The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-01-02
II. II. MAYBERRY,
President.

rails to q total OF between 100000 and g.
100000 tons. The present outlook is that
the production of steel rails during 1905
will amount to fully 5000, 900 tons, thus
establishing a new high record.
All opposition on the part of the rail-
roads to the maintenance of the regular
pool price for steel rails during 1905 has
ceased. Owing to the advance in the price
of old rails, the railroads will not suffer
very greatly from the maintenance of the
pool price on standard rails, and from
now on the largest systems will give their
orders freely. Within the last week Read
ing. Louisville and Nashville New York
Central and the other Vanderbilt lines
and several smaller systems have given
orders for total of more than 100000 tons
Of steel rails.
1t Is expected that some very heavy or
ders will be placed in January, among
which will be the Pennsylvania orders.
The fiscal year of the Pennsylvania ends
on December 81, and 1t is understood
that the company will not place any large
orders until after the close of the year
SO that the account will run into the new
fiscal year. Among the other companies
which are expected to place large orders
within the next few weeks are Baltimore
and Ohio, Norfolk and Western Chesa-
peake and Ohio and the Hartman lines.
One reason why it Is expected that the
orders for steel rails in 1905 will exceed
100000 tons is because of the increase
in the weight of the rails now being used.
Only few years ago the majority of the
orders were for 50-pound or even lighter
rails. The majority of the large railroads
now use 70 and 100-pound rails exclusively.
Even without any new construction,
therefore, the large increase in the weight
will cause a considerable increase in the
tonnage.
The same applies to all classes of rail-
road equipment. The old-time bridges,
which the Carnegie company designed In
the earlier days of steel construction, with
a resistance of $500 pounds per foot, have
now been replaced by bridges which have
resistance power of 1900 pounds per
foot. The weight of locomotives has in
creased from 49, 900 to $4,000 pounds to
$50, 900 to 100000 pounds.
J. e. Willoughby, chief engineer Of con-
struction of the Knoxville, La Toilette
and Jellico, which is a division of the
Louisville. and Nashville, will be trans
ferred to the Atlanta, Knoxville and
Northern which Is being rebuilt from
Knoxville to Etowah, Tenn, and extended
from the latter point to Carterville Ga.
HIS Headquarters will be at Madison
vile, Tenn.
w. H. Courtenay, who on January l
succeeds r. Montfort as chief engineer
of the Louisville and Nashville, with
Headquarters at Louisville, was born at
Louisville on July 80, 1858, and gradu-
ated from Rensselaer, Polytechnic insti-
tute in 1879. He entered the employ of the
| Louisville and Nashville 10 1879 as en-
gineer. and has been principal assistant
since April 1, 1891
w. B. Denham, general superintendent
Of the second division of the Atlantic
Coast Line, has been appointed assistant
to Fourth Vice President and General
Manager Kenly with headquarters at
wilmington, N. c.. and M. Riddle assist
ant chief engineer at Savannah, has been
appointed general superintendent OF the
second division, with office at Savannah
to succeed Mr.. Denham.
r. Montfort, late chief engineer Of the
Louisville and Nashville, OF Louisville,
KY furnishes the following information
In regard to construction work on this
system during the past year, I'm the
Birmingham district the Cain Creek
branch Of the North Alabama Railroad,
arlF
and 1424 miles Of subordinate branches,
has been completed and is now In oper-
alton. This branch leaves the main line
Of the South and North Alabama Rail-
road at Black Creek. Ala, miles north
of Birmingham, and runs in westerly
direction to Banner, Ala, and Sayre Ala,
| on the arrior river. About II miles of the
main line of this branch and 1.9 miles OF
siding were construction last year, and
the remaining 1905 miles of main track
and 1924 miles of sidetrack were COM
pleted this year.
The extension of the Oneonta and At
ITALIA Railroad from Altoona, Ala, to a
connection with the Nashville, Chatta-
nooga and st. Louis Railway at point
" miles west of Alfalfa, Ala, distance
Of 1856 miles, Is completed, with the ex-
ception of the tunnel at Tumln Gap
through Blount Mountain, and this will
be completed in the spring of 1905. The
Turkey Creek branch, diverging from the
main line Of the South and North Ala
bama Railroad at Fedora, Ala, IS miles
north of Birmingham and extending in an
easterly direction up Turkey Creek. 295
miles, to reach coal mines at Indio, Ala.
has been constructed during 1904 Hoge-
land branch, So Of a mile in length. has
been constructed during the year. This
branch leaves the main line of the Lin
ton branch at Hogeland Junction, near