VPRS 12583 Minutes, Electrification Committee

This series consists of the minutes of the Victorian Railways Electrification Committee's meetings. The Committee, which held its first meeting 4 February 1913, consisted of a Chairman, and representatives from the Rolling Stock, Electrical, Transportation and Ways and Works Branches.Minutes record general administrative activities of the Committee discussed at the meetings, any decisions on general matters, correspondence received, tenders approved, appointments, summaries of reports and budget and expenditure information. Minutes related to a wide range of activities for which the Committee was responsible.Following an arrangement made in London in 1907, Mr Charles H Merz, an English engineer, was appointed to visit Melbourne to prepare a report - complete with plans, drawings, specifications, estimates of costs and financial results - which was to initiate the conversion of steam railways to electric traction in suburban Melbourne. Mr Merz subsequently re-visited Melbourne in September 1912, and received approval from Parliament that the electrification of suburban railways would be proceeded with.The Victorian Railway Commissioners (VA 2876) desired that all questions concerning the electrification work reach them through an Electrification Committee. Furthermore, in accordance with a recommendation of Mr Merz, a separate Electrical Engineering Branch was established. The head of the Branch, the Chief Electrical Engineer, commenced work on 1 May 1913. The Branch was not only concerned with the conversion of steam to electrical power, but also with the production of electrical energy for the running of trains, which principally came from brown coal resources in the La Trobe Valley.The duties of the Committee were:- To act as the medium between Mr. Merz's staff and the Department in respect of all the arrangements involved in carrying out the work,- To supply to Merz's staff any additional information required in connection with the work,- To observe the progress of the various sections of the work,- To maintain an oversight of the expenditure so that, on completion of the work, an comparison may be made between the actual cost and Mr Merz's estimate, and- To hold meetings at frequent intervals, record the proceedings thereof in such manner as to disclose fully how the various matters associated with the work stand, and submit a copy thereof for the information of the Commissioners.