Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-25
EMPALME

The general shops of the Sud-P Pacific
de Mexico are located at EmpaIme,
Sonora, at the junction of the Sonora
railway.
About five years ago, at the time
construction of the Cananea, Yaqui
railroad was started with a junction
with the Sonora railroad, five miles
east of Guaymas, the present site of
Empalme Spanish for junction) was
a waste covered with cactus, with a
single Improvement except the bare
lines of old railroad. Today there is
a shop plant probably more up to date
than any other west of the Rocky
mountains, and a modern American
town site, with first class quarters
to take care of the company employees.
The shops were located there not
only on account of Empalme being
centrally located with reference to the
lines north and south, but also on ac-
count of the climate, which is no
doubt the most pleasant on the Mexi-
can west coast, with cool breeze from
the Gulf of California.
Plans for the shop and construction
We're started two years ago. The first
building erected was the twenty-eight
stall roundhouse, which was construct
ed of stone obtained from the company
quarry 21a kilometers from Empalme.
This construction proved that the rest
of the buildings could be erected more
economically from concrete, and plans
were made accordingly. A test of the
soil showed that it would either be
necessary to put in large spread con-
crete footing under the piers, carry
ing the large buildings with travelling
crane loads or to drive concrete piles.
The latter plan was adopted.
The shops are complete in every re-
spect, being built to take care of loco
motive, passenger and freight car re-
pairing and rebuilding. and are also
equipped as a manufacturing plant
making them to a large extent, self
supporting.
ELECTRIC POWER
The shops are electrically driven
throughout power being furnished
from a central power station, which is
a handsome, reinforced concrete build
ing, SS feet wide and 106 feet long.
This building is divided longitudinally
by a wall extending it's full length,
separating the engine and boiler rooms,
The engine room floor is about five
feet above the boiler room floor, which
provides for a basement to accomnfo-
date condenser, air pumps, hot well.
boiler, washing, general service hy-
draulic and fire pump steam exhaust
headers and all piping.
Among the features of this complete
plant are: machine and erecting shop
boiler and blacksmith shop, material
shed. belt shop, foundry, pattern shop
car and paint shops, and mill work.
Work is about to begin on the erection
of a dry lumber storage building and
a dry kiln. Special attention has been
paid to light All buildings are excep-
tionally well lighted, and to eliminate
the disagreeable feature of the strong
sunlight, factory ribbed glass is used
throughout.
Particular attention has been given
to labor and time saving devices.
Cranes, push car tracks, turn tables,
floor air jacks, air hoists, etc, have
been provided wherever considered
practical. and a telephone system con-
meets all shops, offices, stores, etc,
is installed A general fire alarm sys-
TEN, with fire alarm boxes located at
suitable places about the shops and
connecting with the power house is
provided for. An independent fire line
with hydrants has been installed and
is used only in case of fire drill