Railway power plants

[Nick_Burman]

Hi all,

 

Before the existence of a National Grid, how was the electricity for electrified lines generated? I know that some private lines, for instance had their own steam (thermal) power plants, did any ever have its own hydro plant? Did JNR ever own (at least a part) of its generating capacity?

 

Cheers NB

[bikkuri bahn]

The Railway Ministry built the Senju Hydroelectric Plant (120,000kW) in 1939 using water from the Shinano River.  Later, when it became JNR, another facility was built downstream called the Ojiya Plant (123,000kW), in 1951.  This plant used water channeled from the Senju facility runoff which was accumulated in an upper reservoir before being run through the generators.

[Nick_Burman]

The Railway Ministry built the Senju Hydroelectric Plant (120,000kW) in 1939 using water from the Shinano River.  Later, when it became JNR, another facility was built downstream called the Ojiya Plant (123,000kW), in 1951.  This plant used water channeled from the Senju facility runoff which was accumulated in an upper reservoir before being run through the generators.

Thanks BB. By any chance do you know of any hydro installations on private railways? By nature these would have been rural lines, the cost of setting up a power plant + transmission lines would have been too high for an urban line*.

 

* with the exception, maybe, of the Kyoto area, where the Biwa Canal project delivered hydroelectricity right inside the conurbation, so to speak.