The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-30
Improvement. en .. C N.

improvements 0M ~
 The enormous freight and passenger traffic of the Louisville and Nashville is putting that road to dire straits at times to handle the constantly increas- ing flood of business over single track.
 Some years ago the shrewd business foresight of President Milton H. smith saw that the time was fast approach ing when the traffic of the Louisville and Nashville could not begin to be handled with a single line or rails Then preparations were begun 10 double track the big trunk line from Decatur to Birmingham and In the years that followed an enormous amount of work was done.
 By putting in long sidings, tunnel ing through the mountains and Tn places building entirely around the oId right of way the foundations were laid for a complete double track.
 From Birmingham to Calera there is virtually a double track all of the way, but the most expensive part Of the big undertaking is the putting Tn or double track from Decatur to Birming- ham, Through the hills from Decatur to Birmingham the grade Is unusually heavy and 1t hasn't been so many years ago since a heavy freight train would have to double" several of the hills. Since then, however, most of the heavy grades have been cut down, the numerous curves straightened out and the track made as near level as track over the mountains could be, so that now a pretty heavy freight train san get over the road with the saving of just one-half the amount of swear words" from the train dispatchers In Birmingham and Decatur.
 Even now the grade between Bir- mingham and Decatur Is so heavy that from two to three trains are required | to do the work on the north end that Is done by one train from Birmingham to Montgomery.
 Over at the North Montgomery yards of the Louisville and Nashville an av- | craze of twenty-five trains a day are | handled in and out, each train carry | ing 1,250 tonsA From Birmingham to | Decatur 750 tons is the highest that l the trains can carry, the result being that the number of trains on that di- l vision is about double the number from here to Birmingham.
 1t will not be many years before the grades are so cut dQwn and the track ssat of a double track being built that as much tonnage can bc handled between Decatur and Birmins nam as between Montgomery and Birmingham.
 Over Sand Mountain the work of building a double track has been star ted and several surveys made. One of the surveys goes entirely to the right of the town of Cullman and down through the hills, striking into the rear of the hotel property at Blount Springs, the track now in use running directly through both Gull man and Blount Springs.
 At Brooks Gap, near Birmingham, tunnel is being built through the rocks, and while 1t will mean the ex- penditure of vast amount of money, the entire line from Decatur to Mont gomery will be double tracked.
 Something over a year ago the work of building Q double track from Mont. romery to FTomaton was begun ana the surveys all made. One of the sur yeys called for a tunnel through the hills at Fort Deposit in Lowndes County. An appropriation of $15O.ooo rvas made for the work between Mont- rromery and Mobile. the sum later De- ing riased to $1,000.000.
 For months and months all this vast amount of work has been at stand still. and a railroad official said yes terday that as long as the present