The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-19
RAILROAD NEWS.
The Santa Fe Will Rush Work
on Second Track.
Finish Line Between Kansas
City and Chicago This Year.
COST THREE MILLIONS.
Demands of Traffic Make Bet
terments Necessary.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

Traffic demands have Influenced the
! officials of the Atchison, Topeka ana
| Santa Fe railroad to renewed eHorts
in. the extension of second track be-
tween Chicago and Kansas City. in
order that the work already started
may be practically completed during
| the year 1907.
Part of the contracts for the work
to be done this year have just been
let and the remainder of the contracts
will be let within a couple of weeks,
with the proviso that the work will be
entirely completed by January L, 1908.
Approximately 100000 will be
expended during the coming twelve
month in the construction of second
track to make a double track road be-
tween Kansas City and Chicago.
Plans of this betterment have been
under consideration by the officials of
the Santa Fe for a long time, but un-
til recently, it was not intended to
rush the work so fast
The condition which the railroads
have found themselves in during the
past six months has had its effects
upon the Santa Fe officials, and the
extra ordinary demands of traffic has
been prod to urge the early compile
ton of the second track in order to m
crease more than twofold the facili-
ties for handling the enormous bust
ness. For this season, it is now plan
ned to rush this work between Kan
sas City and Chicago as fast as men
and material may be secured, and the
distance between Chicago and Fort
Madison will be completed and in OPP
Grafton with the exception of "a miles
before October l.
The work west of Fort Madison is
heavier than it is east of that point,
and will therefore take more time. 1t
is planned to have double track ser
vice all the way between Fort Madi-
son and Kansas City, with the excep-
ton of 80 miles by January l. 1908.
airair1 iT1I 1n5 he.
tween Galesburg and Edelsten on the
east of Fort Madison and 80 miles be-
tween Rothville and Carrolton on
the west of Fort Madison) will then
be completed as early in the year 1905
as is possible.
The Santa Fe already operates dou-
BILE track for a distance of 100 miles
out of Chicago, and already operates
considerable distance of double
track west of Fort Ma olson.
BY the terms of a contract recently
entered into between the Wabash and
the Santa Fe. these two roads use the
Santa Fe and Wabash tracks jointly
out of Kansas City to Carrolton as a
double track line, east bound trains of
both lines using the Wabash tracks
and westbound trains of both roads
using the Santa Fe tracks between the
two points above mentioned.
J. M. Meade, engineer of the East
ern Grand division of the Santa Fe,
yesterday awarded a contract to Ran
som and Cook, of ottawa, Kan, for
building the grade for the second
track between Holton and Toluca, Ill.
Mr.. Meade is also receiving bids for
the grade between Galesburg and
Ill. This will complete
the double track in Illinois east of
Fort Madison to connect with the 100
miles of double track already being J
operated out of Chicago.
Mr.. Meade will within a few days
call for the bids on the work west |
from Fort Madison This work is
heavier than that east of the MISSISSIPPI |
pi river and will be about double the
cost of that east of Fort Madison.
AT the end of the present year the |
Santa Fe will have a double track
practically all of the way, and three |
tracks part of the way from Chicago |
to Hutchinson, Kan.