Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-27
BELLE PLANE BD0MS
NORTHWESTERN PLANS ENoR-
NOUS IMPROVEMENTS AND
LARGE ROUND HOUSE.
MAIN DIVISION POINT
FOR IOWA 70 BE THERE!
Towns Boosters Predicting That Belle
PLANE Will Be Most Important Gen.
ter on Northwestern Line Between
Chicago and omaha-Round House to
Be One of Largest in Country.

Belle Plaine, Jan. 27.-From the
same source from which came reliable
information in advance of the railway
improvements made here last season
by the Chicago & Northwestern rail-
way. at cost of $4,000 to $4,000,
more information has been secured re-
garding proposed railway improve
ments to be made here the coming sea-
son. These improvements include a
new, large roundhouse, located near
Salt creek, west of Belle PLANE. This
roundhouse will be from eighty to 100
stalls, and will be one of the largest
roundhouses in the United States. 1t
is confidently expected that work on it
will be started this season.
Other improvements include moving
the present pumping station at Salt
creek TO the northward, for which
ground was bought some months ago.
The new pumping station will be of at
least double the capacity of the present
pumping plant. The bridge across Salt
creek will be enlarged TO carry FIVE
tracks. This makes the moving of the
pumping station necessary.
Third Track to Tana.
a third track will be laid westward
from Belle PLANE sixteen miles to Ta.na,
and the terminus of the northern Iowa
branch from Tama will practically be
made at Belle PLANE, thus doing away
with a great deal of useless expense for
the "Tama turn arounds' or engines
with only way car going from here
to Tana to take stock trains east,
turned over to the main line at Tama.
With the third track. these trains will
run on to Belle PLANE. 1t was expected
that instead OF third track between
Belle PLANE and Tama, the Northwest
ern would build across about fifteen
miles from Gladbrook to Traer, con-
Meeting with the north branch from
Belle PLANE, there, and avoid
ing some very bad up grades for
east bound freight between Gladbrook
and Toledo, and practically all the fast
freight there is east bound, being most
~ livestock. The reason for not build
ing this cut off is perhaps that it will
be used later on as part of a line
formed by the extension of the present
Iowa F'alls-Alden branch from Alden to
Eagle Grove. thus relieving very con-
gested section of track from Jewell
Junction TO Eagle Grove. and making
practically new line from Eagle Grove
TO Belle PLANE, which with the ter
minus of the northern Iowa branch
here instead Of at Tama, would make
Belle PLANE the tergnini of six divisions
/ of the Northwestern, including the
main line east and west and -four
! branches.
Sees Big Future.
Additional side track facilities al
Belle PLANE will be afforded by eleven
as far west as mile beyond Salt
creek All these changes will take
I time, and number of years will be
needed in order to bring them about
The work done here last season was
! just preparatory work getting ready
1 for a large amount of work to be done
/ here this season. 1t is confidently ex-
/ pected that q great deal of railway i'm
provernent work will be done here this
/ season. unless it should be prevented
/ by strikes, or some causes now I'M
foreseen.
The eventual result of these railway
changes will be to make Belle Piaine
the main point on the Northwestern
system between Chicago and Omaha
Gradually more and more train crew:
will change here, until all the freigh
and all the passenger crews will chang.
and engines all change here. Alread,
engine crews on some of the fast, thr,
passenger trains change here. Bell
Planes location almost exactly hal
way between Chicago and Omaha, ant
the numerous branch lines radiatin.
from here, and the low price of Lane
here as compared with larger cities
all are in Belle PLANES favor. In ad
dition, the living expenses here ar
much lower for the men than in large
towns, and rents also are very mucl
lower.