Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-15
NEW ELECTRIC ROAD
GRADING OF GREAT FALLS AND
OLD DOMINION r. r.
Work Completed for Half the Distance
Between Washington and
Great Fallsst


Dominion electric railroad Isl completed for
half the distance between Washington and
Great Falls. Last week the contractor who
had the work in charge was busy removing
his scoops and teams, which had been &C.
cupied In the work since last February.
The distance covered by the graded road
bed Is ~ miles. reaching to a point be-
tween Townsville and Langley. The grad
ing Is declared to be a fine piece of work,
and at no point does the rise exceed 81
per cent, which is much less 1t Is said, than
that OF many grades on most of the steam
railroads.
The rails have been laid across the Aque-
duct bridge and the reconstruction of the
bridge accomplished at cost OF SO. 600
Many additional supports had to be put in.
complete truss was built to insure the
safety OF the structure. At the southern
end Of the bridge large fill has been made,
widening the approach to the bridge, SO
that there will be plenty of room for the
new tracks without Interfering with traffic
on the roadway. A large excavation has
been made in the hillside at the Virginia
end OF the bridge. wherein car shed or
house will be constructed at the base of the
hill east of Rosslyn, near the Potomac,
where the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
will run in siding to supply coal direct
at the plant.
Conditional Plans.
The scope of many of the details of the
work depends entirely upon the decision of
the question whether the company will be
permitted to run it's cross-town line. If
the franchise is granted the power station
will have to be on a much larger scale
than for suburban line alone, and Sthe
trackage arrangements will be different
mn la TOD f.x- md vr,sth o,.k
city connections. If the line is to be subur-
ban solely the trains from Virginia will be
run across the bridge to the base of the
wall at the foot of 37th street. from which
they Will have to be backed out again.
But II the cross-town line becomes reality
the city cars will run across the bridge
and around loop on the Virginia side and
the suburban cars will stop at passenger
station which will be erected there. In
coming and outgoing passengers would be
transferred from one line to the other I'M
der the shelter of this station.
The line to Great Falls IS being built in
manner to Withstand the hardest usage
and on scale similar to that followed in
the equipment of a steam railroad. The
roadbed will be rock ballasted and the rails
Will be standard 70-pound steel, laid on
heavy oak ties. The rails on the Aqueduct
bridge weigh SIS pounds to the yard Some
OF the rock ballast Is now being laid, and
half OF the ties needed for the work are on
hand. 1t is expected that the work of lay
y
future.
Six Bridges Built.
On the completed section of the graded
road there are six bridges. Most of them
are over small roads, with the exception of
one which crosses the highway known as
the Falls Church road. This structure has
the distinction of being the largest skew
bridge in the United States. The wagon
road passes beneath the track here at an
angle of about sixty degrees. One side of
the structure extends nearly half way
across the road before the other begins.
The view across the top gives one the i'm
preston of an ordinary bridge that has been
caught between two bodies moving in oppo-
site directions, one side being showed for
ward and the other back until the structure
is skewed' to an angie of over sixty-four
degrees.
On the portion of,the grading yet to be
accomplished there will be four bridges be-
sides a viaduct 400 feet long at Difficult run
This viaduct will reach an altitude of sixty
feet at the highest point. Bids have been
received for the completion of the balance
of this work, and the contract will probably
be awarded this month.