The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-11-11

the World Used on That Limestone
Interesting Railway Statistics A
Unique Road Planned For Joplin,
Mo-Sante Fee to Build Cutoff.
Plans have been perfected by the
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad company to
place orders for 1900 pressed steel
passenger coaches, which will entail an
expenditure Of over $7,OOO,OOO ana
which marks the first step Of the great
railroads Of the country to abolish the
wooden cars and substitute metal says
the Pittsburg Dispatch.
The management Of the railroad has
had such an order under consideration
for several months, and as a result Or
ders for the usual annual equipment OF
passenger coaches were practically
withheld.
The cars will be constructed entirely
of steel, and their adoption will elimi-
nate the telescoping Of cars and the
danger of fire following smashup. 1t
is understood that the greater portion
of the cars will be used in the fast linn
tied service between New York, Pitts
burg and Chicago, while the rest will
be used in suburban service in crowded
districts.
The success of the steel coaches used
on the Long Island railroad, a subsi-
diary concern Of the Pennsylvania,
which were placed in service as an ex-
pertinent, is the primary cause OF the
big order. The coaches Of the PennSyl-
vania, however, will be much larger
and will be a few feet longer than the
present wooden cars.
The heaviest switching locomotives
in the world have been placed in serv-
ice on the lines Of the Lake Shore rail-
road, says the New York Herald. Two
are at Collinweod, O., one at Ashtabu-
la and two at Elkhart, Ind. The
weight of each Of the monsters, includ-
ing one tender, is 419,6OO pounds, or
nearly 21O tons. The capacity Of the
tender is 5000 gallons Of water.
When the Bessemer railroad in
stalled yard engines weighing 391,4OO
pounds, or 25O,3OO pounds without the
tender, and with tank capacity OF
1000 gallons, all records for size were
eclipsed. 1t was predicted that loco
motives of such size would not be a
success. If ever they got off the track
! it would be a mighty job to get them
! on again. 1t was reasoned that If such
mammoth rolling stock ever came into
! general use heavier rails would be re-
! quired and bridges would need to be
strengthened.
Since that time, however, nearly ev-
cry road in the country has been pre-
pairing for mammoth locomotives by
laying heavy rails and replacing old
| bridges, and the Introduction by the
Lake Shore of locomotive larger than
the giants Of the Bessemer is another
| step in development. The locomotives
| built by the Brooks works of the Amer
lean Locomotive company and just in
stalled by the Lake Shore are 2S,2OO
pounds heavier than those of the Bes-
semer The engine without the tender
is 10, 700 pounds heavier The capacity
is 500 gallons greater.
According to the most recent German
statistics, the length of the railroads
Of the world was 537, 1O5 miles on Dec.
81, 1904, of which 27O,3S6 miles We're
in America, 1S7,776 miles in Europe,
1862 miles in Asia, 1868 miles in
Africa and 16,7O2 miles in Australasia
says the Railway and Engineering Re-
view.
Of the mileage Of European railroads
Germany stands first, 34,O16, followed
in their order by Russia, 1896
France, 2S,266; Austria Hungary, a.,
261; the United Kingdom, 22,592; Italy
10,025; Spain, $3.50; Sweden and Nor.
way, $780, The average cost of con
1~on Il =