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The New York, New Haven, and Hartford railroad pioneered electrification of main line railroads using high-voltage, alternating current, single-phase overhead catenary. It electrified its mainline between Stamford, CT and Woodlawn, NY in 1907, and extended the electrification to New Haven, CT in 1914. While single-phase AC railroad electrification has become commonplace, the New Haven's system was unprecedented at the time of construction. The significance of this electrification was recognized in 1982 by its designation as a National Historic Engineering Landmark by the ASME. == Initial Electrification Experiments == thumb The New York, New Haven, and Hartford tried several experiments with low-voltage DC electrification in the decade preceding their main line overhead electrification. These included: *1895 electrification of of line between Nantasket Junction and Pemberton, MA using overhead copper contact wire at 600-700 Vdc. *This line was extended an additional to East Weymouth around 1896. *Third-rail electrification between Hartford, New Britain, and Berlin, a total of in 1896. This third-rail system was unique; it consisted of an inverted V cross-section rail, mounted on the cross ties between the running rails, and was totally exposed. The third rail system resulted, not surprisingly, in a number of accidents. It also resulted in a decree from the Connecticut supreme court on June 13, 1906 forbidding the use of third rail electrification within the state.〔McHenry, 1907, p.177〕 The New Haven was forced by this decision to design their main line electrification system using overhead catenary. Several different systems combinations of voltage and frequency were considered in the initial design. Due to the relatively large distances involved, transmission at high voltages using alternate current was recognized as being unavoidable. An architecture similar to commercial DC utilities and urban railroads was considered using high voltage transmission lines, rotary converters, and overhead DC catenary. The studies of the time assumed an electrical efficiency of only 75% for this architecture. The highest voltage for which generators could be reliably designed at this time was about 22 kV. An intermediate design was considered using 22 kV transmission lines, substations to reduce catenary voltage to between 3 and 6 kV, and transformers on the engines to the 560 V required by the traction motors.〔 The railroad realized that it could save significant capital cost if the intermediate substitution were omitted and locomotives received line voltage at around 11 kV. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Electrification of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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