Wired for Success: The Butte, Anaconda & Pacific Railway, 1892-1985

by Charles V. Mutschler

Overview

This lavishly illustrated story of technology, people, and commerce describes the Butte, Anaconda & Pacific Railway's hauling of vast amounts of copper ore from Butte Hill, Montana, westward to smelter operations at Anaconda—a distance of twenty-six miles. Charles V. Mutschler puts the saga in context, whether discussing the labor violence of the 1890s, the role of steam during America's Gilded Age, or the expansion of highway competition since the 1920s.

Founded in 1892 and owned by Anaconda Copper, the BA&P led the way in early twentieth century electrified railroading. In 1912, General Electric was contracted to convert the short line's operations from steam to electric. The BA&P became a proving ground for railroad electrification and the center of attention for electric-power advocates. In particular, the Milwaukee Road—soon to be a leader in main line electrification—took a very keen interest in the BA&P.

For the first time in book-length treatment, Wired for Success delineates the BA&P's essential role in the development of electric railroads in the United States.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780874222524
Publisher:	Washington State University Press
Publication date:	06/18/2002
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.38(d)

About the Author

Charles V. Mutschler earned a Ph.D. in history from Washington State University and currently resides in Cheney, Washington, where he is an archivist and educator at Eastern Washington University.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CHAPTERS
INTRODUCTION
1. THE RICHEST HILL ON EARTH, 1860-1900
2. STEEL RAILS AND COPPER KINGS
3. THE COPPER SHORT LINE
4. WHITE COAL vs. KING COAL
5. THE BUSIEST LITTLE RAILROAD IN THE WORLD
6. END OF AN AGE
7. EPILOGUE: SUCCESS OR FAILURE?

APPENDICES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Editorial Reviews

"[Charles Mutschler] has painstakingly researched the BA&P, collected an array of photographs, and produced several useful appendixes and a detailed bibliography."

—Roger H. Grant, Department of History, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, Journal of the West (Fall 2003)

"Mutschler's excellent history details BA&P from conception to its 1985 sale. It will be difficult for any future author to go much further than this complete, readable, elegant book."

—Trains Magazine

"BA&P was a leader in electrification and paved the way for steps taken by larger railroads."

—Jim Fredrickson, author of Railroad Shutterbug and Steam to Diesel

"The argument made in this book about electrification versus steam is the most comprehensive I have read."

—Robert G. Olsen, WSU School of Electrical Engineering

From the Publisher