Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-04-28
|RA|LW WAYS WILL
| SPEND MILLIONS
CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT
IN VIEW AND COSTING
HUGE SUMS.
Big ORDERS PLACED FOR STEEL
cARs-WooDEN STYLE
TO GO.

way development is dawning for the
railroads of the United States is cyl
denced by the mammoth construction
and betterment plans which have
been outlined for the coming season.
1t is estimated that the railroads OF
the United States will expend this
year more than $500. 900, 900 in new
equipments, betterments, steel rails,
additional and better equipped ter
minals and the like. II conditions
still keep favorable, they will spend
on extensions more than $750.000, 900,
and If traffic conditions warrant 1t,
it is believed, the railroads are ready
to spend $1,000, 100000 to handle the
greatly increased volume of business.
This would seem to follow the
needs of the railway world as outlined
by James J. Hill. few days ago, when
he said that the railroads of the Unit
ed States must spend at least $780,
100000 annually for the next six years
in order to keep pace with the devel-
opment of the country.
On the basis of orders placed dur
ing March, there will be expended
during the current years something
like the following amounts: For $685.
600 steel cars $255,6O0, 900; for loco
motives on an estimated cost of $780,
900 per engine, sos, 100000; for loco
motives built in the shops of the re-
spective companies. $4,000, 900: these
expenditures totaling $41S,040,0O0
These estimates do not include steel
rails, road bed improvements, termi-
nal betterments or passenger coaches.
These latter items railroad men are
unable to compute.
Since the first of the year the rail-
roads have contracted for $4,000 to
$1,000 steel cars and 1850 locomo-
tives. Further contracts now are
pending for nearly twice this amount.
For new railway terminals, bridges
and the like, contracts were placed
in March for about 10000 tons Of
steel
Exclusive of these items the Ma
tional railways of Mexico last week
let contracts for $50 cars and other
equipment, showing that the Mexican
lines are reaping returns from the
prosperous condition of the Ameri-
can lines.
Tne1mcreases ordered in equipment
and the betterments outlined in the
physical properties of the railroads
are not sectional but denote a gener-
al condition which pervades every
part of the country. The western
lines, if anything, are spending more
in proportion than the eastern roads,
the new extensions planned swelling
their showing. Nearly every west
ern line has made plans for new equip
ment, for double tracking, extensions
and the like. The Santa Fe is build
ing a double track between Kansas
City and Chicago The Rock Island
has authorized and expenditure of at
least $1,000,O00 for roadbed and equip
ment 1t his been stated that this
road will be content with lettering it's
present mileage but. it is active in
Colorado, and may break into north
ern Colorado or even into Wyoming.
The Katy will double track north
from Texas. The Burlington has
several new lines projected. The
Union Pacific will be active in the
western section. The Milwaukee will
spend millions on its new Puget sound
extension, and has a. number of i'm
provements nearer home. The Mis-
souri, Pacific has something like $780,
600, 900 which it will spend on it's Kan
sas and western lines. There is
scarcely an railway system lin the
west which will not undertake some
extensive Improvement this season.
All-steel passenger coaches will
form large section of the new equip
ment, many of the lines having adopt
ed this modern improvement as a
standard, which gradually will replace
the equipment Of frame structures.