Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-08-28

tween the city of New York and the New
York Central lines IL called only for the
operation oi trains by electricity through
the Park avenue tunnel but the railroad
company, from broad standpoint. con-
ciuded that the electric traction should be
extended 10 embrace not only the remainder
of its passenger lines I'm New York city
lying to the north of the tunnel, but also
extending out into westchester county for
4 distance of from twenty-five to thirty
miles from the Grand Central terminal.
In reaching this conclusion it was also
decided that the safety of the public be
better guarded by the elimination of grade
crossings in the cities and towns along its
right In almost every instance the
| local governments co-operated with this
policy; but, regardless OF the strenuous eff
/ forts of all concerned, the proposed i'm
provements north of the limits of Greater
! New York came to a standsun because of
the lack of unity between the railroad and
the board of railroad commissioners.
why liberalization Fails.
! Consequently, the New York Central was
| temporarily forced to fix the northerly
limits OF its electric zone at High Bridge
on the Hudson division and Wakefield on
the Harlem division, seven and thirteen
/
terminal. This interruption to the com
panys plans occurred in 1906 and many
adjustments have since been made. The
ultimate termini will BIO at Croton or Peek
skill on the Hudson division and North
| White Plains on the Harlem division.
The New York, New Haven Hartford
| railroad, being a tenant OF the New YORK
Central between Woodlawn and New York,
a distance OF about eleven miles, was also
forced to provide an electric equipment be-
| tween these points, but with a similar ex-
pansive policy decided to extend it's electric
zone to Stamford, Conn, thirty-seven miles
from the Grand Central station, which gives
it the longest electrically-operated main
line in the country.
SO much for what has been done in trunk
line identification since the Baltimore &
Ohio broke the ice in 1895. The grand total
of less than 100 miles OF road mot OF track
converted from steam to electricity in fif-
teen years should noI occasion any particu-
lar alarm to the men OF the steam roads.
This mileage does not include unimpor-
tant steam lines which may have been con-
verted in that period. although there are
very few even of these. Most of them were
transformed into trolley roads and the
change has no bearing on trunk line condi.
tons.
The cost incidental to converting this in
significant number of miles to electric
traction has been enormous 1t is doubtful
II SIS, 900 would cover It in the aggregate
These were old railroads, we'll organized
and thoroughly equipped with steam re.
Quirements.
Heavy Cost of Installation.
The change they made compelled them tc
take on vast number of skilled mechanics
hitherto not employed, without appreciably
diminishing the ranks Of the regular en-
ployes. AS the percentage Of miles electri
fled is so small compared with the tota
railroad mileage, there has been no reduc
ton in the number Of locomotives required
and each road has added materially to ii
steam equipment since the partial electrifI
cation.
This tremendous initial expenditure con
sttutes the prohibitive feature against tn,
identification of present day steam rail
roads. While there are few instances IL
this country where the change would b,
. permissible from q financial standpoint, IL
no case would 1t be undertaken without tn,
assurance that an increase in net receipt
, would follow sufficient to more than pay
, interest on the extra capital involved-S
, condition which is apt to prove extremel!
unlikely.
In support of this view the recent DOM
, ment OF President Harahan of the Illinois
, Central In q report on the proposed electri
, fication Of the suburban surface OF tina
! road is OF interest:
, Our suburban traffic is not sufficient,
dense to warrant the expense necessary t
electrify these lines, ana 1t is evident tina
even under Identification there would no
> be an increase in traffic sufficiently larg
I to offset the annual cost of operation.
: simply proves that under present condition
OF steam railway identification, where
) means the replacement OF a plant alread
! installed, 1t is not JustiflAble either in Who'll
, or in part.
So far as the density OF the traffic In tn
above statement is concerned, 1t may b
y added that the suburban district of tn
$ Illinois Central in Chicago covers abou
: fifty miles Of road, and carries, in roun
: numbers, about 100000 suburban passer
t gers every year; an average of Il, $50 DC
e day, or LOO in an hour The net revenu
: of this business as at present operated III
v der steam, for the fiscal year ending Jun
50, 1903, was Sl0e.7l2 and the estimated n,
n revenue under electric traction Is 1884. "a
= 9 gain of $176,O5S in net revenue II ele,
t tricity should be installed.
= But before this can be realized the,
must be an initial outlay of 100000
cover the cost of Identification, on whic
the annual interest and depreciation ca
be safely reckoned at 10 per cent, or $780, %
a year. Deducting from this startlln
amount the $175.O53 saved through electrif
cation, the annual deficit under electric;
operation is S624s57.
= An increase of 100 per cent in earnins
would not enable the suburban business ,
this road to break even, should It be ele
a trified. II the suburban traffic of II
! Illinois Central is mot sufficiently den.
= to warrant the expense" It is hard to S,
!, how II could be undertaken by less pro
d porous roads for whose use It has bee
a advocated.
Executive Attitudes.
n Mr. I. Kruttschnitt is director OF maint
10 nance and operation OF the Hartman lin
probably the most important railros
ie position in the United States, II not in Il
. world, and any opinion of such an incur
. bent must necessarily be carefully weighe
Mr.. Kruttschnitt has this to say regardil
p the proposition to electrify the main Iii
OF the Central Pacific over the Sierras
I'VE have found that II pays TO nal
haste slowly with regard to innovation
70 Electrtficadon for mountain traffic do
~ mob