The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-07-26
MAY
Be MOVED
TOFT. WAYNE
News From That City Comes
That Nickel Plate May
Move Thither IT'S Big Rail
road Shops at Stony Is
land.

Considerable interest in local railroad
circles is being taken in the rumor
that the Nickel Plate railroad shops
are to be moved from Stony Island to
Fort Wayne.
It is well known fact that the stony
Island shops and yards of the Nickel
Plate railroad are old and in poor re-
pair, and that the land which the com
pany now owns is insufficient for the
propert expansion
Other reason are attributed to the
rumored decision Of the road to change
the location of its shops and are enum-
Grated as follows by a Fort Wayne
qnd) paper:
Comes from Fort Wayne.
The statement was made and reiter-
ated in Fort Wayne business circles
Saturday morning. on the authority Of
a reputable business man. that the New
York. Chicago & St Louis railroad or
the Nickel Plate. is planning the re-
moval Of its stony Island shops to this
city, and that all or a part of the Golf
club grounds are being considered as a
prospective site for the new shops. 1t
was stated that the officials Of the
Nickel Plate are negotiating at the
present time with John White, vice
president Of the Citizens Trust COM
pany and owner of the Golf club
grounds. for the Nesired property.
When approached in regard to this
move by the railroad, both Mr. White
and S. K. Blair. superintendent of this
division Of the Nickel Plate. discIaimed
all knowledge OF the matter. and Mr..
Blair added that he did not believe
there was anything IN 1t. At thesame
tim Mr. Blair admitted that the move.
II contemplated by the executives OF
the road. would be a most wise one.
as the advantageous to the road than
their present location at Stony Island,
just out OF Chicago. said Mr.. Blair.
know nothing Of the move. and
do not think there IS anything in the
report The location of the shops now
at stony Island in this city would be
extremely advantageous from the
standpoint Of practical railroading. in
that il would decease the distance
which cars and engines needing repairs
would have to travel to get to the re-
pair shops II is usually better to have
the repair shops near the center Of the
division, if possible They are more
easily accessible when so Iacated."
Asked if the Nickel Plate might not
be trying to get possession of the Golf
club grounds. or of some other prop
erty in this city, for purposes other
than the location Of their shops. Mr..
Blair said the ownership of such prop
erty In Fort Wayne would be quite de-
sirable TO the road, in that such prop
erty would be a sort Of emergency site
which could be used Immediately in
case need arose. He said that the Yards
could then be enlarged or the shops
extended at any time without the ne
eessity Of delay occasioned by the need
of procuring suitable site first.
John White stated that he knew
nothing of any attempt on the part Of
the Nickel Plate TO secure possession
of all or any part Of the Golf club
grounds He said that he had not been
approached in the matter.
In spite of denials. it is felt in GER
tain circles here that the report has
some foundation and that move of
this sort Is being contemplated by the
executive officers of the Nickel Plate.
The Stony Island shops Of the Nickel
Plate employ in the neighborhood Of
900 men and cover an area of several
acres. They extend over more terri
tory than the shops Of the wabash in
this city They are situated eleven
miles west Of the LaSalle street station
in Chicago.
At present the Nickel Plate conducts
only roundhouse in this city. where
about twenty-five men are employed.
and where only slight repairs are made.