The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-07-17
N-34rE4eS @J#E[BNaM T19NlEz
TRACKS ARE
NEARLY Laid
NEW RAILROAD WILL TAKE PAS
sENeERs FIRST WEEK IN
SEPTEMBER.
OUT OF BILLINGS

OUT OF BILLINGS.
Burlington Railroad Improving Road
Bed Preparatory TO Inauguration
Of Freight and Passenger Service la
Connection With Billings and North
srn Is coast-ofHciaIs In City.
Train service on the new Billings
and Northern railroads, between
Billings and Great Falls, will be In
augurated the first week in Septem-
her, according to information receiv-
ed in Billings by . well known rail-
road official.
Track laying on the new railroad is
nearly completed, only a few miles
North Of Laurel remaining to bo laid.
It is expected that the WORK Of lay
ing this track will be completed by
August /, when the work Of bal'asting
will begin. It Is said to be the inten.
ton OF the new railroad company to
thoroughly ballast It's tracks before
passenger service is inaugurated.
Freight service, however, will be in
augurated Immediately after the track
laying is completed.
Railroad officials in Billings say
that all trains on the new line will
leave the Billings union depot and all
passengers transferred from the Bur-
lington and Northern Pacific railroads
will change trains here.
Passenger service on the rev line
has already been i%nauguratei On the
northern portion, regular trains run
uing from Great Falls south to the
Milwaukee connections.
Burlington Making improvements.
When the new line is completed it
vii form the connecting link between
the Burlington and the Great North
ern railroads and according to present
plans the through trains on the Bur
ungton will be run west to the coast
over the new line and the Great North
ern instead Of over the Northern
Pacific as at present.
With the Inauguration OF the new
service, it is said, the Burlington in
tends reaching out for considerable OF
the coast business. which now goes to
other lines. With this end in view it
Is making a large number Of improve
#ments to the road bed from Billings
to Edgemont, s.. D. The old steel is
giving way to new IS pound rails, the
-oad bed is being ballasted with rock
and all the bridges are to be made
with concrete floors. Several hun
bred men are now employed making
these improvements, which will be
completed about the time passenger
service Is inaugurated on the Billings
and Northern.
officials In Billings.
President Harris and q party Of Bur
ungton ofHcials were IN Billings yes
terday on a tour Of inspection Of the
improvements OF the line. They left
last night for the Cody branch, where
they will investigate conditions in the
Big Horn basin, inspect Improvements
and look over the Frame end Of the
right Of way for the proposed Frannie.
Fromberg cut of.
The Burlington omcials seemed
very optimistic as to the outlook In
vailroad circles and one Of them de-
clared that there would be . large
increase IN the amount Of freight and
passenger tramc through Billirge
when the new line 10 completed.
The party travelled in two private
cars and was composed Of President
Harris, Wee President Willard, Gem
eral Superintendent Allen, General
Trafic Manager spem and General
Passenger Agent Holdridge.
Stgl%B% @@59s.