Abstract: A power loom is started by first accelerating a flywheel mass to an r.p.m. higher than a rated operational r.p.m. of a loom drive shaft while the flywheel mass is disconnected from the loom drive shaft but connected to the loom drive motor which is operated at a higher r.p.m. than the rated operational r.p.m. Then, the flywheel mass is connected to the loom drive shaft while the loom drive motor is disconnected from its power supply so that only the energy stored in the accelerated flywheel mass accelerates the loom drive shaft to its rated r.p.m. Then, after the first beat of the reed the drive motor is electrically reconnected to its power supply for driving the loom at the rated r.p.m. The motor may be operated at a higher r.p.m. e.g., through a frequency converter or by switching a multipole motor from a higher pole number, e.g., four poles to a lower pole number, e.g. two poles, whereby the motor operation at the higher pole number with a lower r.p.m. corresponds to the rated operational r.p.m.