The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-15
RAILROAD WORLD

The report of the Alabama Gar Service association for the month of May will show that about 6O,O00 cares were handled which is a slight decrease from the mum ber handled during the corresponding month of last year.
 The decrease is due to some extent to the small movement of pig iron. The small movement causes a decrease of several thousand in the number of cars handled. The movement of iron this month has been but little better than 1t was last month according to the statements of the railroad men and the furnace men.
 A number of officials of various rail roads were in Meridian yesterday to in- spect the new union passenger station there with @ view of taking fit over The station has been completed and the con tractors announced some time ago that they were ready to deliver 1t to the roads.
 The station is used by the Mobile and Ohio. the Southern railway, the Alabama Great Southern. the New Orleans and Northeastern, the Alabama and Viclssburg and the vicksburg, Shreveport and Pact fic.
 The station was slightly damaged in the cyclone which swept over Meridian on March 3. It was Just on the edge of the cloud and only portion of 1t was dam aged.
 The instruction car of the Queen and Crescent route has been in Birmingham some time, and the engineers and other nP ba on the use of the air brakes The car is equipped with all the latest air brake appliances, and has engine for fur nishing the air and operating the appli- ances. The developments in air brakes are so rapid that engineers are required to be constantly studying them in order to keep abreast of the times.
 A family reunion of the freight traffic men of the Southern railway will be held at Lake Toxaway on June 23 E. H. Shaw, assistant general freight agent in Birmingham, will attend the meeting.
 J. M Denyven, general freight agent of the Mobile and Ohio railroad, and J. D. Grant, assistant general freight agent of the New Orleans and North eastern, the Alabama and Vicksburg, and the vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific were in Birmingham yesterday. George s. Gibson, travelling freight agent of the Southern railway at Anniston, was in Birmingham yesterday. H. w. Miller. commercial agent of the Chicago, Cincinnati and Louisville, with headquarters in Atlanta was in Birming- ham yesterday.
 A. D. Lightner, general agent of the Frisco system in Birmingham, Is in St.t Louis.
 The Alabama Great Southern has com menced installing a block signal system between Woodstock and Tuscaloosa, and when this work Is completed, large portion of the south end will have block signals Following that the road will com mence installing block signals on the north end, commencing at Chattanooga and working towards Birmingham.
 Several kinks will be taken out of the Alabama Great Southern at Trenton, and there will be a grade reduction for about three or four miles at the same place. A fill several feet deep will be made, reduc- ing the hill which has given the road more trouble than any others.
 When the reduction in grade is made the heavier trains can be operated on that end especially freight trains. With the grade at present heavy trains are apt to get stalled on the knob. At the same time the line will be shortened about three fourths of mile by building a direct line to replace the curves at this point Trenton is eighteen miles south of Chattanooga.
 Work has been commenced on the bridges on the south end, and when they are rebuilt and made much stronger, heavier equipment will be operated be- tween Birmingh ham and Meridian. With the bridges in the present condition, it is not possible to use the heaviest equipment on the line.