The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-05-06
NEWS FROM THE RAILROADS
Nearly 2,245 Miles Of Idle Cars In
the United States.

The recent statement of the Big
Four railway that 1t had over forty
eight miles of idle cars in Indiana
alone has started officials of other
lines figuring on how many miles
of idle cars they owned, stored away
in various yards, awaiting sufficient
improvement of business to bring
them into the active ranks again,
with results that indicate a condi-
ton of affairs by no means so good
as some of the prosperity shouters
would lead to imagine. While the
Canadian railways were not nearly
so badly hit as many of those in
the United States, it was figured out
yesterday by an official Of the Grand
Trunk that that road at the pres
ent time had over twenty miles of
idle cars at various places along its
lines. The Grand Trunks crop of
unused freight cars, even since the
recent improvement in business,
amounts to 5000 which, at forty
feet per car, gives 100000 feet, or
we'll overd twenty miles Of invest
ment which is earning nothing.
With regard to this, it was said
that while the earnings of the Grand
Trunk had improved a good deal
during the past few months, the in
crease was mainly in high-class
freight, which did not involve the
use of much rolling stock, so that
the use of the freight cars had not
increased in anything like ratio to
the growth in earnings.
In fact in the United States there
has been an actual increase in the
number of idle cars since the first
| of April the figures quoted by the
| american Railway Association for
the first two weeks of April show
ing an increase Of 119 in the num-
Der Of idle cars, the total being 1885,
800, which means that nearly 2,245
miles of track in the United States
are encountered with rolling stock
for which they have no work.
Grand Trunk Changes.
Official circulars have been is
sued by the Grand Trunk and Grand
Trunk Pacific railways confirming
the series of appointments and pro-
motions which were announced ten
days ago, together with several fur
Their appointments to fill vacancies.
AS was foreshadowed H. G. Elliott
will not go to Chicago to succeed G.
W. Vaux as assistant general pas
senger agent there. Instead a rear
rangement of officers has been made.
In the past the first assistant gen.
eral passenger agent has been at
Chicago, but in the future H. G..
Elliott will occupy that position at
Montreal, while W. S. Cookson, who
for some years past has been as
sistant to Mr.. Vaux at Chicago has
been promoted to be assistant gen
eral passenger agent there, taking
over Mr.. Vaux's duties. H. R.
Charlton also gets promotion. Hith-
erto he has been advertising agent
of the rand Trunk. His new title will
be general advertising agent Of the
Grand Trunk and Grand Trunk Pa
cific. The other changes are as fol-
ready announced. G.. T. Bell be-
comes assistant to W. E. Davis,
passenger agent of the Grand
Trunk Pacific, with headquarters at
Winnipeg. The changes will be effec-
tive May 1.
viii Spend $1,OO0,OO0 Month.
"a million dollars a month wiz
be spent by the Canadian Northern
railway this year on the construc-
ton of from $50 to 400 miles Of
new lines in the West" D. D. Mann.
vice-president of the system, made
this announcement on his arrival
from Toronto. Mr.. Mann has come
west to arrange the summer build
ing program. "The company is
spending three million dollars on
new rolling stock for the West, and
the stock is now being turned out
in the shops at Amherst, Montreal
and Cobourg," continued the vice.
president. 1.-TWO thousand Wheat
cars are being built. which viii be
shipped West as soon as they are
ready, and the grain this year Will
be hauled out by these cars. This
year company will lay 200 miles of
steels to replace the old material.
Last year 70 miles of new steel were
laid between Winnipeg and Port Ar
thur"
Lived 152 Years.