Morning journal and courier., 1889-01-01
RAILROAD NOTES.


 ment-Busy aS she Shops here-The
 HousatOnic's Three FlOats-AM Rail
 Lime tO She Goal ReGIOns-The New
 Bridge ever she Hudson.
 The Consolidated roads proposed increase of capital stock receives in the main general approval from the stockholders and from out siders who have given the matter attention. The only criticism thus far is regarding the proposition that unlimited time for the in- crease be allowed. One opinion expressed is that without such limitation of powers the Standard Oil company might gobble up the Consolidated and then lease the New England and consolidate the two roads and make heap Of "boodle" of from the transaction. Another stockholder thought the increase good move, but that the stockholders were en- titled to stock dividend for the undivided dividends that have been put into the plant, or in lieu of this that they should have new stock at par paying 10 per cent.
 Work at the Consolidated road shops in this city is very busy at present. A number of passenger cars are being repaired in the joiners shop and in the machine department several engines are being dissected and the mechanism being repaired thoroughly.
 James Nolan, the night agent at the North ampton depot, was badly injured at South Deerfeld Sunday. Nolan boarded freight train at Northampton to ride to Shelburne Falls. At South DeerGeld he fell from the train, receiving fractured leg and several minor injuries,
 The Housatonic railroads three "Aoats" for transporting freight cars from Wilson's Point to New York are rapidly nearing com pletion and will be making regular trips within few weeks. They will have three tracks each, with capacity of thirty loaded cars, and will be equipped with powerful en- zines and propellinR machinery, thus being independent of tug boats and capable of mak- ing the trip in any kind of weather. The road will also have two new mogul freight engines and two other locomotives, all to burn hard coal. These locomotives will be used on the limited express trains in the summer running through between New York and Pittsfeld, which next summer will be run over the Danbury and Norwalk division instead of via Bridgeport.
 The establishment of direct all-rail line from New England to the coal regions has been long looked fer, and the fact that train has crossed the Poughkeepsie bridge, the only railroad crossing below Albany, is welcome news. The connections from the bridge to points of communication with great lines west and southwest are being rapidly pushed to completion, and very soon this important highway across the Hudson mid- way between Albany and New York will be fully opened to public traffic. Its establish ment will prove one of great value to all business interests in New England.
 When the Washington express was chang ed to run via Newburg it was anticipated that there might be some delays on the vest ern division, between here and the river, ow- ing to steep grades, sharp curves, etc. Be- tween here and Boston, however, it was ex- pected that the time. as heretofore, would be made without trouble. But, singularly enough, the delays thus far have been on the eastern end, owing to succession of hot boxes and other unavoidable causes, so that the train has been late in leaving here nearly every night. But most of these delays have been trihing. Coming east, the train has done better. The patronage thus far is very satisfactory.
 Frank Conant is one of the oldest drawing room car conductors on the New York and Boston express line, which is operated by the New York, New Haven and Hartford and Boston and Albany roads. He is very popu- lar with his passengers, and always has pleasant word for the children. Frank has charge of the drawing rooms on the a. n. express.
 c. H. Whitcomb, formerly Pullman car conductor on the New York, New Haven and Hartford road has resigned from the Pullman company and is now running on the Boston and Albany owl over the New York, New Haven and Hartford. Josh is an all round good fellow, and the only objection the pat rons of the Springfield line make is that he talks them to death.
 Wreckers succeeded on Sunday in raising the iron hull of the Consolidated road'a transport steamer Maryland, which was burned to the waters edge and sunk in the Harlem river recently.
 General Superintendent Shepard, of the Consolidated road, states that there is no truth in the report that the road has under confederation a new and improved system for heating cars by steam. No progress in this direction has been made since the exper- iments of two years ago.
 A gang of trsmps endeavored to take pos session of a Consolidated road freight train at Thompsonyille on Saturday, but were promptly and decidedly repulsed. Three were arrested.
 The Connecticut Western News, published at Canaan, reports that the rooms fitted up in the Union depot there and designed for the general offices of the Connecticut West ern railroad, will not be used, it having been decided to locate the offices elsewhere, possi- bly, at Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
 The Standard Car company has been or ganized in Bridgeport to build, buy and sell railroad equipment The capital is $40, ,00o, and the officers are Goodwin Stoddard, presi- dent; Charles G. Sanford, treasurer, and William D. Bishop, jr., secretary.
 The railroad commissioners have placed on the Consolidated road the entire expense of removing the grade crossings in Stamford. concerning which they recently held hear- ing. This is within their discretion, which they seldom exercise, however, in this direc- tion. There are it is said, 500 crossings at grade on the Consolidated road. It would cost at least two and half millions to remove them all.