The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-08
All Lines i'm Better Condition to
Handle Heavy Traffic.
Crop Is Larger; Officials Fear
Roads Will Not Be Prepared.
SHY ON MOTIVE POWER
Car Shortage However Has
Been Guarded Against.
Other Items of Interest to
Railway People.

western and southwest tern roads are
already caring for the heaviest volume
OF business in freight traffic which
| they have ever known. The move
ment although extremely heavy at the
present time will be greatly acceler-
ated by the end of the present month
which is usually known among freight
departments as the heaviest time of
the year. 1t is at this time of the
year that the movement of grain and
livestock is the heaviest Large ship
mentS of coal are also made at this
season of the year which is another
large item in the movement of freight
traffic.
AS a result of the extreme amount
Of business which is being done at the
present time the question which is
worrying the officials of the railroads
at the present time is whether the
equipment of the roads will be large
enough to avoid the lamentable con-
gestion of year ago. The movement
of freight this season will be approx
mately forty-one per cent greater than
the movement of a year ago and al
though many of the railroads. have
added a great deal of equipment dur
ing the past season there is still great
deal of fear and anxiety among the
officials. In fact there is already a
great deal of congestion in the yards
of the different roads converging in
Kansas City and ST. Louis. According
to the present outlook these conditions
will become general over the entire
west.
What most of the railroads in the
west seem to lack most at the present
time is sufficient motive power. All
roads are making an effort to get the
motive power up to the maximum. The
roads which have placed orders during
the last year for the delivery of loco
motives are now pressing the manu-
facturers for their delivery as soon as
possible. The Kansas City Southern
has made arrangements for the de-
livery of thirty new engines within the
next two. or three weeks. The Frisco
has ordered one hundred. The Santa
Fe has been receiving deliveries from
the Baldwin works almost daily for
the last few weeks and have placed
orders for fifteen additional oil burn
ers which are expected for delivery in
time to alleviate the present condi-
lions.
In addition to the large orders for
new motive power all the railroads
have busted themselves during the
past season in getting their cars and
rolling stock in condition to prevent
repetition of the car shortages of last
season. Practically every one of the
great western systems have ordered
new rolling stock, a large part OF
which has already been delivered and
is now in service. In all, the larger
past season ordered $1,000 new cars
and about five hundred locomotives.
With most of this already in service
ft-Wou1d appear that there would be
little chance of a car shortage this sea-
son, but it looks rather doubtful when
it is known that the movement Of traf-
f1c this season will be forty-one per
cent. greater than year ago.
One encouraging feature of the new
orders Of rolling stock which have
been delivered and are now in commits
sion is the fact that the cars are for
the most part Of larger capacity than
the old cars which the roads have pre-
viousIy used. 1t is estimated that the |
rolling stock of the western roads has |
been increased twenty per cent during |
the past season and when the proper |
Tomato dimensions of the cars are |
about thirty-fve per cent increase in |
the capacity.
Another Improvement that has been |
made during the past season has been |
the Improvement of the tracks of the |
different roads. Tracks that were pre- |
viously too light to withstand the |
heavy traffic of the fall season have |
been rebuilt with heavier steel Ter
and many more miles Of side track
is reported than was the case a year
ago. Last season the roads were |
hampered by the lack of means of get |
ting their own cars into service. Dur
ing the summer the roads have sue
ceeded in getting their own cars back
into service on their own lines and
this will help a great deal in moving
the fall traffic.
The main question at the present
time does not seem to be so much Of |
there will be a car shortage
or not as to whether there will be
motive power. The motive
power question seems to be one equal
ly as hard of solution as was the car
problem of year ago. However. it is
safe to say that the road are in better
shape to handle the immense volume
Of transportation than they were a
year ago and in the face of the condi-
tons of a larger movement than ever,
the roads are to be congratulated at
the present time on their successful
efforts in doing what they have.