The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-02-11
BIC ORDERS FOR
STEEL CARS

- - - 0sI.4A -
ANoTHsR YEAR OF REMARKABLE
BUSINESS ACTIVITY is Al.
READY ASSURED IN THE IRON
AND STEEL INDUSTRY AS WELL
AS OTHER LINES.
PITTsBuRG. Pa, Feb. orders
for steel cars amounting to $780,
100000 are now in the hands OF the
steel car buildings companies Of the
Pittsburs and other districts for con-
structtcn this year and inquiries are
coming N for cars that already give
indications Of orders amounting to
from s2o. 100000 to $4,000, 900 more.
This is actually startling In the face
of SO much talk that the railroads
have been compelled to curtail their
buying because Of failure to secure
funds. The stock market has figured
for some weeks that there would be
depression in the steel business
through the failure of thu railroads
to buy, and railroad securities as well
as the entire list have fallen below
the teyel Of 1904.
Despite the enormous aggregate OF
cars now in the hands OF the steel car
builders the railroads would be willing
to bay many thousands more II they
could be assured delivery within the
next II months. Practically every
steel car building company in the
country Is booked ahead for more than
one year and plans are on foot for
extensions that will largely increase
capacity. The need for cars was nev.
er more urgent than at present, but
the buying has been limited to the
capacity Of the builders.
Mast Increase Capacity.
1t was only recently that the Stand.
ard Steel Car Company, which has g.
600 men at work at its Butler plant,
began the construction of a $4,000
Geo steel car works at Hammond, Ind,
to care for the orders which are
threatening to overflow 1t. This new
plant viii be almost a duplicate OF
the Butler works, and 1t is expected
to be In operation in August. Already
the railroads of the West have plac.
ed orders for cars to be constructed
there tlnrfng this year. This plant
will relieve the Butler works and al.
low orders for eastern roads to be
handled quicker here.
1t is said that the Pressed Steel
Car Company has orders ahead for 40,-
coo ste6l cars aud that It's plants have
as much as they can do for the re.
mainder Of the year. The Standard
Steel Car Company is reported to have
orders on its books for $4,000 steel
cars with steel underframes. The
American Car 6 Foundry Company
has orders on hand for construction
at its various plants amounting to go.
600. and the Cambria Steel Company
at Johnstown, which is owned by the
Pennsylvania railroad, has orders
ahead for at least 10000 cars. These,
with orders at other scattered plants,
amount to 10000 steel or steel I'm.
derframe cars, the total cost Of which
will run up close to s16o, 100000. The
bulk OF the steel for these cars will
come from plants in the Pittsburg dis.
trict.
inquiries still Pour In.
Despite the apparently congested
condition of the steel car building
plants inquiries have been ponrned
in within the last few weeks for cars
that viii aggregate in value about
s2o,oo0,oo0. The Burlington is report.
ed to b in the market for 5000 cars
and the Rock Island Is asking for bids
for the same number. The Atlantic
Coast line has sent out inquiries for
1900 cars, and the Wabash Is asking
for bids for 1000 cars in addition to
the large order 1t recently placed with
the Standard and Cambria companies
The Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul Is
also in the market for 5000 steel cars,
but its custom Is to buy the steel
frames and underframes and build the
cars Itself. The Pennsylvania railroad
is asking for bids for 500 steel pas.
senger coaches, the cost of which will
vary from $4,000 to $4,000 each.
The large recent orders included
5000 from the Lehigh Valley to be
built at the Standard works, and 5000
for the Philadelphia & Reading. Of
which 1000 will be constructed by
the Standard, 1000 by the Cambria
Steel Company, and the remainder by
the American Car & Foundry Com.
pany. The Wabash system also order.
ed 1000 cars, OF which 1000 were steel
and the remainder wooden. The Stand.
ard will build 1000 of these, and the
Cambria company 1000. The Ameri.
ran Car q, E,1tfuf{rx, Tzr,,nu.. .x.t,,