The weekly herald. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 1906-19??, 1907-10-17
100000
IN TEXAS
Avery Turner Tells II, Worth
Reporter Of Colossal Santa
Fs Improvements

comments interesting to this section
OF the Panhandle, Concerning inn
proyements through the Panhandle
and In Amarillo the interview Is as
follows:
over 100000 will be spent by
the santa Fe In rebuilding It's lines
from Texlco TO Woodward o. T., acr
coTding to figures furnished by Col
onel Avery Turner, vice president
and general manager OF the Pecos
Valley lines of the system, who was
here yesterday from Amarillo head
quarters on route TO Austin.
1000 Men at Work.
Grading and reaylng OF steel for
portions OF the work is already in
progress, several crews and over f.
600 workmen being engaged in the
undertaking, The distance between
the two objective points is 27O miles,
and rs pound rails are TO be laid for
the entire length. replacing lighter
steel used In originally constructing
the line, with the sole Wow OF hand
ling cattle shipments, The object OF
the rebuilding is 10 reduce the grade
and curvature and prepare the diyi-
sion for the handling OF an immense
transcontlnental tonnage, to be par
TALLY diverted from the preset line
10 the Pacific coast.
Colonel Turner says that II is pro-
posed 70 reduce the grades OF this
$40 mile section to one-slxth Of per
cent, which will be wonderfully low
compared to other transcontinental
lines. Another feature viii DO the
strengthening out OF the line enough |
10 reduce the mileage fully five miles
Old roadbeds for miles and miles will
be discarded entirely, and It Is es-
timated that 100 miles OF the rebuild
ing will cost more than double the
original expenditures
Light station Grades.
Among the most modern improve
ments Involved in the rebuilding
process will be the placing OF all |
stations upon light grades and even
ly spaced, in order that trains may
slow down and get good starts with
out losing 80 much time and spending
80 much power. This will be some
what OF an innovation In Texas rail-
way circles.
Arrangements will be made to es-
tabllsh the block signal system, to
double the capacity OF yards at all
stations. to establish small shops at
each division terminal point and to
make the divisions among the best
IN the country in every particular
As part OF the rebuilding process,
the new cutoff from Amarillo to
Panhandle Is to be built Grading for
this short line is now being pushed,
reports Colonel Turner, and the work
will continue to a rapid finish.
Amarillo Gets $5OO,OOO.
At Amarillo work has begun on
the new 100000 shops and division
terminals, which will be main head
quarters in Texas for the Pecos Val
ley and allied divisions, An addition
is also to be made to the general of
flee building and within eighteen
months the Santa Fe will be work
ing 1000 men regularly In Amarillo.
Now over that number make Anna
rillo headquarters, but this includes
several hundred trackmen engaged in
the rebuilding, Detail plans for the
Amarillo improvements are not yet
complete.
When all the ballasting OF tho re-
built district is complete, over So
100000 will have been expended.
Best In the World.
Regarding the noted Beien cut
off OF the Santa re, the last work
OF construction land ballasting of
which is now in progress Colonel
Turner asserts that II is the best
piece OF railroad track built In mod
ern times. It is 269 miles In length
and no wood material has been used
except as ties. All depots are con
crete. bridges ARE either concrete
or steel or combined, and the most
substantial and improved materials
have been used In every respect. The
grade averages thlrty-one feet TO the
mile, which is less than half OF the
prevailing grades Of other transcon-
tinental grades.
AT the present, only portions Of the
cutoff are being used and these only
for freight traffic and II will prob
ably be several months vet before the
line IS opened for full operation
Much OF the transcontlnent1l freight
traffic and probably passenger traffic
wJii DO diverted over this cutoff,