Evening star., 1897-04-28
IN RAILROAD CIRCLES
The B. and 0. Testing the Power of It's
Locomotives.
Trunk and Transcontinental Lines
Reach an Agreement On Vest
Bound Busiuess.

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany has been making series of tests Of
the pulling capacity of the different class
engines before putting into effect what is
known as the unit system of loading on
May !. BY this system an engine will be
loaded according to weight of the cars A
number Of these tests have been made from
Brunswick. both east and west, and some
of them have developed remarkable pulling
capacities for the engines. The veteran
engineer Thomas Knuckles. with an en-
gine known Big 900, was given a train
of sixty large Baltimore and Ohio coal
scows, which weigh between 10000 and
q. 900 pounds each, and made success
full trip with them to Cumberland. This
trip was made under the personal super
vision of General Superintendent Thomas
Fitzgerald. Assistant General Superintcnd-
ent w. Gibson and Superintendent or
Motive Power !. n. kalbaugh. who were
accompanied by Superintendent Hustled oil
the middle division and ]. T. Martin, gem
eral yard master at Brunswick. Return
ing frcm Cumberland, Mr.. Knuckles hau
another test train. which he handled sue
cessfully, pulling thirty-two large loaded
scows up what is known as the nine-mile
grade between Martinsburg and Bruns-
wick, and probably hauling more pounds
than an engine of this class has ever ham
died on the same grade before. The ag-
gregate weight of the train was 800 tons.
Two test trains subsequently left Bruns-
wick, east-bound. One of the engines was
built by the Baldwin Locomotive Company
and the other by the Richmond Locomotive
Works. Each engine had a train of thirty
two large scows with an average weight
of 10000 pounds each, to pull the heavy
grade going up to Mt. Airy, and success
fully accomplished the feat
These trains were accompanied by Gem
eral Superintendent Fitzgerald Assistant
General Superintendent Gibson. Superin-
tendent of Motive Power Kalbaugh.
Division Master Mechanic White, sul'erin-
tendent of Transportation Maroney,
Division Superintendent Spurrier and Train
Master Norris. Every arrangement was
made to arrive at just what train each
engine can haul.
An Agreement Finally Reached.
The competition Of the gulf ports. from
" hich the lines from the Atlantic seahoard
cities to the far west have been suffering
for some time, is at last to be headed OF
to some extent. This is the result OF
joint meeting held in New York a few
days ago between representatives Of the
western trunk lines and the transconti-
mental roads. For long time The trans
continental lines have been eT-deaNoring
to perfect arrangements whereby west
bound business originating at seaboard
and intermediate points and destined TO
Pacific coast points, that took The cstab-
lished through rates. might be prorated on
the same basis has been in effect on
eaSt-bouHd business. The matter has been
Placed before the trunk lines times in
Vulnerable, but with no satisfactory re-
suits. Finally. through the persistent ef-
forts OF the trunk line committee, the
wishes of tha transcontinental lines are
now about to be realized The trunk line
committee have now recommended 10 the
managers that the same percentages that
are now in effect on east-bounl business
be applied to west-bound business The
matter Is s;ill TO be passed upon by the
board of managers. but IL is 10 be pre-
sumed that the wishes of the trunk iin.s
viii be acceded to without any haggling
me result of such action will be an imm,-
diate increase in west-bound business
throl gh st. Louis and Chicago which
heretofore, owing to the restrictions that
have been placed upon ii by the trunk
lines in charging full local rates from
points where traffic originated to junction
with western lines, such restrictions haV-
ing forced the traffic by way of the gulf
ports. If the recommendation is carried
out ii simply means the making OF through
rates from the east to transcon;inental
territory instead of making SUES of the
locals. "
Messrs. Patterson and Corwin, the Phi-
acelphia expert accountants, who were en-
gagged by the Baltimore reorganization
committee Of the Baltimore and OHIO Rail-
road company 10 examine the reports of
Messrs Bulkley and Little on the financial
cohdition OF the property. have abou; COM
pieted their task. and the mt mbers Of IN.
committee will be called together i'm a few
uays 10 receive their report.