by TheOneKEA
Why did the Pennsylvania Railroad never attempt to install any 25Hz generators at the Conowingo Dam in Maryland to power the PRR 138kV electric system? I did a bit of research and noted that the dam was under construction during the same time period as the PRR's electrification efforts of the late 20s and early 30s; the dam started construction in 1926 and was online in 1928, nearly 10 years before most of the electrification south of Wilmington was completed.
I haven't done any deeper research yet but I was curious if anyone knew why the PRR never took advantage of an apparent opportunity to add generation capacity to their system and supplement the power supplied by Safe Harbor and Benning Road for the southern part of their Main Line to D.C. It puzzles me that the PRR wouldn't take advantage of the original open space in the dam powerhouse to install at least one 25Hz turbine and run a 138kV transmission line along the Port Road to Perry Sub; it also puzzles me that the PRR wouldn't have also supplied Conowingo Sub 53 directly from a 25Hz turbine in the dam and removed the need for the taps from the Safe Harbor to Perryville transmission line.
I haven't done any deeper research yet but I was curious if anyone knew why the PRR never took advantage of an apparent opportunity to add generation capacity to their system and supplement the power supplied by Safe Harbor and Benning Road for the southern part of their Main Line to D.C. It puzzles me that the PRR wouldn't take advantage of the original open space in the dam powerhouse to install at least one 25Hz turbine and run a 138kV transmission line along the Port Road to Perry Sub; it also puzzles me that the PRR wouldn't have also supplied Conowingo Sub 53 directly from a 25Hz turbine in the dam and removed the need for the taps from the Safe Harbor to Perryville transmission line.
