The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-16
RAILROAD news.
Rock Island Has Completed New
II. C. Terminals.
Five Years Were Required in
Their Construction.
COST THREE MILLIONS
Other Roads Have Also Made
Big improvements.
Other Items of Interest i'm
Railway Circles.

Kansas City, Jan. 16.-The Chicago,
Rock Island & Pacific railroad has
about completed a f1ve-year program
in the building of as complete ter
minal facilities for the handling of
| freight as is had by any of the big
railroad companies centering in Kan
sas City.
In 1901 and 1902 the railroads here
awakened to the Importance of build
ing adequate terminal facilities for
the handling Of the constantly in
creasing freight traffic. The Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe, the Missouri Pa
cif1c. the Burlington and the Chicago
Great Western railroads have built
large and complete freight terminal
yards and freight houses within the
last five years. In the same interval
of five years the Missouri, Kansas q
Texas railroad has ceased the Joint
use of the st. Louis & San Francisco
terminal and has built and equipped
complete facilities of its own. The
Union Pacific has practically complete
terminals, as has also the Chicago,
Milwaukee & ST. Paul. The Kansas
City Southern and the Chicago & AL
ton have large plans for the further
development.
The Rock Island program has been
big one, involving the expenditure
of more than three million dollars.
Here is a summary of what has been
accomplished:
New shops for both heavy and light
repair work, giving employment to
500 men. Two hundred and fifty cars
can be repaired here daily. The work
for the Missouri and Kansas divisions
will be done here.
A new twenty-five stall roundhouse
with modern turntable and modern
equipment.
New gravity coal chute, operated
by electricity, to handle all Of the
Rock Islands coal in Kansas City.
New houses for the manufacture
and storage of ice for the Rock Island
system
Independent water plant for storing
and purifying water for engines.
An air plant for cleaning and re-
novating passenger equipment.
Two story office building for the Of
fees of the transportation and me-
chanical departments
New freight house in Armourdale
for the handling of West side freight.
The building of complete freight
yards for inbound" and outbound"
freight, including receiving yards, and
making up and breaking yards, ana
a large yard for the handling of pas
senger equipment. Capacity of freight
yards 5000 cars.
Additional team tracks for city
freight yards in the West bottoms, in
Guiding new platform and other
freight house facilities. Team tracks
macadamized. ."-
The big new terminal yards of the
Rock Island are principally in West
Armourdale. They extend from west
of Jefferson avenue three miles to the
Swift packing house. West of JEFF
ferson avenue is the grain yard, ac-
commodating 800 cars. The big Gin
bound and outbound" yards, with
the shops, roundhouses and other ia
cilities, occupy the space between
Twentieth and Seventh streets
While the yard and shop facilities
are adequate, there is need for more
freight house room in the West bot
toms Last August the Rock Island
| bought all of the ground on the east
| side of Genesee street, from the alley
south Of Twelfth street to the lots oc-
| cupied by the Drovers' hotel, st. Louis
| hotel and other business buildings,
extending 200 feet north of Sixteenth
street. No definite announcement of
the purpose Of the purchase has been
made, but 1t is supposed that the
ground will be used for a new freight
house. With the exception of the 200
| feet at the northeast corner of Six
teenth and Genesee streets, the Rock
Island owns all the ground between
Genesee and Wyoming streets, from
the rear Of the lots fronting on
Twelfth to Sixteenth street. The Rock
Island freight house occupies a strip
| of ground along Wyoming street for
a block south Of Fourteenth street