The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-03
Extensive improvements Are
Planned for This Year.
MILLIONS TO SPEND.
Work of RebaIlasting the Road
to Be Pushed Vigorously.
Freight Terminal Capacity at
Kansas City win Be Doubled.

vigorous action in continuing the inn
provements started last year and IN
dertaking new and important ones is
the watchword of the operating and
maintenance officials of the Chicago,
Rock Island & Pacific railway for the
current year and there are millions of
dollars available for these improve
ments, which will include a great ad-
dition to the equipment of the road as
well as the perfection of the roadbed
on as many parts of the system as the
work can be undertaken on.
This is the gist of what Mr.. H. U.
Nudge, second vice president of the
company, said today. Mr.. Nudge ar
rived here from Chicago yesterday
afternoon. He expects to be in town
until tomorrow, when he leaves for st.
Louis on a trip of inspection.
"Rock Island affairs have never been
in a more promising condition than
they are now" said Mr.. Nudge. This
is evidenced by our financial statement
for December which showed an in
crease in gross earnings over the same
period of last year of more than $780,,
600. with an increase in net earnings
of over 100000. The net earnings
could have been larger but it is the
policy of the company to utilize the
earnings in the betterment of the road
We expect that our figures for January
will show as prOpOrtionately a large
increase over last year.
I'VE are doing all the business pos
sible with our present equipment. Of
course there has been a slight let up
in the car famine from which we, with
all other roads, have been suffering,
but we could do d much bigger bust
ness than we are now If we had the
MI -Inrzl
true regarding this section of the coun-
try and the southwest. The reason we
are particularly short Of cars here is
because of the enormous grain bust
ness which we have to handle on the
northwestern division of the system.
Every car that can be spared, and some
THAT really can not, are needed for this
traffic However, we have large orders
in for additional equipment which is
being delivered from time to time and
before long we hope to be able to have
enough cars to take care of all the
business offered US.
LAS to the improvements we intend
to undertake during the year-they will
be continuation of the improvements
already started which will be prosecu-
ted vigorously to a conclusion. The
most important of these is the rebal-
lasting of the roadbed on various parts
of the system. Many new improvements
have been planned but their details have
not been worked out as yet. Our eXecu-
tive board has allowed US about So,
600. GOO for improvements this year, about
a third of which sum is to be devoted
to new equipment. So many improve
ments have been planned that we have
not decided just yet the ones which VIII
be undertaken first, with the exception
that we viii continue the reballating as
Manned Particular attention viii be
given to the reballasting of the FL Paso
division which runs from Herington,
KAN to Santa Rosa. n. NJ. About 100
miles of this line was rebalasted last
wear and we are going to keep right at
work on it until the whole line is re
baIIasted and placed in the best possible
condition.
zone of the first new improvements
we viii undertake in this vicinity is the
enhancement of our freight terminals at
ArmourdaIe near Kansas City. Engi-
neers have been working on plans for
this enlargement for some time but they
have not been decided on definitely. IN
2 general way the capacity OF the termi-
naIs are to be more than doubled and
a big roundhOuse is to be erected there
rrhis Improvement will cost between
s95G 0O0 and 100000 We expect to de-
Tide ON the plans within a short time
and will then begin work at once.
Mr.. Nudge was asked as to the pro-
babilffv of the company mountaineering
fba line between Topeka and Mcfarland
and he replied that while the necessity
fo4. this Improvement was recognized ne
did not think it possible that the work
would be undertaken this year. Ihere
are many other improvements OF moef
messing character to be undertakes at
present" he added.