Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-08-28
CONNECTING YARDS
NEAR MARTNSBURG
B. & O. and Pensy Railroads 10
Join Hands at Cumbo.
BIG RAILROAD OFFICIALS
IN CONSULTATION

Yards to Have Thirty-five Tracks That
Will Hold One Hundred Cars Each,
Bio Merchandise Sheds, Coal Triple,
Water Tanks, Turn Tables, Repair
Shops, etc.
Thebig connecting yard, between
#he Baltimore and Ohio and Cumber-
land Valley Railroads at Cumbo, will
be built. The final details between
the two railroads, it Is understood,
were arranged yesterday evening,
when General Manager Potter, of the
b. C O., accompanied by several oil
the officials, came here N a special
train. and we're taken e Cumbo and
transferred to the Cumberland Valley
sand from there wen to ChambersDurg
where the matter was taken up.
1t has been years since anything has
been heard of the yard TO be built at
Cumbo. Plans had been drawn and all
the details arTanges for the building
of a large yard, following the opening
of the connecting of the two railroads
through what is now known as Cumbo
Much land had been bought outright
and rights of way secured by the Bal
timore & Ohio railroad for this big i'm
provement. The whole matter was
dropped when Mr.. Thomas Fitzgerald
the then General Manager of the road
who for many years would not pass on
anything that in any way tended to
help Martinsburg, turned the propo
.sition down. Many conferences were
held between the officials OF the two
roads, and it is given out on the best
authority, hat if it had not been for
Mr.. Fitzgerald's ~antagonism to this
city, the yard would have been built
long ago.
The new yard at Brunswick was
then planned and has since been com
pleted, and the people here gave UP
tn idea of a yard at Cumbo. Recently
the matter was revived, and several
months ago a representative of The
IfCl4hS NOlJu ltdAhCu iAdL INC mat.
ter had again been taken up inc hat
the companies anticipated commenc-
ing the construction of the yard about
the last of August. The matter has
been kept very quiet and only a few
were aware that anything of the kind
was contemplated.
Yesterday when it was learned that
Mr.. Potter had gone to Cnanbersburg,
it was a sign that there was some
thing doing. Nothing could be learn
ed. however, beyond the fact that he
had gone to Chambersburg to meet
for the purpose of closing the matter.
The building of this yard will be a
great help to the two roads in trans
ferring of freight. While the details
of the present plans are not yet given
out, it is understood that they con-
template more extensive facilities
than the original. The yard contem-
plates thirty-ive tracks with a capaci-
ty of a hundred cars each. There will
be sheds for transferring merchandise,
a coal tipple will be built and water
tanks erected. 1t is proposed also to
build turntables n buildings in
which running repairs TO locomotives
and cars will be made. The new plans,
it is said, include a large ice plant for
refrigerating purposes and the making
OF ice. This plant, it is said, will be
large enough to make all the ice
needed for the repacking of all refrig-
orator cars here, as well as to supply
ice for the company's use all along
the road. The company does not have
a plant in this section and as this is
one OF the heaviest expenses of the
transportation of perishable stuff the
two companies will supply their own
ice.
None of the details have been given
odt but it is expected that the bids for
the construction of the yard will be
asked for at once and that work will
begin not later than the last of Sep
TENDER. The expense Of the construc-
ton will be borne jointly by the Bal
timore & OHIO and the Pennsylvania.
The use Of this yard viii mean the
abandonment Of the yard at Intersec-
ton. It will save a haul OF heavy
freight five miles.
1t was said at one time that this
connecting link between the W roads
would serve as part Of a route from