The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-19
Too Much Work to Allow Any
Reduction During Winter.
RUSHING BELEN LINE.
Cutoff However Cannot Be Com
pleted Before July.
other Items cf Interest to
Railway People.

Notwithstanding the fact that many
of the western roads have laid off many
of the employees of extra construction
gangs engaged in the, building of new
lines, the Santa Fe has announced that
there will be no reduction in the extra
construction forces in service on this
large system The Santa Fe has many
large construction jobs which are still
far from being ended and which are
being rushed to completion in order to
alleviate the present congestion Of
traffic on the entire system.
The fact that the Belen cutoff is not
yet completed and still requires a vast
amount of work before it will be open
ed to regular traffic is one of the prin-
ciple reasons the Santa -Fe- forces will
not be cut down. This enterprise of
the Santa Fee has prevented to a large
extent the reduction which usually ac-
companies the approach of winter.
Very few men along the line of the new
Santa Fe extension are lying idle for
want of work.
The Belen cutoff is already partially
in use. There is a mixed train which
plies along a short distance of the route
each day. However, it is rather I'M
certain travelling since there are an al
most innumerable nunrSer of work
trains scattered along the route of this
new line for which the mixed trains
must be on the lookout Passengers,
however patronize this line already as
even with all its discomforts, they pre-
fer it to the usual round about journey
otherwise required to get into the ter
ritory tapped by this new line.
The Belen line, or the Eastern Rail-
way of New Mexico. as it is officially
known, will complete line from Kan
sas City to Chicago to Albuquerque
which is somewhat shorter than the
present line. When the new line Is
completed trains can reach Albuquer-
que from Kansas City by way of the
Southern Kansas division to Wellington
and the Panhandle division to Amarillo
where the eastern end of the Be1en
line will lconnect. The new line is built
principally to relieve, the freight con-
gestion on the main line and to open
for traffic an entirely new and fertile
country hitherto untouched by rafi-
roads. The need of the new line is
that there is an increase of thirty per
cent in the freight traffic over the main
line out of Albuquerque for eastern
and western points. The country open
prospects and is onesof the finest strips
OF land in the southwest. There are
already many thriving towns and fine
farms in this section% and there is a big
the Santa Fe as soon sasSthey CAR ge.
regular freight service thToAsh the new
country.
Although the force Of men will be
retained all winter, it is not thought
that the line will be ready for service
before the first of July next year.
Local service will probably be MAIN
tanned at intervals along the line, but
it is doubtful whether the line will be
turned over to the operating depart
ment before that time. Barring the
completing of a couple of bridges the
line is already open between Belen
and Rio Puerco. By the first of the
year it is thought that the line will be
completed to Roswell, N. M. ana
trains will be running daily between
Albuquerque and Roswell. The rest OF
the line, however, is not likely to be
completed before July 1.