The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-10
RAILROAD NEWS.
Entire Santa Fe System Will Be
Double Tracked Soon.
Two Pairs of Rails From Chica-
go to Los Angeles.
NOT HANDLE TRAFFIC
Single Track Severely Taxed by
Increased Business.
Other Items of Interest in Rail-
way Circles.
NOT HANDLE TRAFFIC

If the floating rumorS, which nave
heen humming around the local general
Offices of the Santa Fe are true, the
entire main line of the Atchison. Topeka
& Santa F'e f-om Chicago to Los An
geles will be double tracked. The ru-
rrors are supposed to have an official
origin and they are being followed up
with plans preparatory TO the MANI
moth undertaking.
To double track the Santa Fe means
building a new transcontinental railway
over 1000 miles in length. 1t will also
mean the first attempt of this kind
ever contemplated or thought of In rail-
way circles 1t will mean train SER
vice from coast to coast that Will rival
the dreams OF the magnates for years.
Furthermore it will mean an eXpendl-
ture of millions of dollars both in the
active construction and in the purchase
of equipment, and terminal faclht1es:
At the present time the Santa re
is severely taxed for the care of pas
senger and freight traffic. The traffic
between southern California and the
east is enormous. The single track
cannot stand the pressure and even
with the carelul and experienced inge-
l'uity Of high paid train dispatcners, the
road officials are not able to put the
trains over the road as the traffic de-
mands. There is only one way to solve
this problem-and that is another pair
of steel rails running along beside the
present pair.
California Work Is Large.
The Santa Fe and the Rock Island
are both burdened with southern Cali
fornia work. Their through trains to
California comprise the greatest rail-
road equipment in the west. With its
Golden State Limited the Rock Island
is able to fly their pleasure trafhc
through the deserts and into the oeau-
tiful valleys of the golden state. Not
only this but in the last few years the
Rock Island has never failed to renew
dts bridges with big double capacity
steel structures and widen it's cuts. This
is enough to cause a little worry on the
part of the Santa Fe. The Rock Is
land is developing into great system
and with the carrying out of their en-
largement plans they are going to rival
the Santa Fe in the richness of the Cal
ifornia traffic. Then there is another
rivalry down on the gulf.
At this time the Santa Fe has sew
eral stretches of double track in good
use-a use that will serve as a con-
recting link of single lines. For in
-Eoance from Albuquerque to Winslow,
the road now has a double track, one
being the main line and the other the
Belen cutoff. This can easily be i'm
proved into double main line. From
Chicago to Newton. a distance of 600
tracked. Then there are various other
short spurts which have been doubled
on account of the congestion at those
Joints.
TIE zeal cost of the work is not
known. 1t is probably not exactly de-
termined for all of the points affected
have not been studied to a finality.
For instance it has not been settled
whether the Cajon pass extension will
be double tracked or whether a new
line for the second track of lower grade
and presenting easier engineering prob
lens through some other pass will be
selected. AS to the date when all OF
this will be accomplished it is also more
or less of a question. The estimates
run from two or three years to five OF
six.
President Ripley will leave Chicag
for Los Angeles about the last of this
month and will spend the winter in
California figuring out the new plans
Cor the double tracking of the entire
system.