The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1901-12-26
Important Con-
.struCtiOn Work
Which is Now
Under Way
OrCOntem=
plated.
WadsWOrth Will
Be Off the
Main Line.

Nhe; the Central Pacific railroad was
built. those who manipulated the project
figured more for mileage, regardless oi
grade, than for rapid transit and the
shortest possible transcontinental route
The Central Pacific has been and ID
now considered the shortest arross-eoun-
try, with its connections, between New
York and San Francisco. Coils F. Hunt
ington saw the necessity of having the
Central Pacific as part of the Sou hern
Pacific Company, and realized when his
company absorbed it that large expendi-
lures would have to be made to put the
road in IA position which would malxe it
a future competitor for rapid transit
freight.
TIE old Central Pacific, from Sacramento
to Ogden, comprised 743 miles, line full
of hard curves, severe grades, and with a
poor roadbed and light steel. The past
two years has witnessed an era in rail
roading in which the ultimate object in
every direction has been the effort to ac-
commodate increased business to add
in every possible way to the earning ca
pacity OF the road. Freight cars that
once, with capacity Of 10000 pounds,
were considered large enough, have nov
been displaced by steel-framed cars OF
100000 pounds capacity. The small
eight Wheel Rogers locomotives that four
years ago were hauling fifteen or sixteen
cars through this place. are no longer seen
but instead ten wheel engines and com
pound moguls capable of hauling forty
five loads over the existing grades 10 this
section.
To permit Of these changes the Main
tenance Of Way Department. had to elm
mate many distractions. Hard grades
had to be reduced, severe reverse curves
taken out, new road bed made aud new
ties and much heavier steel substituted.
These changes required time, aud during
the past year construction work of the
kind mentioned has been going on be
tw en- Carlin aud Browns.
The selection of lines OF railway is
mainly governed by the same principles
as hold good for other roads, but the cost
of rails renders it Of greater Importance
TO shorten the length of the route than
to make slight savings in embankments
and cuttings. The work done so far is
insignificant to what is TO be accom-
piished in the next fifteen months.
The arst gigantic undertaking will be
commenced at Browns station, about
eighteen miles west of Lovelock, with
the opening of the ne year. The line
has been run aud corps of civil en-
gineers are now on the ground to start
the initiatory work for breaking ground
for tunnel through Browns Hill. A
cut was first thought to be the best plan
but in that event an enormous fill would
be required on the best side of the hill
and as the ground is in the nature OF IA
cemented gravel it was found that a tun-
nel could be put through at cost of
about s25 foot and a much preferable
line built Contractors, among them
Kiipatrick Bros. & Collins and Manager
Watts of the Utah Construction Com
pany, have been in this neighborhood for
some time past preparatory to putting
in bids for the work.
This frat contract will call for four
months work, and Ave at the longest,
for the new cut off between Browns and
Wadsworth. This piece of work includes
the tunneling of Browns hill and will
witness the building of a new road bed
that passes about four miles east of the
present White Plains station and out
through what is known as Ragtown.
Another contract is to oe let for the
Strengthening out and elimination Of
several curves between Wadsworth and
Reno. Six months time VIII be allowed
to complete the necessary work between
these two stations, and those who know
say that the time is inadequate ana that
before yard of dirt is turned an eypen
diture of 100000 will oe required. An
other contract will call for the rednc-
ton of the sand C It grade, three miles
west of Palisade, and still another for
the construction of two tunnels east OF
Carlin, one at Vivian that is to he about
1000 feet long, and one between Ryndon
and Orsino. Quartzite is the formation