The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-05
Electric Line From Kansas City
to Leavenworth
Is Ready For Work and the
Plans Mapped Out.
20 COACHES ORDERED
For Passengers, Forty = Two
Feet In Length.
Rails For the First Three Miles
ON the Ground.

Kansas City, April 5.-The plans for
an electric railway between Kansas City
and Leavenworth have at last been per-
fected. The Kansas City & LeaVen-
worth Traction company, which was
granted a charter in Kansas March So
will build and operate the road, and 1t
is expected now will have it in operation
within year.
The scheme to build this interurban
line has been a favorite one OF WIZARD
f. Winner for a long time, ana II mas
been through the untiring efforts OF MI
Winner during the past ten months
that it has at last been brought In slsnt
of realization.
Since the granting of the charter,
March 30, the directors nave Deen puSS
with the active preparations for the
building of the road. Rails SUFFICIENT 10
build the first three miles of track, Wnlcn
will connect the end of the GrandVleW
line with the Kansas City university,
are already on the way here from the
rolling mills, and contract was signed
yesterday for $4,000 white oak ties, TO
be delivered within ten days. An engi-
neer and an auditor for the company
are now on their way here and MT
Winner is looking for suitable offices
for the new company. Grading con-
tracts will be let as soon as the weather
will permit the work, and an eastern
architect is already working on plans
for power plant, to be located about
midway on the line.
The latest deal toward the building
of the line was the purchase for cash,
just completed, of the Kensington rail-
way property, which consists of a double
track mile and a quarter long con-
Meeting the western termint OF the
GrandView and Chelsea park electric
lines, of the Metropolitan system. About
a mile of this grade, which is in ex-
cellent condition, will be used, but the
rails, which are fifty-two pounds to the
yard, will be torn up and replaced by
the new ones, which will be sixty pounds
to the yard. This work, beginning at
the end of the Grandview line, will com
mence at once. The power plant, for
for the equipment Of which orders are
now being prepared, will be located
either at ConnOrs, Kan, or a short dis
lance west of it. The plant is to be
900X100 feet in ground area, and the first
equipment, to cost $4,000, will be two
1,200-hOrse power engines with neceS-
sary boilers, condensers, generators, etc.
The plan is to eventually treble this
pacity, and the building will be designed
with that in view.
The rolling stock will be a little larger
than anything of the kind now running
into Kansas City. Twenty coaches have
been ordered which will measure forty
two feet in extreme length and later or
ders for few express cars and coal cars
will be placed. The company has no plans
express cars being Intended merely for the
sone or poss6 81 ek ana ion
the route. The coal cars will be used
supply the coal FOR the power r'- plant from
the mines at Leavenworth. As the track
will be a gentle down grade from Leaven-
worth to Connors, difficulty is antici-
pated in doing a freight business of that
extent.
The trains of the company will probably
be first put in operation between Grand
view and the Kansas City university,
though at the same time a line a the
other end may be operated from the Sol
diers' home by way of Lansing and Leav-
enworth to Fort Leavenworth. The road
just completed by Mr. Winner from Lam
sing to the Soldiers home, is to be made
a part of the system, Mr. Winner retain
are also pending for the purchase from
Mr.. Erb of the LeavenwOrth electric rail-
way. These two lines, although a short
section of track will have to be built and
Mr.. Erb'S line practically rebuilt, can soon
be made into a road over six miles in
length and on the line which the Kansas
City and Leavenworth railway will follow.
The section to the Kansas City university
is expected to be in operation by June.
and it is possible that the Leavenworth end
may be completed as planned within the