Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-01
RAILROADS HAVE BUSY YEAR
Eztsnrions and Improvements the Order on
AL Omaha Lines.
MANY CHANGES MADE IN TWELVE MONTHS
Development of Territory Served RE-
auires Expenditure of Much Money
10 Keep Roads Up to
Demands.


90 Keep Roads Up TO
Demands.
me year 1902 leaves II an Unprecedented
record OF railroad activity. The acme OF
achievement in this line OF industry was
reached. and yet the phenomenal develop
ments promise TO go on and even surpass
themselves within another year as a result
OF the irresistible tide OF unparalleled
growth and prosperity that has been set in
motion. While the volume OF freight and
passenger business was swelled to figures
never before known. the construction. re-
conjunction. acquisition Of new lines, bet
terment and enlargement OF facilities have
kept pace and struck records all their own.
Not one Of the ten lines eonverglng in
Omaha but has played IN active part in this
famous drama OF expansion and prosperity,
and some have taken leading parts. One
road has actually doubled it's total mileage
With the last twelve months.
B~urIinEton's improvements
The Burlington has lone a great deal this
year toward completing its double track
from Chicago to Omaha. The western
terfnihus is at Nodaway, hfty-hve miles
east of Pacific Junction. Continued wet
weather prevented the building OF this
track to Red Oak, but this work will be
done In 1903 and completed so that full
operation may be begun in the fall. The
old line had three degree curves and sew
enty foot maximum grade, while the new
line has one degree curve and thirty-fve
foot maximum grade. All the culverts and
grades established along this track are of
u ~
ton & Quincy has during the year bought
the Quincy, Omaha & Kansas City, but has
not yet secured possession OF 1t. 1t is still
operated by the former owners. The most
Important acquisition OF the B. q NJ. was
that Of the Kansas City q Omaha railway.
1t was operated almost exclusively in the
interest OF Kansas City and st. Joseph, and
to the serious detriment Of Omaha jobbers.
The result Of this transfer is that Omaha
now controls a field almost exclusively
which was formerly shut against 1t. Sur
veys ars being made for the cutoff from
Billings to Great Falls in connection with
the Great Northern. The work Of construc-
tion will be completed during 1904. The
most important work OF reconstruction OF
tho b. & M. was it's southern main line
from oxford east and the Atchison branch.
Raising Of grades and ballasting was done
all along these routes. The Deadwood-
Lead line was transformed from a steam
railroad to an electric line. This line is
three miles in length and climbs a grade Of
$50 feet.
OverIand's Advance.
The Union Pacific has bent it's energies
to complete its new 1 1000, 900 shops at
Omaha and, has made c~ommendable prog
ress in this direction. though the end OF
the year finds much work yet to be done.
Some Of the largest OF the new shop build
ings are the machine and erecting shops,
1bOx400 feet in Dimensions; boiler, tank
and locomotive carpenter shop, 150x244
feet; freight car repair shop. |175x175;
power house. sOx15o. The system of shops
will comprise everything necessary to
make one OF the most thorough and ex-
tensive establishments OF the kind. In ad-
ditfonn to the~ shops Proper the company is.
preparing TO construct a vladuet entrance
500 feet Tong. The Union Pacific has done
much ballasting over its line and reduced
grades materially. through Wyoming espe-
cially. II has built a large series OF bridges
and viaducts and ends the year with a to-
tai OF 5,774.34 miles in operation. It's hold
ings in Southern Pacific stock were in
creased from SIS, 900, 900 to 500, 900, 900. A
branch line was built. from Cedar Rapids.
Neb., to Spalding, a new town. The dis
lance Is about thirty-hve miles. other
building was done on the auxiliary lines in
Oregon and Utah.
Rock Islands Great Growth.
The Rock Island has grown from a sys-
tenn OF 1000 to a system OF 5000 miles this
year. This is the largest per cent of
oroufb In miIaago mazda nv apv road In
the United States. 1t has acquired the
Choctaw, Oklahoma q Gulf. 900 miles; st.
Louis. Kansas City G. Colorado, 115 miles;
the Burlington. Cedar Rapids & Northern,
Rock Island & Peoria, has built from Enid,
okl., to Waurika, /. T., practically doubled
its trackage through Indian Territory, let
q contract for a line from Fort Worth to
Galveston and projected a short line from
St. Louis TO Kansas City. Construction
work on a line from Amarillo, Tex, to
Tucumucari, n. M, giving a direct line
from Memphis to Ell Paso, is in progress,
as is Plso work on a line from Tucumu-
carl to Dawson. N. M. penetrating coal
fields. and q line from West Liberty, Ia, to
Iowa City. II has laid plans for the build
ing in 1903 OF a CUTOFF from Fairbury,
Neb.. TO Harrington, KAN, a distance of
ninety miles. This will AFFORD a valuable
outlet for Omaha to the southwest.
Illinois CentraPs Double Track.
The chief work OF the Illinois Central
has been its extensive system of double
tracking, although II has bought and built
some minor lines. The Central has double
track from Chicago to Fulton. KY, with a
line via Memphis and Jackson. Tenn,
through to Grenada. Miss. which is equiv
alent 10 q double-tracked line. The act
ual double tracking begins again at Wes-
son. Miss. and continues TO a point within
125 miles Of New Orleans. The re-
mainder o. the distance. this 125 miles, is
now under construction OF double tracking
and will soon be completed. This, then.
will give the Illinois Central a double track
from Chicago to New Orleans. which will
mean one Of the most. potent factors in
railroad development in the country. A
new line is now being built from Yazoo
City to belgrade. Miss, and another one
from Reeyesvine TO Goleonda. Ill. During
the year the line from Lyle. Ia. TO Albert
Lea, MINI. was completed, which, with
connections with the Minneapolis & st.
Louis, gives the Illinois Central direct en-
trance Into the Twin Cities from Chicago
and Omaha both.
Milwaukee'H TraHhe Alliance.
The most nofabIe achtsvamaat ~ tha