Niagara Buffalo lines doubles capacity

Niagara-Buffalo Transmission Line.

BY ORRIN E. DUNLAP.

The power transmission line running between Niagara Falls and Buffalo has recently been doubled in capacity by the stringing of three additional copper cables. This line is owned by the Niagara Falls Power company, and it was in the fall of 1896 that the first three cables were strung, which, with the three just added, make six cables in all for the transmission of power. The three cables, last strung are of the same size as the three, original cables, each having 19 strands and each being of 350,000 circular mils. All the power cables are placed on the upper crossarm, three on each side of the pole. The lower crossarm, intended for power cables, is as yet unused. The length of each of the copper cables is about 26 miles, thus in the six cables there are over 150 miles of line if the cables were strung end to end. The number of insulators has likewise been increased to six.

Niagara-Buffalo Transmission Line.

The Niagara Falls Power company has found the demand for power in Buffalo fully up to its expectations, and it has very promptly enlarged the capacity of the transmission line in order to supply the call for current. When the pole line was erected it was built in expectation of enlarging the transmission, and the addition, to its capacity has been very rapidly effected. In the transformer station at Niagara Falls men are busy installing seven new transformers, to be put in service on the line as called for. Each of these transformers has a capacity of 1,250 horse power, and thus the 10 will represent over 10,000 horse power. These machines are the product of the General Electric company, and have been described in this journal. They will stand in rows of four over the air chamber in the station adjoining the power house. By their use the voltage of the current is raised to about 11,000. The transmission of additional power to Buffalo also calls for an increase in the number of step-down transformers at the Buffalo end of-the line, and this increase is being made.