The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-03-23

The Position and Prospects of the Grand
Trunk.
We have Just been furnished with the fol-
lowing important information concerning this
great national road, for publication:
| During the three years of 1867, 1868 and 1869
456 miles of the road have been relaid with new
rails of much heavier weight than those orig
nally laid. This is an average of 152 miles
| year, the rails having been partly imported
| from England, and partly rolled at Toronto,
| portland and Detroit, for the different Sec
tons of the line. AS soon as steel rails have
lleen laid the whole distance from Kingston to
SherbrOoke. it is intended to cOntioue them
West TO Belevlle aud East to the United
states boundary line Steel rails will be laid
every year, which will be imported from Eng.
land, until the work is accomplished This
year ITO miles of track will BE- laid, of which all
but fifty miles will bp of iron manufactured at
Portland, Toronto and Detroit.
Four hundred thousand new sleepers are
iald every year to keep the road in good order
Sixty miles OF road were ballasted last year
and one hundred miles will be balasted this
ana the two following years. Three hundred
and twenty engines are now owned by the
company, including fifty -fonr from Glasgow
ana a number from the Portland Company,
which have been added the last six years. Two
nuoored cars so constructed that they can run
Irom Boston to st. Louis over the d1nerenl
gauges, have been placed on the road, and
three hundred more are 10 the course OF con-
struction. They will all be at work at the end
of the year. A company in Montreal formed
to purchase and lend rolling stock to railroad
companies, has contracted to supply 500 box
cars Fifty have been delivered and the rest
will be completed by the end of the year. By
this means an increased freight traffic can be
done.
The company own 147 first class and sleeping
cars The Oldest of the ordinary cars will be
turned IhtO emigraut cars and the sleeping
cars into first class day passenger cars.
A contract has been made with the well
known PIT liman Car Company" to place their
palace sleeping cars upon the Grand Trunk
railway. 1t will probably take upwards of 20
OF these cars to probably stock the line. Eight
of them are now under construction in the
workshops at Point St Charles, under the d.
rect supervision of the Pullman Company.
They will be proceeded with as rapidly as pos
sble, and some of them will, it is hoped be
running in a few months.
Within the last few days a contract has also
been made with the "Wason Manufacturing
Co. OF Springfield, Mass, to build - of the
very best description of first class passenger
cars. They are to be equal to aoy cars running
upon any lines in the United States, and are
all to be delivered by the middle of August at
the latest.
The existing stock of first class cars are be-
ing thoroughly overhauled ard improved, and
by the end Of the present year the passenger
cars of the Grand Trunk Railway are intend
ed to be equal in every respect to those on the
best line in the United States.
In order to run the trains for passengers
much quicker than at present, twelve new en-
gines have been ordered and are to be deliver
ed by June next.
As soon as some of this new stock is received
it is intended to improve the train service
Through trains, with Pulman's sleeping cars,
will be run between Portland and Sarnia in
about "a hours. The time between Montreal
and Toronto will pi obablv be about 10 hours,
and passengers leaving either city at night
will arrive at Montreal or Toronto at or before
10 O'Clock the next morning These through
tr inns will be in direct connection at Montreal
with the through express trains to and from
Boston, and also with the Michigan Central
from Detroit.
To enable these trains to be run as proposed,
local trains will be run on some parts Of the
line, so as to prevent the necessity for the
through express trains stopping at so many
small stations.
The gross earnings of the Company have in
creased from about $56OO,O0O in 1864, to up
wards of 81 100 900 in 1862 aud the receipts TOR
the present year so far show considerable in
crease over those for 1869.
The bridge at Buffalo will be proceeded with
this spring, and will, it is expected, be COM
pleted by the close of 1871. When that is
opened it will add largely to the traffic of the
line in the western peninsula.
It is satisfactory also that the credit of an
undertaking of such vast Importance to Canada
as the Grand Trunk Railway is RAPIDLY i'm
proving 10 England and that it will thus be
enabled to make very considerable improve
ments and additions to its rolling stock, both
as regards quantity and quality, and to con.
tinue and extend the improvements which
have been going on for several years with re-
spect to its permanent way.