The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-12-07

nluSJ mOueT0 luedS, I0lS piece OF
double-track road is making a big
difference in Erie's operations. East
bound its grade is 2.10% as against
l.26 20 on the main line; westbound
it is l.10% as against former graue
of lip per cent. AS result of this
grade reduction the eastbound train
load has been increased from 1000
tons to 1920 tons, and the west
bound trainload from 1000 tons to
! 800 tons. To put il differently,
where the former limit was fifty cars
to a train, eighty-five and ninety
car trains are now possible.
The same sort of thing has been
accomplished by the building of the
Genesee cutoff out in the western
part of the State, where the so-called
Cuba Hill Summit and the Tip Top,
long an effective bar to economical
operation, have been eliminated.
Study of the figures here again shows
how the cutting out of these impos-
sible grades has jumped the train
load. By the completion of this bit
of line, indeed, a big step forward
is made in the main Erie project for
a low-grade line across the State and,
eventually, into Chicago.
Mention of the big improvement
works accomplished during the past
few years is bound to include the cut
through Bergen Hill, just outside of
Jersey City, by which terminal facili-
ties have been so immensely i'm
proved. Whereas formerly both the
freight and passenger traffic of the
entire system had to be put through
the tunnel, with the inevitable result
of frequent congestion, passenger
traffic now goes through the open
ut. That leaves the tunnel for
freight traffic and has already made
very great difference in the cost of
handling business at the terminal.
BY reason of the putting into OPP
Grafton OF these various improve
Inents, the Erie has lately been show
ing some operating results necessitat-
ing a good deal of revision of ideas
formed during the old days of waste
and inefiiciency. The way in which
the trainload (the average number
of tons of freight in each train) has
been increasing is perhaps the plain
est evidence OF how the new I'M
provements are affecting operation.
rive years ago, ETie's trainload was
4l2 tons. For the year ending June,
1903, it was 400 tons, and tor last
year 4y5 tons-greater than Della
ware and Hudson S or New York Cen
trals trainloau and almost up to the
standard set by Lehigh Valley and
Lackawanna. When it is considered
how much less Erie's traffic density
is than that OF these other roaQs, TINS
Improvement is all the more remark
able. There seems to be good
ground for the management's belief
that eventually Erie will be bringing
. o,oUU-ton trans unbroken from its
western terminus into Jersey City.
Another important result of the
physical improvements effected is the
greater punctuality OF trains, both
passenger and freight. The comic
papers Used to give lot of space to
the Erie commuter and his troubles,
Dut all that is a thing of the past
the Public Service records show a
smaller percentage of delayed trains
ON tnat road than on any other COM
.ng INTO Jersey City. Last June, of
me two hundred and eighty-five fast
ireights operated, just four failed to
make connections or arrive on time.
efficiency of operation of that sort is
What accounts Tor such fact as that
ters OF the fruit traffic between New
York and Chicago. Such business
oXaCts superior service.
In number of other ways it might
be shown how the money which has
Deen spent on Erie during the past
few years has resulted in increased
efficiency of operation but enough has
been said to suggest the solid charac-
ter of the improvement which has
Deen going on. By every one who
has studied the property it is rec
ognized and admitted. Regarding the
future of Erie there is no question,
from traffic standpoint, of the abil-
ity of the present management to
build the road up to a high state of
efficiency. The question, if there is
any, is strictly as to the money side
of the proposition.
Admitting that with credit not Of
the best, and with but a slender sur
plus, Erie is nearing the time when
heavy obligations fall due, it is hard
to see any real ground for uneasiness.
Early in 1908 when the road was
very much in need of money, capital
to finance its requirements was forth
coming even in spite of the deplor-
able state of earnings. Since then,
as has been shown, conditions have
entirely changed, earnings not only
having been largely increased, but an
efficiency of operation developed
which speaks well of the roads fut-
ure earning power. IT, when things
were as black as they were in 1908,
the road was able to finance its re-
quirements, how much better able
will it be, under present conditions,
to raise whatever money it may need.
And as to the longer-range view,
it is TO be noted that completion of
the Guymard and Genesee cut-offs
and of the Bergen cut, dispOses pret-
ty well of those undertakings which
have been making such heavy de-
mands on Erie's available capital sup
ply. A good deal of money could
still be profitably spent on the prop
erty, but as it stands now the plant
is of sufficient capacity and in good
enough working order to enable it to
work along for a good while without
more money being spent on it.
The future seems to be largely a
question of the maintenance of earn
ings. If the Erie can go on for a