Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-03-27
ITHAs COST SEVEN MILLIONS.
Baltimore and Ohio Receivers Issue
Statement of Expenditures for
improvements.

improvements.
Probably no railr, ad company IL
the country has spent as much money
in improvement and betterments of
its lines than has the B & o. during
the past year. 1t will be remembered
that Messrs John X. Cowen and Oscar
c. Murray were appointed Receivers
on February 20, 1896, and since they
have had charge of this property very
large sums of money have been ex-
pended in placing the road in first
class condition, and whi}e the expen-
ditures have been in the millions, the
end is not yet.
When the Receivers were appointed
they found that, in order to success
fully compete with other trunk lines,
it would be necessary to improve the
general physical condition of the
road The track was not in frst.class
condition and the equipment was not
sufficient to handle the business that
they felt the road was not only en-
titled to but that could be legitlInately
secured by the expenditure of a little
extra energy on the part of soliciting
agents. The problem that was to be
solved was not an intricate one. 1t
was simply whether or not the road
should be put in such shape as would
reduce the cost of transportation and
increase its earning power, or to keep
it in the condition in which the
Receivers found it, and not attempt
to augment its earnings or reduce its
cost of operation. The Receivers
decided that the best policy to pursue
was that of building up, and to do it
as rapidly as possible.
Within the past few days the
Receivers have prepared statement
of expenditures from March I, 1896,
to February 1, 1897, for additions to
the plant, equipment of the road and
betterments made thereon. From
this statement it is learned that
total of almost seven millions of
dollars have been spent for locomo-
tives, passenger and freight equip
ment, extraordinary repairs to equip
ment and expenditures made by the
Engineering Department in the way
of improvements to the mai nteuance
of way, structures, terminals, and the
construction of new alignments and
miscellaneous improvements. 1t is
shown that the betterments to loco
motives amount to $IS, 900; the new
equipment, which includes new dining
cars and other passenger cars and
betterments, amount to $50, 600; the
new freight cars built by the road,
and the repairs to those already in
service, amounted to $I47. 900, the
total being something over $3.50, 900.
The 5000 new freight cars and the rs
locomotives which were added to the
equipment last summer cost about
So, 600, 600 i'll round numbers. The
extraordinary repairs to locomotives,
passenger equipment and freight
equipment aggregate 81, 348, 900; the
total expenditures in the Motive
Department being within a few
thousands of FIVE millions.
The Engineering Department has
also spent great deal of money.
The difference in the cost of the new
IS pound rails and that of the old 81
pound rails, which were laid on the
Main Stem, the Parkersburg Branch,
the Washington Branch, the Pitts
burg Division and the Philadelphia
Division amounts to $4,000. The
fasteniugs for this rail cost 500, 372,
and the new frogs and switches $I3,-
500, while the new bridges that were
erected in place of the old ones cost
in the neighborhood of SOS, 900.
The sum of SIS, 900 was expended in
arching and improving tunnels, and
the miscellaneous improvements in
the Pittsburg Harbor and for paving,
erecting new cranes, erecting new
shops, stringing wires, building coal