The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-03-23
NEWS FROM ALL
The RAILROADS
Santa Fe Figures on Fast
Mail Train.
WILL CARRY NO TRAVELLERS
Items of Interest About Differ
emf Employees
WILL CARRY NO TRAVELLERS

Though the Santa Fe officials viii not
admit it. there is a persistent rumor
that this road is planning to put on a
new transconunental mail train to run
from Chicago to San Francisco on a
much faster schedule than any other
/ transcondnental train now in service. 1t
/ VIII make as fast time from Chicago TO
/ the coast as is now made by the fast
mail from Kansas City to Wichita.
The reason for the addition of this
train to the present service is the
rapid increase in the amount of trans
continental mail now carried on the
fast trains, especially the California
Limited. The passenger business of
the California Limited is said to be
getting 50 heavy that the Santa Fe is
DESTROYS OF eliminating several of the
heavy mail cars which now run on that
train
Another object Of the fast train is to
improve the mail facilities all along the
lire and give quicker service.
If the Santa Fe decides not TO put
this Ch;caeo-San Francisco train in
service it is said that it is almost GER
tain that new fast train viii be put in
from Kansas City TO La Junta. The
object of this train would be TO connect
with the Il a. III. Missouri Pacific mails
from st LOUIS. which now have To lie
over in Kansas City for some time
The new train would pick up these
mails, and make the trip across the
state Of Kansas to La Junta. Colo, in
such time that it. would there overtake
the California Limited. which would
have about three hours the start Of it
out of Kansas City. This would put the
St Louis mails Down into New Mexico.
Arizona and California nearly a day
earlier than at present
man who is closely in touch with
the Santa Fe mail service said the
other day: we have been hearing the
rumor OF this new train so persistently
for the past two or three months that
nearly everybody believes that there is
something in it. The latest report we
heard was that the now train would be
put into service just as soon as the new
equipment could he built. The plan is
to have an exceptionally heavy and well
built lot of mail cars Of this train; as
heavy and substantial as Pullman
coaches
The new train would carry no pas
sengers what ever. according to reports,
except railroad officials and employees.
The feasibility of running a train at a
much faster rate than any train now in
regular service IS said TO have been de
monstrated to the Santa Fe officials
by the performances of the special
across the continent at such terrific
speed. The California Limited has been
regarded as very fast train, b Ut it
has made its time nor so much by
speed Is 10y few stops. 1t does not stop
except at some OF the larger towns on
its route. and is therefore able to save
lot of time. The proposed new mail
train viii combine high speed with aas
few stops as possible
The Santa Fe has recently been get
ting in a new style Of very fast b al
anced compound locomotives. intended
for passenger service. These balanced
compounds have been siven try-outs be-
tween Dodge City and La Junta, and
have been breaking all records. 1t is
likely that some Of these are the en-
gines destined to haul the proposed fast /
mail train.
1t is natural that even if such a move F
is underway, the officials would not /
care 10 have it known until all the .
plans are completed, and the train
schedule has been made out. Denials
are therefore to be expected. and so
far all of the high officials have claim .
ed to know nothing whatever Of the pro (
posed hange