The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-05
100000
Santa Fe VIII Expend That
Sum For Improvements.
Money to All Be Spent This
Year.
TO REDUCE GRADES.
That Is One Purpose Of the
Management.
D REDUCE GRADES.
Contemplated Topeka LOcOmO-
tive Shops May Be Built.

Three million dollars will be expended
in improvement by the Santa Fe man
agement this year.
About two millions of this amount
will be devoted to the Santa Fe road
proper, the bulk to be used in reducing
grades between Chicago and Ell Paso.
OF the latter sum upwards of 500. 900
will probably be expended in establish
ing the big locomotive erecting shop,
which has been talked of in connection
with the general shops here for several
years.
The announcemer that the road win
spend So, 900, 900 for system improvements
is authoritative. Just what amounts will
be spent on the Santa Fre proper can not
be decided upon until the estimates of
the cost of grade reductions are in. The
building of the locomotive erecting shop
here will depend on the amount set
aside for the Santa F'e proper.
General Manager Nudge said today
that surveys are now being made for
grade reductions. and within the next
30 days all estimates will probably be
completed. The principal reductions
will be made on the Emporia "cut off,
and the middle and New Mexico diviS-
ions. However, all elevations on all di-
visions which can be reduced with ma
terial advantage to train operation will
be done away with.
Much grade reduction has been ac-
complished on the Gulf Colorado and
Santa F'e road during the past year, but
on the Santa F'e proper and other SyS-
tenn lines the expenditures made by the
new management have been confined to
the laying of new steel, the building of
| new bridges and the ballaSting of road
! bed. The work this year will be the
| first of the kind on the Santa Fe proper.
The recent trip made by Vice Presi
| dent Barr and General Manager Nudge
| over the lines of the Santa Fe proper
was particularly with view to grade
| reduction. While Mr.. Barr is anxious
! to make a record for himself as head of
| the operating department OF the road,
he is willing that the enormous expen-
I diture decided upon be made this year
I because it means decreased operating
| expenses in the future.
With the. heaviest grades cut out,
| tonnage of all trains can be increased.
! Heavy tonnage means fewer trains on
! the road and consequently less danger
! of accidents, and material saving in
! help. both in the telegraph and train
! service.
| Hundreds of men will be given en-
| ployment this year by the Santa Fe re-
| ducing grades. General Manager Nudge
! states that the first work would prob
| ably be done on the Emporia .'cut Off"
! This is essentially a freight line, form
| ing the short route for through freight
| in and out of Kansas City, and because
| of this fact heavy tonnage on the 100
| miles of road means much to the COM
pany in a financial way.
| The construction of a big locomotive
| shop in this city has been in contempla-
tion for some time and this year Super
| intendent of Machinery John Player is
pressing his request. He has shown to
| the Santa Fe management that engines
| have been built here within the past
| three years at a cost considerably be-
| low that of engines purchased in the
| east, and announces that with an erect
| ing shop equipped especially for engine
! building the difference could be ma
| terially increased. If the shop is estab-
| lished it may not be entirely completed
| this year. It was originally estimated
| that at least 5000, 900 would be needed to
| put up the kind of a building needed.
| The erecting shop is only a question of
| time. and when it becomes a part of
| the Santa Fe plant in Topeka the COM
pany will build practically all locomo-
tive equipment here.
The amount to be expended this year
is as much as expended by the new COM
pany in any one year since the reorganiz-
alton of the road. The track and road
bed of the Santa F'e road proper is now
in excellent condition, and with the
grades reduced it will equal any road
not only in the west but in the entire
cOunfrV