Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-01-24
FEWER LOCOMOTIVES LAST YEAR.
And the Number Of Cars Constructed Less
Than In 1903.
Railroad Gazette.)

Locomotive building Is shown to have
fallen off tremendously In the past year.
according to our reports OF the output OF
the various contracting works. The de-
crease in the number built is fully two
thirds, as compared with the previous
year. Reports from thirteen companis IS
make the total 695 locomotives for 1884,
against 2,0l1 locomotives built in 1923.
THEE companies. building nearly ~ loco
motives in 1886. did not turn out a single
new locomotive in 1894 Of course, WIN n
the general totals show such a great de-
crease, IL is not to be expected that any
one manufacturer would be fortunate
enough TO build anything like his pre-
vious years work. AS a matter OF fact,
no one company built half as many To-
comotives In 1894 as in 1893. and only the
smaller builders were able to keep within
a third of the output recorded for 1894
These figures are unprecedented In loco
motive building in the United States.
Going back five years we get the follow
ing record of locomotives built In the
United States: In 1894 ten companies built
Sos locomotives Uhree built none): in 1Sa3
fourteen built 2.0l1; in 1892 thirteen built
2.0l2; in 1891 thirteen built 2.l65; in 1880
fifteen built 900.
1t is TO be noted that over 50 loco
motives Of the total number built in 1891
were built for export.
The record OF the car-builders Is worse
than that OF the locomotive builders. In
1894, only twenty-seven companies have
reported as having built any freight-cars.
the output being 1909 cars. In 1873. 5l.2l6
freight-cars were built by forty-three
companies. There were fifteen important
car-building companies which did not turn
out a car in 1894, ten Of these having
built about 5000 freight-cars and over 800
passenger-cars In 1885. Five companies
built no cars in either of the last two
years but these companies built 3,3lS
freight-cars In 1892 and 1880 in 1891. Three
other companies. which have gone out OF
business built 1895 cars in 1892 and 1855
I'm 1891.
As to passenger-cars, the returns show
that $40 cars were built by eight COM
panies, against 1850 built in 1898 by four
| teen companies. In 1882. over 5000 freight
cars were built by eighteen companies in
the United States; in 1891, the figures We're
over 5000 cars by fifty companies, and In
| 1890, over 10000 cars were built. A de-
| crease In output Of $4,000 cars In one year
| and of over 5000 cars in five years tells
| its own story.
But car-builders and locomotive builders
may still get some comfort from study
OF past and present conditions. The SSi
demand was doubtless lessened by the
fact that considerable equipment was
built In anticipation of the great business
of the World Fair year. which turned
out to be so disappointing. These builders
of equipment were among the first or
those industries depending largely for sup
port upon the railroads to feel the effect
of the disastrous decline in railroad earn
ings. They may now hope to profit by the
improving condition OF railroad traffic and
income; and, further the car equipment
of many of the railroads has been al
lowed to run down. 1t was not bad judg-
ment to follow that policy. 1t was neces-
sary; but vacant numbers" will have TO
be filled soon. and II Is not good railroad
ing to keep in service WORKOUT cars. or
cars on which the annual bills for re-
pairs are big percentage OF their orfgi-
nal cost. Car-builders may not be able TO
get the prices for their cars which they
would like to get, but the material which
goes into building the cars Is quoted at
lower prices than ever before.