Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-11-20
RAILROADS AND RAILROADERS,
HIGHWAY cRnssrNGs

As the terminal and intermediate towns
along our roads grow in size the aues.
ton Of additional street crossings be.
comes a serious one, especially In west.
ern cities built mainly In prairie coun.
try, says the Railway Review. In H.
East much attention has been and Is IL.
ing paid in many communities to De
matter of having new street crossings
either over or under the railroads IN
the West however. there is a constant
friction between the town AUTHORITIES
who seek TO establish additional street
crossings at grade and the railroads.
who oppose such crossings. As matter
Of course the railroad wishes to NUN.
tain the highest practicable rate OF sn.ed
TO reach the depOts with It's pasSebrer
and freight trains in order to meet the
demands of the riilrOad-nsne pubIir
The future will undoubtedly show relief
through either the elevation or deprps
sion Of tracks or building Of sbways
for the streets, the method to be used d.
pending lurgly upon local conditions and
may vary with various lines entering the
city. Any general plan should he en-
tered into adyisedly SO TINT no ground
should have to be retraced. thus causing
useless expense. One frequent cause Of
accident, which is often laid by the daily
press upon the grade highway crossing.
arises from the use of the track by tres.
passers. This use could be largely di.
minished by either elevating or deiress-
ing the tracks, and forms an additional
argument for such action The addition
OF every street crossing necessities in
creased watchfulness OH the part Of the
engineers and trainmen, and in many
cases a reduction in the speed Of trains.
In the items of cost Il vital point in
combination proceedings brought 10 en-
sure such crossings is the amount OF
damage to the railroad company By rea-
son of such street opening Aside from
the yenrly expense Of putting in, repair
ing and operating the gates, which cost
is already calculated, there are number
of expenses which, though hard to re-
duce to actual figures, should yet be CON
sidered. There Is also the item of e1-
pense through accident even with the
best appliances In the way of gates and
watchmen, from the Cnrclessncss of indi-
viduals, or from unruly animals. The
additional complications arise from the
fact that ordinary gates at street cross
ings do not prevent accidents; wagons
break down, horses become unmanage-
nole and people cross the track just at
Mt the times when trains are approach
ing.
These elements il Is almost impossible
TO mike definite estimate of, but con
siderable expense is involved. which may
! be estimated at Il capitalization Of from
1 $4,000 to $40, GOO, according to the traf
fic involved and other local considem
ton. This amount can be considered u,
the Investment which road will be will
ing to make 10 avoid street crossing ~
/ grade. The actual amount to be e1pend
[ ed ut grade street crossings for n mile
Of main line through large city Is mucl
larger than is generally supposed. TIT
cost Of keeping night and day men, viii
proper gates and appliances. and the re
newal of planling and other repairs
amounts TO some 81 500 per crossing pc
year. This at the rgte Of only ten cross
ings per mile amounts up to $4,000 pc
mile per year, which Is more than tn
gross yearly earnings per mile of most o
our roads.
The amount of traffic and the speed a
which ii Is carried are also importan
fnctors in this calculation, the amour
at stake upon road running but few
trains through n town aud at low rat
of speed not being in the same proportio
us upon a line having n heavy and fas
traffic