The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-18
EXPLAINS ITS DELAYS
STATE RAILROAD BOARD INVES-
TEGATING ITS SERVICE.

General Superintendent and q Lawyer APP
pesr-A1rec That tho worst 10 Prob
ably Over Great Deal Depends or the
Installation OF the Electric Trains.
The terminal delays at the Grand Central
Station were investigated yesterday by the
State Railroad Commissioners. Assistant
General Manager d. b. Mccoy, A. H. Smith.
one ofthe counsel for the New York Central
Railroad. and General Superintendent I. A.
Mccormack appeared to answer inquiries
about the delay.
Mr.. Mccormack said that the new annex
station ON Lexington avenue above the
terminal yard had been employed for some
weeks for taking on and landing a part OF
the passenger traffic. He said that IL was
cure TO relieve the crush at the old station
to a great degree. After it had been In
operation somewhat longer than at present,
he explained, it would work more smoothly.
Mr.. Smith went over the reasons which
he said made a certain amount Of delay In
the handling Of trains at the Grand Central
Unavoidable, you cannot be explained,
dig up two or three million yards Of earth
for the alterations in progress without
causing some delay TO traffic that passes
through the work. He maintained that
the railroad was doing the best that it could
under the circumstances; the blookage OF
traffio came from many causes.
in addition to the rebuilding Of the
station and the excavation that is going on
there said he, with the erection Of new
structures and all that, you are introducing
a third rail construction, which is entirely
new, and which the men have to learn won't
bite them. You are introducing an entirely
new signal service. You are hauling ma
terial in and out. You nave electric on
duits being built for 80 miles up one road
and "a miles w another. You are rebuild
ing at Wakefield, North White Plains and
Croton. The road has &c keep drawing
the local freight all this time. People have
to have their supplies and coal. II has
been difficult for us TO get labor, yet we
nave hired l24 flremen on the Hudson divi-
sion sinoe August /.
Lack of coal was one OF the worst hin
ORANGES, I" said Mr.. Smith. You cannot buy,
beg or steal the amount Of coal that we
ought TO have. We generally put 500, 900 tons
in stock, but we could not get it this sum
mer. because the miners we're not working.
have TO have quick steaming Goa for the
engines on trains that make frequent stops"
Friday, December Il, which MIR. Smith
took as a typical traffic day, showed, he
said, a total on the Harlem division of 176
trains. OF these l19 were on time; 81 were
late, on the average Q minutes. More
than half OF the delay was in the tunnel,
he specified, where caution was paramount.
The Harlem River draw was another cause
of delay that the company, he said, could
not control. Superintendent Mccormick
stated that the draw was often open from
fifteen to twenty-five minutes, and that
it was opened many times during the day.
According to Mr.. Smith, il was optional
with passengers to get Oh at High Bridge
and try the elevated, put those who tried
getting off above for a while almost all
returned to the old way.
Commissioner Dunn then asked: You
have seen your worst period az far as
operation is concerned2'
Il hope So answered Mr.. Smith. but
I won't promise; I an not a good prom
iser." Nothing could be guaranteed,
he explained, while the third rail as
an adjunct to steam operation remained
untried. Within ten days, he believed,
multiple unit cars would be running to
Wakefield, and they would be started to
White Plains as soon as cars contracted
for arrived. The last steam trains, barring
the unforeseen, would, the railroad hoped,
be taken off in April or May, provided the
New haven road did its part.