Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-07-07
Rock Island Will Be Third
Bluffs Chicago Road to Lay
Parallel Lines
WILL MAKE SEVERAL CHANGES
1t Is Not Known at Present, However,
How Extensive These Changes in the
Main Line Across the State Will Be-
Decision Reached Within Last Few
Days.
Special to Times-Republican.

|
Council Bluffs, July THE Rock
Island now proposes to double track its
main line from Council Bluffs to Iowa
City. This will make the third Bluffs
| Chicago road to double track, the
Northwestern being the first TO COM
plete the parallel lines, while the Bur-
| lington double tracking will be finished
this year.
With the double tracking of the Rock
Island will come number of changes
in its line across the state, but how
extensive these changes will be can
only be surmised as yet. This an
nouncement of the proposed double
tracking considerably explains the re-
cent activity of Rock Island engineers
in the vicinity Of Avoca and Minden,
where a Strengthening OF the Shelby
horseshoe may cut that town off the
new main line. Perhaps also the At
lantic- Council Bluffs cutoff thru the
center of Pottawattamie county may
now be taken into serious considera-
ton
The Rock Island some time ago an
nounced plans for double tracking its
line from Iowa City to .Des Moines, but
an official circular just issued by the
chief engineer of the Rock Island con-
veys the inference that the double
tracking is to be extended to Council
Bi,ffs. The circular does not state d..
rectly that the double tracking will be-
built, but the Rock Island officials arr.
thus Interpreting it.
The circular states that a party uf
surveyors will traverse the line this
summer for the purpose OF preparing
plans for the reduction Of grades and
eliminating all curves 1t also notifies
roadmasters not to ballast the track
any more than possible where 1t is
thought it will be necessary tc make
alterations.
Announcement was made short
time ago that the company was about
to double track between Iowa City ano
Grinnell. and possibly to Valley juno.
ton. AT the time, contractors We're
asked to figure on the grading between
the two places.
The decision to double track across
the entire state was evidently reached
within the last few days, as Superin
tendents Smalley and Given, of Des
Moincs, were called to Chicago, where
it is understood they We're in consulta
ton with the officials regarding the
proposed improvements.
1t is not likely that the work will
begin this summer or fall. as 1t will
take the contractors several weeks to
make the necessary surveys Then also
the company is having difficulty in Sc
curing steel. All arrangements will
be completed this fall to al
low an early start on the work next
spring.
1t is probable that the double track
will necessi;ate quite change in the
present line, as there are some steep |
grades and sharp curves. especially be- !
tween Des Moines and Altoona.
The Rock Island has begun replacing
the seventy-pound steel between Colfax
and Van Meter, thru Des Moines.
with eighty pound steel. Two hundred
men are now employed laying the new |
steel The distance is tifty-two miles. |,
The track Will also be newly ballasted, /
the Grand Junction gravel pit being !
opened today to furnish material.