The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-05
RAILROAD NEWS.
Santa Fe Doing Much Work in
Kansas.
Surveys in Progress for New
Branch Lines.
REBUILDING THE S. K.
Track Is Being Raised and
RebalIasted.
REBUILDING THE S.
New Bridges of Substantial
Style Being Constructed.

An unusual amount of activity is ex-
hibited by the Santa Fe in It's improve
ment work in this part Of the country.
With the beginning of summer, the
Santa Fe has placed surveyors at work
locating new lines, laborers ballasting
roadbed, and bridge men constructing
new bridges.
An important report comes from
Shawnee, Okla. It is reported that sur
veyors are at work locating a line from
Shawnee to Owasso. The object is to
make a new connection between the
Oklahoma line and the Kansas line,
which viii be of great advantage for the
company's traffic. When General Man
ager Nudge was asked as to the inten-
lions Of the company regarding this ru
mored extension, he replied:
I don't know what they are doing
down there They may have a survey
ing corps OUT
This. being interpreted. means that
the Santa F'e is not ready yet to an
nounce its plans. and if it has the
ShaWnee-OWass line in view it has not
fully decided to build it.
! In very much the same condition is
+ the question of an extension OF the
Santa F'e from Independence to Yates
4 Center. People living at intermediate
/ points have sent delegations to confer
/ with Superintendent Barnes about the
matter. and are said to have received
some encouragement
The proposed route of the road is to
pass through Buffalo from Yates Cen
ter to Benedict and thence to hide
/ pendence, forming cut off Should
such a line be built it would mean a
/ big thing for the country through which
/ it would pass, as it would allow them
shipping and passenger service to de-
velop the country With the present
! facilities, Buffalo can be reached quick
/ er by driving across country.
One of the biggest jobs which the
7 Santa Fe laid out for itself this sum-
mer is the reballasting and general re
| construction OF most of the Southern
Kansas lines. A great many italian
/ laboreIs have been employed for this
work. The surveying parties are work
/ nG out IN all directions, setting ballast
/ stakes. In some places the track will
lie raised considerably and this Will
/ necessitate the building of new bridges.
/ Considerable new steel will also be laid
/ in Kansas. Speaking of a new bridge
t being built at Ottawa, the Ottawa
/ Journal says:
The Santa Fe will commence next
week the construction of a new steel
bridge at the river crossing in Ottawa
to take the place of the one which
now supports the track at that place.
The new bridge will be a massive af-
fair, made to accommodate double
track and to bear the weight of the
heaviest engines without strain. The old
/ bridge was built before the days of
/ '-dOUble-headers' and while Southern
Kansas engines We're on the toy de-
sign. There is a standing rule on the
line now that two engines hauling a
NJ train must separate before the river
l bridge is crossed, and the heaviest OF
the hog type of engines are kept
off the line on account of such bridges
The announcement for the engi-
neering department that a new bridge
is to be installed is regarded as sig
nificant. taken in connection with 9TH
er improvements that. are in progress
down the Southern Kansas line. II
may be part of the general move which
I is said to be intended to put the South.
ern Kansas in shape for the heaviest
and fastest traffic in order to handle
the reads California business, when
the Peccs Valley cutoff is completed