Electric Train on the C. M. & St. P. 



electrical energy first utilized for the handling of heavily loaded trans-continental 

 freight trains. 



The Butte, Anaconda & Pacific railway, running from Butte to Anaconda, with 

 90 miles of track electrified, and carrying in addition to heavy passenger business, 

 Immense ore trains between the Butte mines and the Anaconda smelter, was the 

 first successful attempt to utilize electric power to replace steam locomotives for 

 heavy railway traffic. The work of the Butte, Anaconda & Pacific was watched 

 with interest by railway experts all over the world, and as soon as its success was 

 demonstrated the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway let contracts for the 

 electrification of its lines across the main ranges of the Rocky and Bitter Root 

 mountains, a distance, from Harlowton, Montana, to Avery, Idaho, of 440 miles. 

 This work has been completed and the success of the undertaking has exceeded the 

 expectations of its fondest promoters. 



Cheap Power Over Mountains. 



It is apparent that it is a matter of but a very short time until all the trans- 

 continental railways, especially in their mountain divisions, will turn to electrical 

 operation. In fact it is a matter of common knowledge that other transcontinental 

 systems are even now making provision for this inevitable change. The electrical 

 method of operation not only has the advantage of making large savings in the 

 expenses of operation by the elimination of coal and the greatly reduced main- 

 tenance expense of electric locomotives as compared with steam locomotives, but 

 also on account of the fact that with the increase in traffic, due to the rapid 

 development of western and oriental business, the capacity of the whole line is 



