Evening journal., 1906-11-12
ECONOMY TO
IMPROVE ROADBED
improvements That Make
PennSy Lines Safer and
More Attractive

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. i2--What an
ideal roadbed should be. both for wear
ing qualities ana appearance. according
TO the experts latest dlctum. is rep
resented IN four stretches OF the main
line OF the Pennsylvania Railroad be-
tween Philadelphia and Pittsburg.
Grassy banks sloping smoothly down,
when the tracks are In cut, are the
features that strike the passengers
eye. Nine people out Of ten think
these sodded slopes are put there solely
60 please the eye, to make the pern-
sylvania a road good to look at as well
as to ride upon. This Is a mistake
the grass is more useful than orna-
mental, and eventually It win mean the
saving OF thousands OF dollars now
spent on maintenance OF way"
Water" said prominent railroad
official In a recent lecture, rs the
greatest enemy OF the roadbed" Water
flowing down unsodded slopes causes
erosion washing dirt and stones into
the ditch beside the tracks. and cholS-
ing drainage. Perfect drainage Is the
secret OF success IN the maintenance OF
roadhed. II this be secured all else
takes care Of itself
SPENDING HUNDREDS no SAVE.
THOUSANDS.
10 was in the summer OF 1905 that
President Cassatt suggested the pres
ent Improvement IN order to reduce thu
cost OF maintenance as well as to make
travel FOR the patrons OF the Pennsyl-
vanla safer more comfortable and al
together more agreeable. He appoint
a e. 80
company 10 prepare plans for a bed
with drainage facilities as near per-
feet as possible. and the flfteen miles
OF new roa6Ded IS the result OF the
committees report one OF the two
flvo-mile stretches Of standard roadbod
Is near Lancaster on the Philadelphia
division and the other near Newport,
on the Middle division. The two shorter
stretches, two and a half miles each,
are on the Pittsburg division. one near
Cresson on the western slope Of the
mountain and the other about fifty
miles east of piitsburg. at Hillside.
Tho Pennsylvania requires o ditch.
ten and n half feet wide. on each hide
OF q four-tratk road and the bottom
OF the ditch must be three and a half
feet below the level OF the. top OF the
tie. That means that there must be
decided slope from the lowest part ~
/ tho roadbed Go the 6ltch no that water
tricldlng through The ballast will dow
Off rapidly.
OIL no Keep Down Duet and Weeds
/ The ditch itself 90 OF ordinary soil
/ but the company has tried the experl-
ment IN some places. 90 sprlnklmg II
] SOD all NI.HA a. .
dust. Whatever method is adopted
tho Important object is TO keen tbs
ditch clean and uncbstructed. IL has
been found thni che grass banks hll thl
bin admirably. When it rains thl
iwat6r pcars down over them withou
bringing anything with it. and follow
the ditch " the nearest outlet
The cost Of tho Improvement Of evel
the hfieen miles has been enormous
Seventy-three thousand cubic yards @
new ballast were rscd IN that Fhof
distance This ballast was not @
make the track more stea ly--the sup
ply already there was sufficient 10
that--but 10 make the drainage perfect
The cost cf so1ilng with blue rrof
was even a greater item. II was cal
culated by the engineers that 90 pc
cent Of the entire cost was for cuttn.
, down and soddlng the slopes.
The money win an come back
, though, IA saving OF maintenance eN
, penses At present work-trains
, crowded with laborers hive 10 be oi
! the move all the time. for clearin
! bitches and putting In new ballas
5 where It is necessary. In addition &
1 the great cost of labor. the interferen
I with traffic Is a most import71t con
E slderation in this constant ovli ihlnlinf
The work trains have TO use the NAL
, running tracks and invariably got q
the way Of and retari both passcngo
and freight trains.