Electric Traction : The earliest in 1839 between Edinburgh and Glasgow – drew power from a series of primary cells. Railway engineers did not like it and feared that this may replace Steam Engines. The idea met its ends.

The electric traction started again after 40 years in England.

In India it was started in 1925 necessitated by difficulty in maintenance of a huge number of steam locomotives in the steep ghat sections of Bhore ghat and Thal ghat in GIPR for banking and also to avoid scarcity of water in arid regions.

The chronological sequence of electric traction in India is detailed below.
 

  1. 1925 -- Bombay to Kurla of G.I.P.R.--9.5 miles
  2. 1928 -- Bombay - Borivili under B.B.C.I. -- 22.5 miles
  3. 1929 -- Entire Bombay Kalyan section covering 33 miles
  4. 1929-30 -- Kalyan to Igatpuri --52 miles   Kalyan to Poona -- 86 miles
  5. 1930 -- Meter gauge track between Madras Beach to Tambaram -- 18 miles
  6. 1936 -- Borivili to Virar on BB&CIR 16.5 miles


BACK


Dr.Siemen's Locomotive 1879 hauling
passengers in an exhibition ground


Thomas Edison's first electric locomotive 1880


Early electric loco with Thomas Edison
resembling a  steam locomotive


SIR's electric locomotive with a "Tender" carrying Battery cells.

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