Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-08-07

- ready to rally to its defense
kklERXlYNu than the citizen OF the other
S..sssseay great midwest cities, is, yet
bit apt to go complacently about his busi-
ness and TO fail to realize the magnitude of
Omahas Industries and undertakings. Al
most 1000 OF these individuals had their
eyes opened to one of Omahas great en-
terprises when the Union Pacific Railway
company and the McKeen Motor Car COM
pany kept open house at their shops In
the eastern part of the city. ~
Few OF the many who ATTENDED the recep-
ton will remember that the ground occur
pied by the Union Pacific shops covers 1903
acres, and less will remember that the
yearly payroll of the shops totals $1,000 900.
These things were printed on little cards
and distributed but everybody who was
within the enclosure, which is on other
days forbidden ground for any but em-I
ployes, has engrafted indellbly upon his
IL in an impression of the everlasting big
neAs of 1t all Hereafter, when he thinks of
Omaha's big things. the Union Pacific and
McKeen shops will be among them.
And they are big, and do big work. OF
course the greatest business OF such set
of shops as the u. p. shops" Is to repair
and keep in good condition the rolling
stock Of the company but wlthal there is
good deal of building done by the Union
Pacific people here every year. Especially
true is this of steel construction work
During the last year there were built here
forty boxcars, made throughout of steel
and practically ndestructible. These cars
were especially built and are being used
largely as an experiment by the company,
which has only about fifty steel boxcars
in use upon It's entire system
A'rhe remainder of the companys freight
Segs are almost all of what is known as
the steel under-frame variety, being en-
tirely Of steel except the structure above
the car floor. During the last year the
local shops have also built eight all-steei
mall cars. Very few wooden cars are built
IN the local shops. although at the present
time there are one magnificently appointed
private car and one or two other cars in
process of construction.
The amount Of repairing done here is
enormous. The number of freight cars
repaired, including both large and small
repairs, will run close to $50 day, while
about thirty passenger cars go through
the repairers' hands in Bnonth. Just al
present there is a great deal of engine
repairing in progress The road is retiring
It's old engines from service and Is sub
shutting the new Atlantic & Pacific type
OF engines. AS a result as fast as the
old engines are replaced they come into
the local yards to be rebuilt and sold 10
smaller railroads lumber camps. etc. over
the country. The number of engines re-
paired in q month will average about
twenty-five. No engines are built n
Omaha. The extent which one phase OF
this business assumes may be gathered
from the fact that from the paint shOT
here are handed out each month from
twenty-five to thirty tons OF paint and
that about seventy-two painters are EN-
ployed, The shops ana store buildings
entire employ about 2,lO0 men.
The MolSeeu coInpRny's work is. Of
course, almost entirely steel constructior
worS aud the cars which they turn gu
are built in every detail In Omaha Thes,
people, who have been engaged I'm tn,
bhsiHtss here only eighteen months. al
ieady have an output OF five ~ their car,
month, aad had they the facilities coul,
MS easily secure contracts FOR twice tina
nun.6er. Some $50 men are employed. In
cluds;S the men who are furnished IN,
purchasers Of tho ears for thirty days I,
, assist IN their operation.
The car which the MoKcen people maxi
varies Ia lensth from flfty-flve 70 sevent,
feet Is practically all steel and Is cntirel,
tleproof. II is a strtnge appearing strue
turo but is wonderfully efficient Thes
cars win carry seventy-five passengers an,
each car is entirely independent OF ever,
othcr being equipped with a 2OO-hors
y power six-cylinder internal combustion
gasoline engine.
The company has already supplied thes
ears in large numbers 10 such conservativ
and representative companies as the south
ern Pacific. the osegOn short Line tn