Most of the business of the line now is hauling out lumber and cross-ties and bringing in coal, fertilizer, cement, gas, oil products and the general run of commodities required in a farming community. Lloyd Allen has been engineer for the past eight years. Mayes was on the section crew before becoming brakeman. In case of sickness, Stanley White doubles in brass as engineer. A 29 year old Navy veteran of World War II, Stanley practically grew up in the cab of an engine, began firing when he was 16 and advanced rapidly to taking over the throttle.
Operating expenses are on the increase.
Major repair work is usually done by Illinois Central mechanics who come to Cadiz from Princeton and Paducah on their off hours. One of the unusual things about this short railroad is the amount of maintenance work done on the line. It is one of the very few short-lines in the entire country that clears its right of way every year and which uses treated cross ties and limestone ballast on which the tracks are laid. An average of 1000 treated cross ties are purchased each year. Cadiz, indicentally, is a leading cross tie center and the railroad sometimes loads three or four cars ot them.