There were a few railroads in the U.S. that switched from steam to electric. Some eventually abandoned electric and went to diesel power. Those that switched to electric and still have partial electric operations are located in the north-east and operated by Amtrac (formerly, NYC, PRR and NYNH&H). Their routes extend from Boston to Washington, D.C. There is another railroad worth noting. It is not considered a railroad by some, but never-the-less it ran on tracks had a signaling system, carried passengers and was propelled by electric. It was called the Manhattan elevated, or "El" for short. From about 1870 to 1902, it ran above the streets of Manhattan with coaches pulled by small steam engines. The new Interborough Rapid Transit, (IRT) was being built as an underground subway system. The IRT which opened in 1904 used 600 VDC traction motors. In 1902, the El retired their steam engines and fitted their coaches with electric motors. Eventually the El and the Brooklyn Manhattan Transit (BMT) would also become part of the IRT. One of the interesting facts about the El was; if you considered it a railroad, it was one of the largest electric rail networks in the U.S. The Key system and Pacific Electric in California and a few others across the country may have had more trackage than the El, but the El was totally within the city limits of New York.
Electric Railroads in the U.S.
Re: Electric Railroads in the U.S.
