The St. Gothard Electric Railway.

Electrification progress in Switzerland has been most rapid. During the recent summer meeting, in Switzerland, of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers, opportunity was taken to inspect some of the more important electrified routes, and in particular the world-famous St. Gothard electric railway. The power for operating this famous Alpine route is secured from two plants. One is the Ritom works, situated about five miles beyond the southern entrance to the St. Gothard tunnel, and the other the Amsteg plant, situated at the northern entrance. The Ritom plant is a winter station, and the Amsteg plant supplies power needs during the summer months. At Ritom, water is collected in a huge lake fed by the Alpine rivers, and the turbine machinery develops 60,000 h.p. Natural water-power is similarly harnessed at Amsteg, an enormous dam having been built in the mountains, feeding, by means of a tunnel, some six turbine generators, each developing 15,000 h.p. The possession of an abundance of natural water-power is the secret of Switzerland's progress in the electrification field, and in the electrical era that lies ahead, these fast-flowing Alpine streams are going to be far more valuable than the most extensive coal deposits.