Re: OK, what's a baldwin Soda Motor?

I'm not sure as to the exact construction but the "boiler" used a very strong soda soultion to generate heat by the addition of water. This in theory produced enough heat to generate steam to run the engine. The exaust steam was also added to the soda, producing more heat and so on.

It was intened to compete with electic systems in urban areas without the investment of electrification, the noise and polution, and without retooling or educating the back shop.

It didn't work.

I don't have my copy handy to look but I belive that the book "The Electric railways of Minnesota" by Olson has a good disertation on the ML&MR and the Soda motors. They also tried an early Van de Poole electric system.

I think the Como Harriet Street car line follows the ML&MR old grade.