The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02
RAILROAD EXPENSES.
Large Cost of the improvements Co1-
stantIy Being Made on All
Ltmea.


The gross receipts Of Americnn rail.
road companies are now nearly 81, ,50O,-
OOO,OOO a year, and the operating ex-
penses are approximately 5000, ,OO0, 900
a year, showing an apparent profit Of
$500, 100000, the larger part Of which
goes to pay interest upon the bonded
Indebtedness, dividends, rents and
other like items, leaving a balance 81
about S50.O00,0O0, which, though CON
siderable, is insufficient to pay the ad-
ditiOnal expenses arising from the ew-
tension of lines, the construction 81
branches, the Improvement Of service,
| additional equipment, new terminals
modern safety-appliances and the ac-
quisition Of tributary lines, known To-
railroad men d s feeders The fact 81
that one OF the most notable phases Of
American railroad business is found in
the imperative requirement for new ex-
penditUres which go on incessantly ana
to an extent greater than in any other
country.
The weight Of the rails is being con-
stantly increased. The former wooden
bridges and trestles are being replaced
by others of steel and iron, steel chiefly.
More powerful locomotives are in use
each year, heavier cars are. employed
and double trackage replaces sidings.
The question of ballast is one which re-
quires not only attention but large ex.
pense as wen, the former ballast of
sand or gravel being now replaced
by broken stone or furnace Stag, the
cost of stone ballast being nearly 81, 500
mile in position. A recent illustra-
tion of these manifold and expensive
requirements is furnished bY the rec
ommendationO of the president Of one of
the great trunk lines connecting New
York with the west, one of the oldest,
best equipped, most prosperous ana
best managed freight and passenger
lines of the country. He recommended
the construction of 45 new locomotives
at an average cost of SIS, 900, several new
steel bridges, additional main tracks.
stations and sidings; a Encouragement
Of the freight yards and the INSTALL
ing of an interlocking plant for tracks
and sidings; new Office building for
the use Of the division and terminal Of
ticials, new and commodious passen-
ger station, the introduction on a part
Of the road of block signals, and new
passenger, freight, stock and coal cars.
Still another item of considerable
expense to American railroads is to be
found in the great cost of track eleva-
tion through and out Of large cities
along the line of the route. AS the
cities or towns developed by proximity
to the railroad line Increase in pop
ulation, it is seen that where the road
runs within city limits at grade it is a
menace to life and an injury to busi-
ness, requiring, in some cities, the de-
preston of the tracks below the street
line, while in others. Ga plan most pop
ular in New York and New Jersey) the
lines are elevated and at very reason.
able cost, the most extensive of such
elevations in recent years having been
in the city of Buffalo. These additional
expenses for track elevation or track
depression add little if anything to the
earning power of the road. They do
not decrease the expenses of operation.
and they do not enhance the value Of
the franchise or right Of way, but en-
tail a considerable item of cost which
must be met either from the current
income or by the issuance Of new bonds
or stock indebtedness. New safety 3D.
plianees, brakes OF. couplers, new sir-
nal systems, block or automatfc. new
freight yards, enlarged roundhouses
for the locomotives, new passenger sta
tions, better cars and a larger number
OF them-these are some Of the present
requirements Of American railroads..
N. Y. Sun.