate propulsion power required concentrated power generation that exceeded the total capacity of utilities such as the Edison Electric Illuminating Co. of NY which comprised five stations. The required locomotive performance was achieved with a scheme that coupled large motors to the wheels by a steel "spider," the arms of which were fitted with rubber blocks that engaged the spokes of the driving wheels. Power was provided by large (for that time) 500-kW compound dynamos connected to permit a voltage increase of as much as 25% to meet peak demand. In view of the unprecedented high current involved, power distribution initially used a steel overhead contact system. Likewise, integrity of return current conduction was assured as the usual running rail path was supplemented with a bonded cable to mitigate possible stray current issues.|a7=The Howard Street Tunnel still exists but is not suitable for the location of the Milestone plaque.  The intended site for the plaque is the B&O Railroad Museum, located at Pratt and Poppleton Streets (901 West Pratt Street), Baltimore, MD 21223. the Museum is on the site of the historic Mt. Clare shops, considered by many to be the birthplace of American railroading.  The Museum is comprised of five historic buildings located on approximately 40 acres and houses one of the world's finest and most comprehensive collections of railroad locomotives, rolling stock, and other artifacts. The Museum has been granted National Historic Landmark status by the U.S. Deartment of the Interior. The Museum's centerpiece building is the original B&O roundhouse built in 1884 and in continuous railroad use until 1953. Courtney Wilson, the Museum's executive director, has agreed to have the Museum host the plaque and is in support of this Milestone effort.|a8=Yes|a9=The Milestone plaque would be mounted in the entrance hall of the historic Mt. Clare Station, the first building that visitors enter. The plaque would therefore be accessible at no cost to any members of the public visiting the Museum complex. The site is indoors and is a secure facility. The GPS coordinates of the approximate site of the plaque are: (39 deg.17'08.29"N),(76 deg.37'56.01"W.|a10=In 1990, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum became an independent nonprofit education institution controlled by a board of directors.|a11=Yes|a12=The IEEE Baltimore Section has agreed to sponsor the Milestone nomination.  The 2011 Section Chair is Alan Pressman whose email adddress is: alan.pressman@constellation.com |a13name=Alan Pressman|a13section=Baltimore Section|a13position=2011 Section Chair|a13email=alan.pressman@constellation.com|a14name=Anna Romaniuk|a14ou=Baltimore Section|a14position=Milestone Nominating Committee Chair and immediate past Section Chair|a14email=aromaniuk@ieee.org|a15Aname=Anna Romaniuk|a15Aemail=aromaniuk@ieee.org|a15Aname2=Joseph Cunningham|a15Aemail2=joec20@earthlink.net|a15Bname=Anna Romaniuk|a15Bemail=aromaniuk@ieee.org|a15Bname2=?|a15Bemail2=|a15Cname=Anna Romaniuk|a15Ctitle=Milestone Nominating Committee Chair and immediate past Section Chair|a15Corg=IEEE Baltimore Section|a15Caddress=114 West Fort Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21230|a15Cphone=(443) 708-1036|a15Cemail=aromaniuk@ieee.org}}
{{ProposalEdit|a1=Mainline Electrification of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, 1895|a2a=The Milestone achievement took place in the City of Baltimore, MD.|a2b=The Milestone resides in the IEEE Baltimore Section.|a3=The design and construction work took place in the period leading up to 27 June 1895 when the mainline electrificaiton first went into service.  It remained in service until 1952.|a4=The Baltimore & Ohio Belt Railway electrification marked the first time that electric propulsion was applied to mainline freight and passenger operation. Smoke free propulsion was mandated by local ordinance which forbade smoke flues or vents in the Howard Street Tunnel that passed under a fashionable area of Baltimore. An electric locomotive provided the sole propulsion to a train that consisted of standard passenger and freight rail cars plus an idle steam locomotive.|a5=All prior application of electric power to rail operation involved the use of street railways or was limited to the movement of freight cars at slow speeds over street trackage to industrial plants located thereon.|a6=The technical challenges were two fold. First, movement of mainline trains at normal speeds required the design and construction of a locomotive with 1000% greater power than any constructed previously. Second, the provision of adequate propulsion power required concentrated power generation that exceeded the total capacity of utilities such as the Edison Electric Illuminating Co. of NY which comprised five stations. The required locomotive performance was achieved with a scheme that coupled large motors to the wheels by a steel "spider," the arms of which were fitted with rubber blocks that engaged the spokes of the driving wheels. Power was provided by large (for that time) 500-kW compound dynamos connected to permit a voltage increase of as much as 25% to meet peak demand. In view of the unprecedented high current involved, power distribution initially used a steel overhead contact system. Likewise, integrity of return current conduction was assured as the usual running rail path was supplemented with a bonded cable to mitigate possible stray current issues.|a7=The Howard Street Tunnel still exists but is not suitable for the location of the Milestone plaque.  The intended site for the plaque is the B&O Railroad Museum, located at Pratt and Poppleton Streets (901 West Pratt Street), Baltimore, MD 21223. the Museum is on the site of the historic Mt. Clare shops, considered by many to be the birthplace of American railroading.  The Museum is comprised of five historic buildings located on approximately 40 acres and houses one of the world's finest and most comprehensive collections of railroad locomotives, rolling stock, and other artifacts. The Museum has been granted National Historic Landmark status by the U.S. Deartment of the Interior. The Museum's centerpiece building is the original B&O roundhouse built in 1884 and in continuous railroad use until 1953. Courtney Wilson, the Museum's executive director, has indicated that the Museum would be honored to be the location of the plaque.|a8=Yes|a9=The approximately 40-acre site is appropriately fenced and is a secure site. It is accessible to all members of the public who visit the museum. The proposed specific location of the plaque is at the Education Station building on the site. this location is the centralized repository for other plaques acquired through the years. The GPS coordinates of the proposed site of the plaque are: (39 deg.17'07.81"N),(76 deg.38'00.43"W.|a10=In 1990, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum became an independent nonprofit education institution controlled by a board of directors.|a11=Yes|a12=The IEEE Baltimore Section has agreed to sponsor the Milestone nomination.  The 2011 Section Chair is Alan Pressman whose email adddress is: alan.pressman@constellation.com|a13name=Alan Pressman|a13section=Baltimore Section|a13position=2011 Section Chair|a13email=alan.pressman@constellation.com|a14name=Anna Romaniuk|a14ou=Baltimore Section|a14position=Milestone Nominating Committee Chair and immediate past Section Chair|a14email=aromaniuk@ieee.org|a15Aname=Anna Romaniuk|a15Aemail=aromaniuk@ieee.org|a15Aname2=Joseph Cunningham|a15Aemail2=joec20@earthlink.net|a15Bname=Anna Romaniuk|a15Bemail=aromaniuk@ieee.org|a15Bname2=?|a15Bemail2=|a15Cname=Anna Romaniuk|a15Ctitle=Milestone Nominating Committee Chair and immediate past Section Chair|a15Corg=IEEE Baltimore Section|a15Caddress=114 West Fort Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21230|a15Cphone=(443) 708-1036|a15Cemail=aromaniuk@ieee.org}}

Revision as of 20:45, 21 January 2011