St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-12-04
st. cSuhnsturp Galrdonian.
The N. Y. Central R. R.

The N. Y. Central R. R.
OF the opening 10y the y. Y. Central
of the freight tracks from Albany to
Buffalo. the Wudcltowu Times very
truly remarks that the enterprise marks
IN epoch in railroad management. The
new Tracks. or the old. will he used for
freight exclusively ; one track for
freight going east. one for freight going
west. This will insure two results.
namely. economy i'll transportation and
speed in the NOV cement of trains. The
cost to the Central company III repairs
upon rolling stock in freight trains has
been enormous under the present sys-
tenn. \ freight train started. say, ahead
of Il passenger Train and rum thirty,
FIFTY. or sixty miles. has to hc pulled
ujit on Il siding several times on it, trip
10 let the ta>ic. tram pass. bl the
backing and the Stating great damage
l. done to ears bumpers and truck,
suffer disa>troI ,N and eXpenSivclN.
Sometimes as any as eighty tcigh:
cans per day injlcd in this way have
been sent to the shops in West Albany.
The loss of time, the waste of capital.
the expense OF repairs, sWellt d the cost
of runnin. the fright trains to Il very
large figure, i'll ute OF Il perfect track
aud the greatc~, are t" prevent these
results. But ROW II totally different
plan VIII prevail! \ train of seventy
i've or more cans for through point,,
viii start from iiutlalo 1t Il low rate of
speed but that train will have the
right of way. 1t will move without
stopping, except for the care of the
locomotives and the change of them
night and day the train will move on -
it, destination there will be no back
in" or pulling: he loss 10y standing will
Ice nil tn" wear and tear of the stock
will he reduced to il minimum the
same amount of rolling stock will do
vast deal more business. 50 that the
waste in Interest will he brought to the
smallest practicable amount. Time aS
well az money will he saved. The OPP
Grafton OF this road in this way will lie
the demonstration OF the principle that
cheap freight 10y rail must he done on
exclusive freight roads. To these evil
lrut advantages the Times adds the
following considerations
The enterprise OF the Central com
pauN is not IN experiment. 1t Is the
deduction from thoughtful experience {:
it is the tmon>tration 10y exact math-
cmatical calculation of the problem #
cheap transportation hy rail. The La
reaching men vino manage this property
are not Il>hll and hlimdlN making the
investment of millions of dollars. Rut
what they demonstrate will become Il
general fact through which other men
may reap profit the whole World
may realize on their gains 10y the appi
cation of the principle.
1t i quite IL common thing to fling
cpithctS at the family which manages
the Central Railroad. But i it just to
them all Commodore Vanderbilt
gained IL fortune in steam boating. He
could have put that money in bonds nr
mortgages and grown richer, and done
nothing but count his gains. He turned
from the business which had occupied
the prime of his life to another which
was really supplanting the former in
the extent of its StupendouS undertake
ings. He put his capital INFO railroad
property, sparinT enough to make
royal present I" the government in the
early days of the war, i'll the shape OF
one of the best steamboats, then atioat.
Every railroad property which he has
touched has improved in value and in
use to the public. too. The Central
railroad is not the property it WAS i'll
lists, either in value. III Use. or in ac-
Communications which it extends to tn"
public. More trains run now than six
years ago freight rates are lower than
they were then no annual solicitation
is made To the Legislature for increased
passenger fares better depot accom-
modatlons have been provided from
Albany to Buffalo. Large concessions
are made to shippers of local freight
iii the interior tn aid them in their vent
urcS. The old gentleman has brought
Ia his aid. sonS and SonS-in- Law. with
capital and brains and industry to man
age this vast property. Past perform
ances are now crowned hy this new
work the two tracks are hccouc fuUr
tracks the capacity of that road j.
more than douhcd. lie that makes
tw" spears of grass grow where one
grew before does Il worthy act. What
shall bc the credit of those who have
wrought such works a. We name with
the capital an hu>iur>S capacity Van
drrhilt has not folded his talent in Il
napkin. There is no profit in kicking
the men who serve lou. though thr&
make money for themselves in what
they do.