The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-05
VAST. AMOUNT OF WORK
Has Been Done by the Track
Department.
ALL OF IT IN FINE SHAPE
No Other Division Can Match 1t on the
Whole Line-BrouRht Up to the
New Standard-More I'm
provements.

Pacific is ended and all of these officers
of the road are back at their work. 1t
is not easy to get any of them to talk
about the annual meeting, as is natural.
When they passed through Missoula
they all said that the trip had been
pleasant and interesting one this year.
but that was about as far as any of
them were willing to go. Since his re-
turn to Missoula, Superintendent Rus
sell has maintained discreet silence,
and from him nothing has been learned
OF the results of the meeting. 1t is
known, however, that the superlntend-
ents all agreed that the track and road
bed on Mr.. Russelps division are the
best of any on the whole system, and it
is possibly modesty that prevents the
local superintendent from talking more
freely On the other divisions there
are stretches of track from Is to so
miles long that have been brought up
to the new standard, but on the Rocky
Mountain division the superintendent
found new track all the way from Car
rson to Cabinet, with all of the roadbed
for that distance brought up to the
newly adopted standard. East of Gar
rison the track from Blossburg to Ellis
ton has been standardized and on the
east side of the Helena mountain it is
all right as far east as the Montana
Central crossing. The track between
Garrison and Flliston cannot be fin
ished until the work on the Little Black
foot tunnel is completed, as the changes
that are being made there will mean
at least five feet of difference in the
track. This is certainly an excellent
showing for the Rocky Mountain divis
ion and it substantiates what the
Standard has said during the summer
and fall regarding the work of the en-
cheering and track departments. The
long season has made it possible to do
vast amount of work and all of it
has been well done.
A trip over the west end from Mis-
sOula will satisfy anybody even a nov
ice in railway matters, that the track
Is in prime condition. The new steel
adds much to the ease and comfort of
travel and the regularity and sOlidty
Of the new standard slopes makes the
roadbed not only good to look at, but
comfortable to ride over as we'll! The
Rocky Mountain division, from Garri.
son west, is practically new line this
fall, with the advantage that it is much
more solid than a new line would be,
The engineers say that it is the best
track to make time on that the North
ern Pacific has ever had At present
the heavy rains that have been falling
at Hope and this side of there have
made it necessary to issue SLOW
board bulletin that will probably be in
force as long as the soft weather lasts
AS soon, however. as the frost hardens
the ground. the normal conditions will
again prevail and the Rocky Mountain
| division will once more resume its bust
ness of making up the time that is
lost on other parts of the line. Even
with the soft track that has resulted
from these heavy rains. the engineers
say that the road is solid with the pos
slble exceptions of some few curves
where the heavy trains and high speed
sometimes causes little yielding.
The improvement that has been made
by the track department on the main
line has been duplicated on the branch
es. The steel on the branch lines OF
course is not as heavy as on the main
line, but the improvement in track has
been very material. On the Occur
d'Alene branch the track is better than
it has ever Been. For miles it has
been brought to the new standard and
the time between Missoula and Wallace
has been shortened very much. The
track crews are still at work and ar,
getting things into good shape for tbs
winter. The lateness of the season has
| made it possible for them to do much
better work and more of it than they
have ever done before.
The splendid Improvement that has
been made on the Occur d'Alene branch
| Is fine testimonial to the ability of
Roadmaster Flint He had a difficult
task set for him in the spring, but he
went at it in manner that insured
| success, and the results that are now
| apparent show that he knew what he
| was about. Mr.. Flint has this month
| left the Northern Pacific and is now
| roadmaster on the B., A. & P. His
| friends here are well pleased at his ad
vancement but are sorry that he has
left this division. His successor i:
Henry Morton. who has been in charge
| of the track work in the Missoula yards
| and on the local section for long time
All of the important changes in ths
Missoula yards have been made by hin
and the excellence of that work testifies
that ne is good man for the position
| In which he succeeds Mr.. Flint. 1t may
| be expected that the good work tina
| Mr. Flint started on the branch will BIZ
continued and kept up to the higf
| standard that has been established. Mr.
| Morton's promotion is a fitting recogni
ton Of long and valuable service.
Division Engineer Wyche is consider
| ing the problem of avoiding that fatefu
sink hole near Plains. 1t has practically
| Deen decided that the only way to aVoit
| 1t is to change the location of the tract
| there and this will probably be done il
| the spring. Several preliminary sur
| Eeys have been made there this fall ant
| 1t is probable that before another win
| ter comes the Plains sink hole will p,
left to itself to do all the sinking tha'
| 1t wants to. 1t is one of the most dan
| SerouS places on the line and its re-
moVal will be a matter of rejoicing oI
! the part of trainmen.
Another danger spot has been re.
moved this seaSon-the Iron Ridge tun.
mel. The list of accidents that havt
been charged up to this tunnel is a Ions
one and there are many of the ole
railway men on this division who car
tell OF narrow escapes at this point. L
| Is not very long tunnel, but it ha:
been bad one. For the past few year:
1t has been necessary to keep a watch
man gong back and forth through j
| all the time and arap than