The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1902-09-11
BIG IMPROVEM NTS.
Iowa Central Will Reconstruct
It's Yards Here.

In the meeting of the Iowa Central
and the Burlington officials concern
ing the Crossing controversy" the
Central disclosed a number of it's
plans for improvement Of it's Oska-
loosa property and this perhaps more
than anything else had to do with the
change of plans on the part of the Q.
road as reported in Friday evenings
Herald. The plans as shown in meet
ing by the Central officials have leak
ed out. They contemplate the chang
ing of the entire system of yards south
from High avenue to point some dis
lance south Of the Rock Island cut"
The direction of the east division
main line through the yards is to be
considerably altered and the degree
of the curve lessened. The stock
yards that now stand east of the track
and north of Sixth avenue are to be
moved south of the Rock Island. The
platform of the passenger station be-
tween High and First avenues is to be
enlarged and bettered.
The track that now runs by the pas
senger station and is known as the
main line is to be removed and the
platform widened to the next track
which will be made the main line for
the passenger traffic. The narrow
platform at the Central station has
been an inconvenience of the Iowa Cen
trail station ever since the building
was erected. Patrons of the road have
been crowded and the express, bag
gage and mail is now handled at a
disadvantage. The management has
been aware of this defect in the sta
ton convenience, but until the pres
ent time they have not been able to
offer a relief. The widening of the
platform will be greatly appreciated
by the public and the patrons of the
road. The passenger traffic of the
Central has increased at the Oska-
loosa station in the past several years
to an extent that is scarcely to be APP
preciated. The accommodations of
the station were thought to be ample
at the time the station was erected
but the business has far outgrown its
former limitations, and the point has
arrived where something had to be
done to relieve the conditions that &C.
cur at train time. Trains have been
delayed on account of the inability
to handle the traffic in the space al
loted. The completed Improvement
will be hailed with delight by all.
The yard Improvement necessitates
eight additional tracks across the
Rock Island and the Q. tracks, making
ten tracks that will go over this cut.
These tracks will be carried on addi-
tional bridge structures but the ma
ture of this structure has not yet been
determined. The lead tracks are to
be changed and extended and numer-
Gus new tracks are to be put in. The
present facilities for the making up
of trains and the handling of freight
are wholly inadequate to meet the de-
mands made upon the road and the
steady increase of business makes the
building of the trackage imperative.
The Iowa Central for some time has
been busy with the purchase of prop
erty south of it's former holdings and
now OWLS SuluClShl tlOulIu III IhS
carrying out of its plans IN the direc-
ton of yard improvements. The re-
moval of the stock yards to point
farther south will give additional
room on the north of the Rock Island
and Q. tracks so that the East divis-
ion tracks may be Strengthened out
and the objectional curve at this point
will be practically eliminated. The
changes in the yards means practical
ly the reconstruction of the entire
yard system south from High avenue.
The removal of the stock yards to
a point south of the city will be appre-
ciated by many people in the vicinity
of Sixth avenue. No fault is to be
found with the manner in which the