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COLUMNISTS THE IOWA TRACTION IS AN ANACHRONISM AMONGST SHORT LINE RAILROADS. MASON CITY, IOWA, 4/11/2009. PHOTO BY CHRIS STILSON Don’t Forget the Electrics


TALK TO SOME EXPERIENCED RAILFANS and you’ll find there’s a distinct split based upon motive power. On one side are those who love steam locomotion. These fans are usu- ally old enough to remember the last days of revenue steam, along with a small group of under-thirties whose experience is limited to restored museum pieces. On the other side, and a far larger group, are those fans who prefer diesel-electrics — the bigger, the newer, the better. Before this seems like just another case of a polarized American cul- ture, please consider the electrics. The electric railroad is in many ways the predecessor of today’s diesel powered opera- tions. The term “traction” (another name for an electric railroad) came from the traction motors built into the axles of the locomo- tives. The electricity to power these traction motors was either collected from an over- head wire or from a third rail beside the tracks. Diesel locomotives employ an on- board generator, which is why they are called diesel-electrics.


The earliest electric railroads were street- car and trolley lines connecting outlying communities with a larger city or railhead. Such operations have been a small but sig- nificant part of North American railroading since the late 19th century. In some cases, conversion of “steam roads” was made to satisfy


legislation regulating soot and


smoke in urban areas; in some cases long tunnels or underground operations forced the issue. In other situations, electricity was chosen because it reduced the need for trains to stop for water and fuel. In the early 20th century, entrepreneurs dreamed of swift railways running frequent passenger service between distant cities. Electricity was chosen to power these so- called “interurbans” because it was more fu- el efficient, and allowed for lighter equip- ment that could accelerate quickly. This is the situation that is largely responsible for the creation of two of the railroads you will read about in this issue, the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee (page 28), and the


4 JANUARY 2013 • RAILFAN.COM


Chicago, South Shore & South Bend (page 36). With fast intercity runs and a focus on carrying passengers, these lines were prime examples of the interurban era. Despite their niche status, electric lines


have developed a devoted following in rail- fan circles. I believe a lot of this is because the equipment is so distinct and exotic when compared to conventional steam or diesel. Electric locomotives are sometimes gigantic boxes atop oversized driving wheels, and sometimes sleek streamlined car bodies that almost silently glide across the landscape. Interurbans are often


quaintly old-fash-


ioned like jeweled Pullmans, and sometimes futuristic and modern like Philladelphia’s Brill Bullet or the North Shore’s own Elec- troliners. It seemed that every electric rail operation preferred to have its own designs, so that it was rare that any two electric lines looked the same. The longevity of electric equipment meant that it was not uncommon to find trains that were counting forty, fifty, or even sixty years in service.


Time has brought change. Many main line electric routes were converted to diesel after World War II, and many interurbans folded after losing ridership to the private automobile in the depths of the Depression. The North Shore is now fifty years gone, but the South Shore defied this trend and, in modernized form, remains a vital part of Chicago’s regional transportation. Whether electric propulsion will ever come back to the continent’s main lines is debatable, but elsewhere, juice is growing again. Regretting past decisions to tear up interurbans, many cities are now rebuilding them as light rail, subway, and streetcar lines. Details change, but the electric rail- road is once again a growing, relevant part of the North American rail system.


Alexander B. Craghead is a writer, photog- rapher,


watercolorist, and self-described “transportation geek” from Portland, Ore. You can reach out to Alex on our web site at www.railfan.com/departures.


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