Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-05
TAB ON FREIGHT A n
system that Makes IL Almost Impos-
sibIe for One TO he Lost.

sibIe for One 20 BE Lost.
THAT freight cars are ever completely
lost is a ~fallacy," said W. z. Beecham. car
accountant of the Chicago, Milwaukee &
st. Paul to a Chicago Tribune reporter.
Mr.. Beecham has been connected with the
railroad since 1873 and says that tracing
ears is one OF the easiest and at the same
time most perplexinng Of the problems of
railroading. The railroad has a system by
which any one OF its $1,000 freight cars
can be placed absolutely within a reason
able time.
The record is kept in q room contain
ing half a dozen immense counting boards
filled with pegs, each peg containing a rec
ord OF a different car from the time 1t
goes into the service until II Is abandoned.
Tiny colored tickets are hung on to the
pegs every time a car is reported as trans
ferred to one Of the many interesting
lines over which II travels, the ticket con-
tanning the car number, the name Of the
road and the date OF transferring. II takes
but a mment to nnd any one Of the COM
pany's cars, the top ticket indicating It's
last known position.
THE history of one Of our furniture cars
from October 1 to the present time might
give some idea Of how accurately the
WHEREABOUTS VI u u al 10 AhOWh ~ Shl
times" said Mr.. Beecham. Here Is Q
furniture car which started from Racine
on October 8 Of last year. II was probably
loaded with furniture when II began its
Journey, as Il lie among our furniture equip
ment. It left that point via the E., J. q
E., which intersects all the great lines run
ming into Chicago. The next day II was
transferred to the Chicago a Eastern I'LL
noie, the day after to the Evansville &
Terre Haute, on October to the Kentucky
Iron Bridge railway, then to the Southern
railway, by that railway on October II TO
the A. w. p. It then started west by way
Of the Nashville, Chattanooga q st. Louis
on October %, but was turned back south
via the Southern railway, on November 4
into Georgia., sent north by the same route
and switched on west again to the Cincin-
natl, New Orleans & Texas Pacific on De-
'cember 10.
THE Southern railway again took It on
January 6, turned 1t over to the Georgia
Southern on the 9th, from which road II
started north again by way Of the Louis
Vile & Nashville on the 18th; the Balti-
more g Ohio Southwestern took 1t over on
the 18th, used II until February IL, on
which date II was transferred FIRST to the
Big Four and then to the Louisville &
Nashville; It then went back to the Big
Four on the 18th, to the E.. J. 4 e. again
on the 18th, the Chicago & Northwestern
on the goth, to It's owners on the 22d. aud
to the Chicago & Northwestern again on
March Z, on which date II was again de-
livered to the Chicago. Milwaukee & St
Paul at Racine. having covered several
thousand miles in the four months and q
half at the moderately slow rate a freight
car~travels. The average mileage Of freight
cars is thirty-three miles a day, although
some Of them out-distance passenger carl
and travel 800 miles a day on the fast
freight lines across the continent.
THE life OF a freight car is about twent,
years. The only ones ever really lost arr
those destroyed by fire. when no record car
be found. After a certain time one OF thes,
pegs will show for itself that the car. Il
not being traced, when an inquiry will b
made. 1t may have been heard Of last Il
the vicinity Of Milwaukee at about tn
time a great hre occurred or q wreck, wheI
1t Is reasonable to suppose the car wa
burned, although no actual proof Is eve
furnished. Again proof may be given With
q few hours after the car Is destroyed
Then We turn the peg wrong end foremos
and pay nc more attention to IT,"