La Junta tribune., 1912-12-28
SANTA FE's SPEEDWAY.

- P'ooabiy is not generally known
ina, there is stretch OF railroad
III western Kansas that Is the fin
est west of the Mississippi River and
one OF the best pieces OF railroad
work in the whole United States
rms model track runs from Hutch
inson to Kinsley and is known in the
raiircad time tables as the Kinsley
Branch OF Kinsley cutoff. The track
was built to save the long detour for
the through trains north Ct the
sreat bend OF the Arkansas river.
A glance at the map Of Kansas will
sho" how the river makes sweep
ing curve to the north near Dodge
City and continues north to Great
Bend and then turns to the south.
eastward.
The old Santa Fee Trail followed
the river and when the Atchison.
Topoka & Santa Fe railroad was
built h.. too, followed the river and
until few years ago all trains
mad the long detour north OF the
river Then the Santa Fe built the
cutoff straight west from Hutchinson
to kinscy The track is eighty
four miles long. practically level. ex.
cept for the gradual slope westward
and with only two curves Of any eN.
tent u It. There is long curve
Mt Partridge and another at Kins-
ley. but the rest OF the line is prac-
tically as straight as the crow flies
WITHIN the last few years the
Sania Fn has been using this track
as a model and as an experimental
track 10 try out the latest inven.
tions for railroad building. The com
pauy has made the eighty-four miles
into one Of the finest stretches OF
railroad work In the entire country.
I Construetion experts from all the
big railroads Of the United States
and Canada aud few from Europe
have made the trip 10 Kansas to
see that eiehty-four miles of rail
road
The Is no railroad track OF equal
I disiau,n in the country that Is as
fast as this eighty-four miles.
Train uH other roads make faster
time than do trains on the Santa
Fe. bu' if the company wished to
do ~ 10 could send its trains over
that trark faster than over any other
raiiroad The cutoff is becoming
know 'D railroad men as the Speed
way. 80 effort has ever been made
To brcsk any worlds records on this
track but II Is not unusual for
trains IN exceed seventy miles an
hour and once In while 10 20
faster than eighty miles an hour ov-
cr the Speedway.
The Santa Fe limited trains make
only one stop on the Speedway. n
stop At Belpre for wes'bound trains
Tor water and stop AT 81. John for
'castb0und trains for water There
u only one railroad crossing. the
Mo Pacific at Stafford, no grades,
no hills. no curves and no large
towns where speed must be reduc-
ed These limited trains have n
time card schedule that makes an
ayrraye Of almost for'y.five miles an
hour for the eighty,four miles. In.
cluiing stops for water and the rail
rad crossing at Stafford. Their"
are a dozen stretches Of this track
where the actual running time OF
rains as laid down by the time
. card rules II on" mile a minute or
bitter. Trains that are behind time
ar" often given permission Ia make
mp time on this track and many min
u'as are clipped off the delay.
The roadbcd IL constructed OF dirt,
With crushed rock ballast. the
best the Santa Fc is able 20 obtain,
The rails are ms heavy ns any In
'bn country and the ties are all Jap
11ese oak. imported especially by
No company and each one specially
'reatod. The rails are fastened to
'Ir ties. not by the Ordinary driy.
HI spike but by screw spikes. III"
pccial Invention of Santa fo en-.
Joyce. A small steel plate Is fit-
I'D to the tie and the rail and a
'Brgc steel screw. spoe inlly construct
q, is then driven into the oak tie
Of all the eleven thousand miles
N the Santa fe system this little
airetch of cighiy.four miles IL the
'stest and b.s, constructed Each
ycar the company pays the "spen'
~ - al