Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-09-01
RAILROAD EQUIPMENT IN THIS COUNTRY

The total number of locomotives IN
service on June Both, 1897, was 81, R6e,
the increase in number IA compareu
with the preceding year being ~. VI
the total number of locomotives re-
parted. 10,0l7 we're claHsed as -passen-
ger locomotives; 90, 1893 ~ freight loco
motives, and 5, 102 ms switching loco.
motives. The number Of locomotives
not classified was AGO. The total mum.
bBr of cars of all classes reported in
services on tho date named was u
297, $50. The corresponding number for
the previouB year was 160 greater. W
the total cars reported, 30, 626, or 623
more than for 1896, were assigned to
thu passenger service; 1921, 100 wero
q decrease of l57 during the yenr; and
AZ, l24 were assigned to the special SER
vice Of the railway companies. Az has
l,een stnted in former years, the Diyi-
sion OF Statistics has no record of the
number OF caro- owned by private com
paniea and individuals that are used BY
railways in transportation service.
From summaries which Indicate the
density OF equipment and it's efficiency
lie the transportation of passengers ami
freight, 1t is observed that during the
year ending June Both, 1897, the rail
ways in the United States used 20
locomotives and 70S cars per 100 miles
Of line Taking the Unitsd States as
whole, II appears that IS, S6l pas-
sengers we're carried and |, 223, 6l4 pas
senger miles accomplished per pas
senger locomotive. and correspondingly
there were 81, 1862 tons carried and
4,66a, l3i ton-miles accom- plished per
freight locomotive. All of theae items
show decrease as compared with thOae
of the preceding year. Tho number Of
passenger cars par /, 600, 600 passengers
carried during the year under consid-
GRAFTON was &c. and the number OF
freight cars per 1000, 600 tons OF
freight caIriad was 1,647. II should
be understood, however, that this aver
aRe DOES not include such cars, mainly
in the freight servioe. as are owned by
private parties. for the use of which
the railways paid during the year sp
proximately Sill, 900. 900. Including In
the term equipment both locomotives
and cars. il ia found that the total
equipment of railways I'm June 30th,
1897, was 1898, 466. These figures are
1873 less than on june Both, 1896. OF
this total number 525, 286 vera fitted
with train brakes, the increase being
76, 432; and CTS, 1875 were fitted with
automatic couplers, the Increase in this
case being 1913, l42. These increases ars
somewhat smaller than the correspond
ing increases for 1896. Ii should he
notuu, however, that the number repro
sentinR the increase in equipment 10
that year was over $1,000. Further
dstails as to equipment on june 30th,
1873, show that tho number of paasen-
| ger locomotives fitted with train
brakes was $500 or 81 more than the
| preceding year. The number OF freight
locomotives go fitted was ID, 786 or So
more than the preceding year. Tbs
| number OF switching locomotives filter
| with train brakes was 1866. This mum
Der of passenger locomotives fitted with
automatic couplers was 4,6S7, the in.
crease with respect to 1896 being 1874.
Tho number of freight locomotives
| fitted with automatic couplsrs wHs
4, 1872, the increase being $40. The
number of switching locomotives fittef
/ with such couplerH was TAI, or l4I
more than for 1896. The Number d
passenger cars fitted with train hrakel
on June Both, 1897. was 30, 078, and th,
number fitted with automatic couplerl
was 80, 66l. the increase in the one cas-,
being 665 and In the other Sl5. Th,
number of cars In freight service filter
with train brakes waR 453, 6S8, or "a. 6S
more than on june 30th of tbs previou
year. The number fitted with auto
matte couplers was 500, 800, indicating
an increase of 1870, 166. or the tote
| cara in pervipa 400 5ha nm lima 2(ltb
1897, were fitted with train brakes, an
668, 937 were fitted with automatic
couplers, the increase for the year Ii
the former cass being rs, 237; in tn
latter, 13l, $50.