The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17
RAILROAD NEWS.
Union Pacific's Big Undertaking
Is Nearing Completion.
Topeka Kansas City Double
Track About Finished.
HAS COST $2,25O,OOO.
Practically an Entire New Line
Built Along the Kaw.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.
HAS COST $2,25O.OOO

] OF monLnS ago, 1t IS probable that With
in the next go days the double track of
the Union Pacific railway between To-
pelza and Kansas City will be in opera
ton.
For more than a year this piece of
work has been under way, and while
/ it has been referred to as merely the
/ double tracking of the line, it has been
/ IN reality the construction of a new dOu-
( bic track railroad between the two cit
1 les When completed. it will have cost
/ about $2,250,O00, which is an unusual
sum of money for the double tracking
of 81 miles of road, but in this instance,
as has been said, practically an entire
new line has been built. New and mod
ern bridges have been put in, grades
raised and curves changed and many
stations along the line have been re-
built or replaced by new ones.
This portion of the Union Pacific be-
tween Kansas City and Topeka is used
jointly by the owners and the Rock
Island. Although the latter uses it only
as means of getting into Kansas City,
doing no local business between the ter
minal points. the traffic in recent years
has taxed considerably the capacity of
the single track line. making a double
| track necessity.
The Union Pacific built this line along
| the KaW in the early SOS Naturally
| it was located to make construction
work as light as practicable and con-
curves, and although there have been
some improvements to these features
from time to time the general charac-
teristics of the line have remained much
the same as originally built. The pres
ent work therefore, in addition to the
double tracking, has amounted practi
cally to rebuilding the line by convert
ing 1t into one having easy grades and
light curves. It also has involved rails
ing the grade wherever necessary to
bring it up above all high water marks
except those of the great flood of 1903.
The previous ruling grades were 1 per
cent This maximum has been reduc-
ed to .35 per cent. The average adverse
gradient is only rs per cent, however,
there being a total of only two miles
of the maximum. The former minimum
curves were six degrees with numerous
others ranging between this and two
degrees. In all. 81 curves have been ta-
ken out and 355 degrees of curvature
eliminated, which of course includes the
sharpest curves. And while the present
ma xinum is three degrees outside of
the towns Of Lawrence and Topeka,
there is only one curve OF this degree,
the rest being two degrees and under.
The grade reduction required a maxi
mum raise of track of seven feet above
the old grade and a maximum dror7 of
ten feet. The minimum raise was nine
inches for rock ballasting. The basing
point of the revised grade line was the
1904 high water level. the minimum dis
two feet to the top of the rail.
The line changes REQUIRED consider
able new location work. incidentally
effecting a saving Of 600 feet in the to-
tai distance A typical example is
found in the change west of Bonner
Springs, where a heavy reverse curve
was replaced with almost a tangent.
These changes made new right of way
necessary but little had to be bought as
the company owns a 400 foot right OF
way for rs miles west of Munice AS
the line now is it makes something
more than right angle to get into Law
renee the north side of which is situa-
ted in a sharp bend of the river It is
probable that at some time in the near
future a cutoff will be built which Will
complete the base of this triangle. This
cutoff will be a little over four miles
long, and will save about two and one
half miles in distance. 1t will be used
by the Rock Island trains and all
through freight trains Of the Union Pa
ci1c.
The present second track work be-
gins a short distance east of the Rock
Island junction in the Armstrong yards
and extends a little west of the To-
peka passenger station; but when the
work now under way is completed the
double track Will extend through to
Union station, Kansas City, the plan
including the remodeling of the Arm
strong yards which will be done after
the present work is completed. The
ultimate purpose of a second track
right through to Denver has been kept
in mind in all the new work that has
been done west of Topeka.
In the execution of the second track
work a traffic averaging sixty trains
day had to be taken care of, adding
much to the difficulty. In general, the
plan followed-except, of course, in en-
tire new -locatiOn-Was to use the old
line as a working track for the new
second track and then reverse the rela-
~Tr.ra
the old track. AS soon as sections of
the second track could be placed in
suitable condition for service they have
been used for passing tracks, thus at
fOrding continuously increasing relief
to the congestion of traffic.
There are eighteen stations on the
line between Armstrong and Topeka.
All are quite small with the exception
of Lawrence, which is little more
than half way. Complete changes have
been made in the facilities at all of
these stations. Passing tracks have
been located about every twelve miles,
bringing them at Granville, Perry,
IinWood. Bonner Springs and Munice.
Each station has been given a bust
ness track two thousand feet long, eand
at Iinwood a potato" track two thou
sand and fifty feet has been put in. as
large quantities of potatoes are raised
in this region, making a special track
for the potato cars desirable and nee
essary.
New depots have been built at New
man, Buck Greek, FAN Leaf and
Munice and the Bonner Springs build
ing has been remodeled. These new
stations are frame on a concrete fOun-
dalton and contain a waiting room,
ticket Office, freight room with space
partitioned off for express and living
rooms for the agent. The platforms
are seven hundred feet long The
Bonner Springs station has been re-
built with two waiting rooms and its
freight room was extended. At all
other small points the station was
moved or some change made. All Of
these station likewise have stock pens
for loading cattle except Munice which
is too close to Kansas city to need one.
There are a large number Of bridges
on the line and . good many Of them