St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-05-11
BOSTON & MAINE
SMASHES A RECORD.
\ Limited express Freight .
of Il8 Cars--45OO Tons.

of liz CarS--45OO Tons.
The ssBiggest Ever Worcester Salt
Train and Largest Train Ever Hand
led by the B. s NJ. is on the way.
Train is Due at ST. Johasbury satur-
day, at 10 q. m.
[By Special Dispatch.1
In this day of big things it takes a
whopper to make us turn our heads.
Still, when railroad breaks record we
become at once interested.
Do you remember when a small boy
how you used to go down to the station
to see the circus train go through? Do
you recollect how you used to count the
cars in long freight train?
Well, decidedly unique freight train is
on the way which will make Barnum's
circus train, or even the usual long ffeight
look in comparison like toy train in a
shop window.
I he great train now en- route-the
record breaker = left Silver Springs,
N. Y, May 9, and was delivered to
vile, N Y, Tuesday afternoon. 1t is
called the Worcester Salt Limited
Express Freight" and is now well on
the way over the Fitchburg Division.
The gigantic train consists of liz heavily
loaded cars, and is conceded by railroad
men to be the longest and heaviest train
ever handled by New England railroad,
the best previous record being held by the
New York, New Haven & Hartford,
which record, by the way, was made in
handling train OF Worcester Salt, OF
III cars in May. 1908.
The wv orcester limited" was deliv-
cred to the B. & M. R. r. by the Della
ware & Hudson Co., coming over that
road in four sections. drawn by eight
locomotives. They were obliged to split
the train up in this way in order to
make time, and even then were a few
minutes late in reaching Mechanics vile.
It is now up to the B. & M. to bring
the special through to Newport, VT, its
final destination, on the fast schedule
laid out for it. General Superintendent
Sanborn is using some of his newest and
most powerful locomotives in handling
the train, and we understand it is being
moved in two sections of ffty-nine cars
each, run under five minutes Roadway,
which will be the longest single sections
ever handled by a New England road,
and it is a question if any railroad in the
United States has ever before handled as
large shipment of one commodity at
one time.
Cars will be dropped off en- route for
the various parties to whom they are
consigned, commencing at Greenfield,
Mass; but most of the train will go
through as far as Nashua, and about
fifty cars 60 to Woodsville, N. H., and
beyond.
That there may be no hitch in main
tanning the fast passenger train schedule
of the Limited express freight" special
representatives of the B. & M. motive
power department and the division super
intendents will accompany the special
en- route.
AS is customary with Worcester Salt
Specials" the cars will be of late design,
from the Erie r. R., uniform in size and
color, and especially decorated for the
occasion with flags, banners, etc. Sou
venir flags will be distributed to all those
who witness the passing through of the
train. Here is where young America will
get his work in.
A special passenger coach will be at
tached to the rear of the first section for
the accommodation of members of the
press and the accompanying party.
At Nashua and Woodsville, N. H., the
special will be sidetrackcd for the night,
and receptions given to the trade IN
honor of this distinctive commercial
event.
We cannot give a comprehensive des-
cription of the mammoth train for but
few figures have been furnished US. You
must see the Worcester Limited" to
really appreciate its great size and unique
appearance. But we have a few interest
ing facts.
The average freight trains hauled in
the United States consist of about
twenty-five cars. The Worcester Salt
Limited" will have one hundred and
eighteen. The net weight OF the contents
OF the train will aggregate 4,8OO,O0O
pounds. The total load to be hauled by
the engines which, of course, includes
weight of cars, is approximately 9,OOO,-
900 pounds. The train is about one mile
in length. 1t would therefore take at least
twenty minutes to walk the length of it.
There is enough Worcester Salt in the
train to salt 76, 800, 900 pounds of butter.
This.is, therefore, the largest shipment of
dairy salt ever made any where in the
world. The salt in the cars is packed in
various size bags holding from 21a pounds
upwards Were it all packed in 5-pound
bags, the size most commonly used, there
would be 972, 900 in the train.
There is salt enough in the special to
fill the salt shaker OF every family in the
United States several times. No danger
OF New England getting too fresh-for
while at least.
In 1901, a Worcester Salt Special of SO
cars was shipped into this territory, II
cars were shipped in 1902; in 1908 there
were 1O1 cars shipped, and this year
comes the record breaker of 118 cars.
While it is not our purpose to advertise
Worcester Salt in particular, we are con-
strained to express the opinion that
| the increase in the size OF the special
| each year indicates a growing demand
| tor this kind OF salt, and that it must be
pretty gooo salt to necessItate its ship
| ment in 11S car trains.
Those interested in big and novel things
| will no doubt be out to see the big train
when it passes through, and tins will
| include the before mentioned small boy
who will want his souvenier flag.
| We think the manufacturers of Worces-
ter Salt, and the jobbing concern that
sold the salt to the retail merchants, the
| Holbrook Grocery Co., of Keene, Nashua
and Woodsville, N. H., and St. Johns
bury, VT, should be congratulated upon
| their enterprise in this noteworthy COM