The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-10-31
"A DESCRIPTION OF THE VAST
IMPROVEMENTS ON CAIRO LINE

Cincinnati, Oh cago and st. Louis e
tends from Cairo to Tilton, ILL.,, 2.
miles. says the Railroad Gazette. a
Tilton II joins the Wabash and use
It's tracks into DanvilIe about tw
miles further north Originally
was composed of several small roads
including the Cairo & Vincennes. tn
Danyille & Southwestern. and the s.
Francisyile & LawrenceyiIle hniI
rty-fiye to forty years ago. The,
were consolidated and taken oyer By
1.-THE old Wabash ST. Louis & Pacific
and operated as its Cairo division fol
q time In 1885 II was surrendered
by the Wabash, pending foreclosure
and for four years was operated by
order of the court as the Cairo, Vim
cennes & Chicago II was reorgani2ed
in 1899 and shortly after It's reorea-
nization control Of Il was acquired BY
the Big Four which has operated il
ever since as IFS Cairo diyis on. In
addition to the main line there Is a
branch from ST Francisville 10 Vim
! cannes, eight miles
/ Up to the present time this div
has been one Of the weaker members
of he Biz Four ystem 4 was a light
single-track line With numerous heavy
grades ard curves, and full Of Says.
It was Ia eely 1irt-ballasted no rails
were heavier than sixty pounds, and
the bridges which were mostly tres
ties. were all wood The line did not
contr butte a paying traffic ana no
money was spent 70 improve IT.
However. with the development of
the immense coal fields surrounding
Harrisburg this lime acquired new
value, which was greatly augmented |
by the purchase Of the Vanderbilt in
terests of an immense tract In this |
new coaEb2aring region To take ad- /
vantage Of the traffic possibilities. a I
low-sra Re direct Inc To Chicago was /
needed This wit be obtained in con
junction with the Indiana Harhor also
a Vanderbilt property. which was for
merly a Chicago belt road. bgt which
Is now being extended to Danvile, and
W II parallel the Chicago g. Eastern III
mos from that point to Chicago.
The Cairo division Of the Big Four
north Of Harrisburg, is being entirely
rebu II in order to convert il into a
line adequate to the needs Of the enof
nous traffic which will be available
Trades are being reduced from Is
per cent the former maximum, to
- per cent norlhbound and 0.G south
,ound; curves are being reduced or
Eliminated The maximum on the new
inc being 3 degrees. and the majority
degree and under all new bridges
ne Of permanent construction, con
,rete masonry beng used throughout,
he majority Of The structures beng
1nurely of plain or REINFORCED con
,re'e The entire line viii be relaid
eith he3vg ails ana balla ted
Glass Of Work.
The work which is being done with
he minimum possible disturbance to
traffic may be said to consist Of three
'lasses. The first Of these involving
no change of grade or location. the
railroad company is doing itself. +
consists Of standarlizing the bank.
and cuts putting in new track and
The second class involves
,fset locati MS in o-der 10 make gOod .
grade and curvature reyis ons with
nj interfering seriously with traffic.
The amount of the offet depends. of
curse. on local conditions such as
he amount Of grade and curvature u
'hange. ec.. bur will average about :
twenty-five feet This offset location p
work. wherever it occurs. has neceszi- v
atcd widening the rght-of-way. by a
he purchase of additional land The I
bird class requ res entire relocation .
Il the line This is being done at .
lumber Of points The net result Of h
his ON the total length of the line a
yill he to shorten 10 about hrcequar- "
crs Of mile. The distance from a
)anv,lle 10 Harrisburg is 1919 miles. p
Taking DanWlle as the initial point
n considering the improvements. one D
4 the most important pieces Of work 4
S being done here. As already men. >
Toned, this line now ends AT TiHon. q