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EDWIN B. KATTE https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=28072	Page 1 of 1

Author:	NH0401 [ Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:01 pm ]
Post subject:	EDWIN B. KATTE
Although this fellow died a long time ago, I thought it only fair that his name be attached to some of the great works that survive him. EDWIN B. KATTE, FIRST CHAIR OF THE ASME RAIL TRANSPORTATION DIVISION, 1920-1923 During the first three years of the RTD Edwin B. Katte, Chief Engineer, Electric Traction of the New York Central Lines, held the position of Chair. He is the only person to have held that position for more than two terms, and no person has held that position for more than two terms since 1928. Born October 16, 1871 in St. Louis, Mo., where his father, Colonel Walter Katte, was in charge of the construction of the Eads Bridge, Mr. Katte received his early engineering training at Sibley College, Cornell University, from which he was graduated in 1893. His railroad career began January 1, 1896, and from then until December 1903, he served consecutively with the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad as assistant engineer in charge of the Park Avenue Viaduct, in the drafting department of the chief engineer’s office, as assistant engineer in charge of water supply; then was appointed mechanical engineer in the Engineering Department in charge of the design and construction of light, heat and power plants, coaling stations and water supply. In December 1903, he was appointed electrical engineer, a position that carried with it the secretaryship of the Electric Traction Commission. Three years later he was made Chief Engineer of Electric Traction for the New York Central Railroad, in charge of design, construction and operation of the electric traction systems of the road. Early Engineering Work Between the time that he completed his college work (he was granted the degree of Master Mechanical Engineer after a year’s residence study), and the time that he joined the New York Centrals forces, Mr. Katte was doing important preparatory work. He was employed as a machinist and erector in the hydraulic works of the Henry R. Worthington Company, South Brooklyn, N.Y., from 1894 to 1896. It was from there that he went into the Railroad’s services. During his early years there his work embraced the preliminary calculations, design and construction of the heat, light and power plant for the remodeled old Grand Central Station in New York; also the design and installation of the electric lighting and elevator plant for the Union Passenger Station at Albany; and the electric light and power plant for the Weehawken Passenger Station; a lighting system for the West Albany Shops and a central power plant for the car and locomotive shops there, having a capacity of 2,000 horsepower. He also handled a central station for the Weehawken Terminal of 2,300 kilowatts capacity in alternating current steam-driven generators, and directed many other engineering jobs for the Railroad. As electrical engineer and secretary of the Electric Traction Commission of the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad, he had direct charge of the electrical and mechanical engineering corps engaged in electrifying the lines in and out of New York City. This was the first trunk line steam railroad to have its entire through and suburban service hauled by electricity, not only in this country but abroad. This undertaking included two 30,000-kilowatt capacity central stations, which were among the first to use large capacity turbine driven alternators. The system included nine substations with batteries, extensive aerial and underground 11,000-volt transmission systems, 600-volt direct current distributing systems and 285 miles of third rail. The equipment included seventy-three of the most powerful, high speed passenger electric locomotives up to that time constructed, also 212 all-steel motor cars, being the first allsteel cars constructed for a trunk line railroad. After becoming chief engineer of electric traction, Mr. Katte had charge of the design, construction and operation of the electric traction system, and the design and construction of many new types of electric locomotives, multiple unit motor cars, the design and installation of modern power station and substation appliances and the extension of the electric traction system of the New York Central from Woodlawn to White Plains and from Yonkers to Croton. In March 1922, he was appointed consulting electrical engineer for the Cleveland Union Terminal Company, having charge of the design and construction of the electric traction system entering this station, both for the railroads and for the electric interurban systems. Mr. Katte was instrumental in the development of the Diesel-electric locomotives for switching and main line service. Several of the pioneer locomotives of this system were developed directly under his supervision. In November 1925, he was appointed chairman of the committee having charge of the electrification of the freight service of the New York Central on its West Side tracks in New York City. Two months later he was named chairman of the New York Central Lines Mechanical and Electrical Committee, which coordinates the electrical and mechanical activities of all the Lines. His vast activity in the electrical field brought him many associations. The technical societies of which he was a member, in addition to Kappa Alpha, are the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Railway Engineering Association, New York Electrical Society, American Committee on Electrolysis, and the American Committee on Inductive Coordination. He served as an officer or committee chairman of each organization and presented many technical papers before various groups. He was also a member of the New York Railroad Club, the University Club, Century Association, and Transportation Club in New York City, and of the Ardsley Club at Ardsley-on-Hudson. In addition, Mr. Katte took an active part in technical education work, as witness his service as consulting electrical engineer to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, as an alumni representative at the College of Engineering, Cornell University, and as a member of the Committee on University Relations of the American Railway Association. He lectured before engineering classes at Harvard, Cornell, Stevens Institute of Technology and the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. During the World War he held a commission as Major in the Engineer Officers’ Reserve Corps of the United States Army, but did not see active duty because of his Government employment as Chief Engineer of Electric Traction in the United States Railroad Administration. He was First Sergeant and later Second Lieutenant in the Irvington, N.Y., Home Guard, and he served on Liberty Loan, Red Cross, War Workers, and Y.M.C.A. committees. Mr. Katte died at his home in Irvington, N.Y. the morning of July 19, 1928 at the age of 56, and after an illness of more than a year. Surviving him were his widow, the former Miss Elvira King, daughter of Thomas M. King, one-time president of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad; his mother, Mrs. Walter Katte; a sister, Mrs. Edwin G. Merrill; a daughter, Elizabeth, and a son, Edwin B. Katte, Jr. Funeral services were conducted Saturday, July 28, 1928, from St. Barnabas’ Church at Irvington. Burial was in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Tarrytown, N.Y.

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