Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-12-27

work because it was not only public but
priva.e necessity. 1t was practice of economy
ot the highest order. But from Tama west to
Council Bluffs the obstacles to speedy and sue
ressful doube-tracking rose fast and thick In
particular locations it was evident that to re-
t'uce grades and curvatures the old right of way
would have to be abard oned entirely, new right
oi way purchased. and line established
Enormous cuts were to be made equally enor-
nous holows to be filled and some bridge work
10 be undertaken of an extraordinary and pccui-
';lr nature. The hest engineering talent of the
system was brought face to face with the prob.
lens. The result was that in 1889 the work of
making the line from Tama to Omaha double
track, OF eliminating curves, of removing grades
was begun
That year The line from Tama to Lamoillc, 81
miles; from Ontario to Boone, 10 miles aud
from Missouri Valley to Council Bluffs or prac-
ticallv speaking to Omaha, was doube-tracked
without a delay in regular train service, and
without the general public being aware that
anything extraordinary was going on.
This year the double-tracking has gone on
itom Lamoille to Ontario, "a miles, and seven
miles across Boone county, which includes the
| building of one of the longest double-track
fallway bridges in the world This bridge
which is over the Des MONIES river, four miles
vest of Boone, is so far progressed as to have
'!6So feet in length, or AZ feet longer than half
:. mule On either side--north and south--the
Dies MONIES Valley opens in great gorges, re-
markabe for their picturesque beauty.
The work this year has included besides the
above, the As miles from Ogden to Maple River
Junction, a portion of which will be finished
this year and the remainder in 1901. In 1901
he 81 miles from Maple River junction to
Missouri Valley will completed and then the
entire l.l2 miles of steel double-track will be
ready for service. The double-track now in
service covers BIT miles west of Chicago. In
| tnother year it will amount to 492 miles on the
'ranscontinental line alone for on its st. Paul
division, Chicago TO Elroy, Wis. the Forth
Western is already operating double track,
2l3 miles in length
This description Of the track 80 soon to be
ised reads much more smoothly than did the
work itself progress when the greatest obstacles
we're confronted. On the Misunderstanding be-
tween l4nnoille and State Center the divide of
| the statc-the grades on the single truck system
approNimated sixty feet to the mile The
changes brought about by the alteration of the
right of way and the straight cutting through
hills has reduced this grade to 36 feet per mile.
ito bring this about Z y miles Of track was re-
worked and relocated.
From State Center to Ontario there has been
40 change in the right of way--the old single
me being simply parallcled--but great changes
have been .nade in the grades In places there
have been fills of IL and IA feet all overcoming
hitherto steep Climbs and adding to the ease
With which greater tonnage can be handled.
WtSt of Colorado, and west of Nevada the
changes have been of the same nature. At the
crossing of the farm of the State Agricultural
ollege at Ames, the single line has been thrown,
over parallel with its old location so as to pre-
vent the new track interfering with maintained
traffic. This alteration is beneficial to Ames,
The city being the largest intermediary (not
terminal railway passenger transfer point in
the United States.
Frcm Boone to Ogden the main line has been
stiaightcned SO as to effect saving in distance
Of three miles. In ascent of grade there is
saved here los feet and in cnryatnrcs S::i4 de-
gees and rs minutes. The maximum grade of
the old line was ~ feet 10 the mile: the maxi.
mum grade OF the new line H3 feet to the mile;
the maximum curvature of the old single track
inc vast degrees and the maximum curvature
ot the new double track line is . degrees The
Ieneth of curvature of the old line was D = miles
and of the new line o. miles. The figures ex-
press more cloqnently than words the changes
that have been effected. With the completion
OF the Misunderstanding next year the nnlyrullng
prnde for the entire distance between Chicago
and Omaha will be at Arcadia Hill near Carol
The question ct the location of the new right of
way across Arcadia Hill ia now under discussion
vt West Side probably from that point to the
Missouri river, there will be lG foot grade to
nile. The entire line will not have in its 492
miles of length heavier grade to the mile than
3si feet
The construction work Mt the crossing of the
Des Moines river (inciuding the steel bridge
represents an eXpend ture of sl,250OOO. The
bridge Itself will cost when completed over
T6OO,0OO. But this expensive work makes such
favorable change in grades that it is estimated
the improvement will pay for itself in two years
after trains are worked over it. Where the
company has often been compelled in making
the Des MONIES river crossing with heavy stock
or merchandise trains to sometimes have as high
as four engines attached to train, now the
| crossing may be made with the greatest ease
wit single locomotive of medium capacity.
For years the eleven mile bsnd between Boone
and Ogden has been a most serious drawback.
Trains moving in either direction and coming
to the Dies Moincs river have dipped down the
side of the ra.ine, swung around great bend
and crossed the river on very low level nea
the town of Moingona On the greater part of
the bend a train frequently described the letter
=, so many were the reverse curves.
The new double-track and steel bridge which
| ovcrcomes this bend neccssitated in construc-
ton the filling of two gorgcs one of which re-
quired 1lGUOO cubic yards of earth and the
other 100000 cubic yards. These ravines were
each 400 feet long and from so to IS feet deep.
The dump constructed acroas them leads direct
| ly to the steel bridge az picturesque and
direct straight line As any one would care to
inspect On such track there is no limit to the
size of q train, save engine capacity. Par
entheticallv. as to the entire double track as
Ii oh rs 1000 men were engaged in construction
last year About the same number is at work
this year. 70 complete the work within the
| time desired (thc end of l30l) the company has
had over GO locomotives engaged the con-
strustion wO and 1000 cars of all descriptions.
] OF the cars 25O were special ballast cars. The
completion of the entire line of double track
he tha oil n ivia tho nd