New Plant on the PRR Baltimore Gas and Electric

Soft coal delivered by the PRR is fueling one of America's newest and most modern power plants, the Charles P. Crane Station of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company.

New Charles P. Crane Generating Station occupies a 164-acre site on Chesapeake Bay

The new plant, named for a former chief executive of the utility, occupies 164 acres on the west side of Chesapeake Bay, outside Baltimore. For this fast growing area it means a major new power source. For PRR employees it spells new opportunities to win a lasting patron for their Railroad through prompt, courteous service.

Crane Station is designed for ultimate expansion to four turbine-generator units. The first unit, with a rated output of 191,000 kilowatts, went into operation last year; a second unit is now under construction.

The plant burns crushed coal to produce electricity from steam by turbine-generator. The coal is received via a new spur line laid by the PRR's Chesapeake legion. Cars are spotted at a rotary car dumper, and the coal is emptied into a giant hopper, from which it travels to a plant stockpile at the rate of 1,200 tons per hour.

District Sales Mgr. E. R. Norris and Sales Rep. E. G. Krauss on tour of the plant.

A noteworthy innovation is the replacement of conventional large boilerhouse coal bunkers with smaller capacity silos atop the plant. These, plus field hoppers under the coal storage pile, assure continuous boiler fuel supply.

The hoppers feature vibrating feeders which regulate coal flow to belts leading to the silos. When the coal in any silo hits a predetermined minimum, the coal handling system automatically operates at a rate of 200 tons per hour to fill all the silos to capacity, and then shuts down. On its way to the silos, the coal is crushed, freed of debris, and its weight recorded. A glance at a panel board tells the control room engineer if this equipment is operating properly.

At full load the boiler consumes 65 tons of coal every hour. This coal originates in mines of western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia. From these points it is hauled on Pennsylvania Railroad lines to the Chesapeake Region for delivery to Baltimore Gas and Electric Company's newest generating plant.

PRR switching crew moves generator of 191,000-kilowatt capacity for delivery to plant.