The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-12-11
Il GIGANTIC PROJECT.
An Eight-Track Railroad Between New
York and Chicago-Six Thousan6Freight
Trains in Constant -HowFreieht
Rates May be Reduced Three-Fcurths.

: new and important Railroad move
ment is said TO be on the tdpiS 1t i
understood that the management of tin
New York Central and Lake Shore Rail
roads are contemplating the formation
of joint company, with a view to hav
ing exclusive freight tracks all the way
from Chicago to New York and Boston
The extra two tracks between ALBANY
and Buffalo are nearly completed, anC
the plan is To continue the extra double
tracks from Buffalo to Chicago. WheI
this is done ii will be possible to carry
freight at very much cheaper rates than
it can now be handled on the Brltimort
i Ohio Railroad, not withstanding the
shorter distance on the last mentioned
road. 1t is believed that the freight car
be transported, on an exclusive freight
track, at rates not very much above
those charged on the Erie Canal The
trains are to be run at the rate of eight
miles an hour, which is the rate that
gives the least wear and tear to track
and cars On a uniform time table, the
track not being hampered by passenger
trains, of equal rates of speed, an incll-
culably large amount of business can
thus be done. Under such an arrange
ment it would be possible to run trains
which would be less than half a mile
apart. Now, as the distance between
New York and Chicago is about one
thousand miles, if we allow that under
such regulations as the above there
would be three trains, of from ten to
twenty cars, per mile, we should have
fIan
tracks, of six thousand trains constantly
in motion. Such a stupendous amount
of business as this would enable the
companies to reduce freight charges to
a point far below anything now thought
of. Under uniform time table it would
be possible te throw open the freight
business to general competition and take
private cars upon the line the same way
that private canal boats are taken upon
our canals. This would give free trade
in freight in its most perfect form.
With qIadruple track it is believed
that the Central Railroad could defy
competition, and carry freight at one
third the charges of the Baltimore &
Ohio railroad, and the immediate effect
of the change would be the ruin of the
htlllNdN. NuI lLllo
scheme is to be carried out is, as yet, un-
determined, but it is in contemplation,
we are assured; in fact, it is forced upon
the New York Central by the exigencies
of the situation. OF course, in taking
this departure. the New York Central
will cut loose from all connections with
other trunk lines, and will, undoubtedly.
force the Pennsylvania Central into a
similar arrangement, which would give
these two roads the practical monopoly
and complete command of the freight
business, at the same time meeting the
growing demands of the country for
cheap freight
The cost of this vast improvement
would be commensurate with its impor-
tance, but, after all, would not amount
to such sum as to be impossible for
such a powerful corporation as would be
formed by the combination of the New
York Central and Hudson River and
the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern
companies. The first named company,
with the lease of the Harlem road, and
its additional tracks, now nearly COM
pleted between Albany and Buffalo, has
n quadrupal track from New
York TO Buffalo, and of the whole dis
tance between Buffalo and Chicago, 541
miles, the Lake Shore & Michigan South
ern company has now 323 miles of dou-
bic track. There remains, therefore, but
219 miles of single track to be laid to
make that section a double-track rail-
way, and but 531 miles more of double
track to complete the quadruple track
from New York to Chicago. At the
latest prices paid for honest and econ
Omical constructions, this work could be
done for S25, 600, 900. The united cap
ital of the two roads amounts to S139.-
429, 800, and the funded debts of the
two roads are about S64, 600, 600. An
of S25, 200, 600 to the latter
would make the aggregate liabilities of
the combined company amount to S22S,-
300, 900, which, with the new tracks
and present length of main
road and branches, would make an av-
erage Indebtedness per mile of single
track of less than S32, 000,-NeaC York
GrdDhic. Nor. %.