OIL AS LOCOMOTIVE FUEL 91 



would have been cheaper. It is clear, however, that, in such cases, 

 the use of oil is distinctly economical in the long run, on account of the 

 resultant decrease in cost of fire-fighting, loss of company's property, 

 and amount of damage claims. 



The use of wood as locomotive fuel has long since practically disap- 

 peared, except on some logging railways. For years coal was used 

 almost exclusively. Recently, however, the use of oil fuel by railways 

 has increased tremendously. The available world supplies of oil appear 

 to be adequate for an almost indefinite expansion of such use, for an 

 indefinite period of time. However, the constantly increasing prices 

 of fuel oil have seriously halted the movement as to use by railways. In 

 some cases, railways are reverting in whole or in part, to the use of coal. 

 Examples of this are portions of the Rock Island, Santa Fe, and Frisco 

 systems, where coal-biuners have recently replaced oil-burners on 

 3,679 miles of line. 



As indicating the same tendency abroad, reference is made to a 

 recent dispatch announcing that on account of the increased price of 

 fuel oU, the Australian Government will change its oil-burning locomo- 

 tives back to coal-burning. 



Another announcement, at about the same time, indicating the 

 opposite or onward tendency of the movement in other parts of the 

 world, is to the effect that the iastallation of oil-btiming locomotives 

 is being considered on some of the Government railways in India. 



On the other hand, some railways are adopting, or considering 

 the adoption of, electricity for motive power, especially on mountain 

 sections, where water power is naturally abundant, conveniently sit- 

 uated, and cheap, and where the greatly-increased efficiency of such 

 power on heavy grades is particularly valuable' from the point of view 

 of efficient and economical operation. The absolute disappearance 

 of fire danger due to locomotive operation, while an incidental benefit 

 of great value, is probably in no case a governing consideration. An 

 illustration along this line is the Chicago, Milwaukee and Puget Sound 

 railway, which is now undertaking the electrification of its line between 

 Harlowton, Montana, and Avery, Idaho, a distance of 440 miles. This 

 portion of the line, together with a large additional mileage, is now 

 using oil as locomotive fuel. It is announced that the work of electri- 

 fication is to be completed by the middle of 19 14. The Canadian 

 Pacific Railway has also announced its intention to electrify its line 

 between Castlegar and Rossland, in Southern British Columbia. 



Some of the coal-buming roads, utilize that fuel, wholly or in part, 

 because they have important coal traffic to foster. In some cases, the 

 railway companies own or control their own coal fields, and are thus 



