The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-21
RAILROAD NEWS.
Gaps on the Orient Line Are
Being Rapidly Closed Up.
Dirt Flies Fast Between Wichita
and Mexico.
COMPLETE IN 8 YEARS.
Will Be the Only international
Transcontinental Line.
Other Items of Interest to
Railway People.

Wichita, Kan, Aug. A.-"Within two
and half or three years we expect
to have our entire road completed, in
GLIDING the main line of 1853 miles
from Kansas City to Topolobampo,
Mexico, and a branch line 1875 miles
long from San Angelica, Texas, to Del
Rio, connecting there with the National
of Mexico, and giving the best and
most direct all year route from Kan
sas City to the Gulf of Mexico"
This statement is made by officials
of the Kansas City. Mexico & Orient
railroad. Already 675 miles of the road
are in operation, and construction work
is being rushed al many points along
the route.
Track laying gangs are at work at
six different points. One at Clinton
has just finished a stretch of track
north from Altus, Ok, to the north
fork of the Red river. There is now
a gap of 40 miles where the track is
ted as soon as a bridge is built across
the river. A gang is working south
out of A1tus toward the main fork of
the Red river, and another party is
extending the track toward the same
point north out of Benjamin, Texas, a
stretch of 20 miles to be covered.
From Benjamin the road is already
in operation 80 miles to Sweetwater and
point from San Angelo, n miles south.
All of these gaps will be filled up by
the end of the year giving additional
through service from Clinton to San
Angelo, a distance of BIS miles. The
road is already in operation from Gin
ton to Wichita, so that by the end of
the year the road will reach meaSur-
ing the distance by it's own tracks,
from Wichita to San Angelo, 507 miles.
Efforts will also be made to fill up the
So mile stretch between Emporia and
Ell Dorado, Kan. Then by using the
Missouri Pacific tracks between Ell Do
RADIO and Wichita and the Santa Fe
tracks from Emporia into Kansas City,
the Orient road may be running through
trains by the end of the year from
Kansas City to San Angelo. Below
San Angelo about 80 miles of track is
now being laid to reach several towns
and to comply with the requirements
of the Texas laws. J.
In Mexico the Orient road is being
built east from Chihuahua and will
reach the Conscious river, a distance
of about S5 miles, in thirty days,
where further track laying will be de-
layed until the completion of steel
bridges over the Guadalupe Aroya
and the Conscious river, altogether
twenty-seven spans. Within the next
two years the road will be completed
north from the Guadaloupe across the
Rio Grande to a connection with the
Southern Pacific at Alpine, Texas, 240
miles south of san Angelo.
West of Chihuahua the road is com
pleted 1913 miles and is in operation
across the summit of the Sierra Madre
1t is now possible to ride
in Pullman sleeper over the. noun
tains which, until a year or so ago
were pronounced absolutely impassa-
BILE for. railroad. On the west slope
of the mountains there is a gap of 100
miles, including much of the most diff
fcult ground to be encountered by the
road. Fifty miles of this, however, is
already graded. Running east from
the Pacific coast at Topolobampo, the
road is in operation seventy-five miles.
The road now has on hand in the
United States track material for about
lis miles of road; and in Mexico
for about twenty-five miles.
The Orient now has in operation on
the small stretches of it's completed
road 1868 freight cars; thirty-one
passenger cars and thirty-four loco
motives Orders are in for 500 more
freight cars; eight passengers and
twenty locomotives. 1t is said by Of
hcials of the company that already |
the parts of the road in operation are
paying well.
The road when completed will be
the only transcontinental interna-