The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-15
RAILROAD EXPENSES.
The Great Cost of Maintenance and
improvements.

tfrcm Tue New 1OTh SUM-
The gross receipts of American rail- Aal
companies are now nearly $l.500,00 600 a
year. and the operating expenses are ap-
an apparent profit of $500. 600 600. the larger
part of which goes TO pay interest upon the
bonded Indebtedness. dividends, rents, and
other like items. leaving balance OF about
$50 000. 060 which. though considerable. is
insufficient 10 pay the additional expenses
arising from the extension OF lines, the
construction Of branches, the Improvement
OF service, additional equipment, new ter
minals. modern safety appliances. and the
acquisition of tributary lines, known to
railroad men as feeders. The fact is that
one Of the most notable phases OF American
railroad business is found in the impera-
tive requirement for new expenditures
which go ON necessarily and 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 ears are employed. and double
trackaee replaces sidings. The question OF
ballast is one which requires not only at
tention but large expense as well. the
former ballast of sand or gravel being now
replaced by broken stone or furnace Stag.
the cost of stone ballast being nearly 81 800
mile in position. A recent illustration OF
these manifold and expensive requirements
is furnished by the recommendation OF the
president OF one of the great trunk lines
connecting New York with the West, one
of the oldest best equipped. most prosper
Gus and best managed freight and pas
senger lines OF the country. He recon-
mended the construction OF forty-hve new
locomotives at an average cost Of sS.cS9;
several new steel bridges. additional man
tracks. stations and sidings; a rearrange-
ment OF the freight yards aud the install
ing Of an interfering plant for tracks and
sidinss; a new Office building for the use of
division and terminal officials, new and
cOmmodious passenger station the intro
duction on a part OF the road of block sig
mails. and new passenger, freight, stock,
and coal cars
Stnl another item of considerable ex-
pense TO American railroads is to be found
in great cost Of track elevation through
and out of large cities along the line OF
the route. As the cities or towns devel-
oped by proximity to the railroad line in
crease in population it is seen that where
the road runs within city limits at grade
ii is a menace to life and an injury 20
business, requiring, in some cities, the de-
preston of the tracks below the street
line. while in others "a plan most popular
in New York and New Jersey the lines are
elevated and at very considerable 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
the value OF the franchise or
right OF way. but entail a considerable
item of cost which must be met either
from current income or by the issuance Of
new bonds or stock Indebtedness. New
safety appliances. brakes or couplers. Lew
signal systems, block or automatic. new
freight yards. enlarged roGndhouses for
the locomotives, new passenger stations.
better cars and a larger number Of them
these are some OF the present require
ments Of American railroads.