The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1912-08-22
new FREIGHT YARDS
Growth of M. & St. L. Business
Demands Better Facilities.


kaloosa station, have been amended
and supplemented until the scheme o.
work now about to be carried out ant
upon which work has been started is
entirely changed from that originally
planned. .-a .--... ........ . A.
To give relief to the congestet
conditions at the freight house and tc
expedite the handling of local freight
the first plans" contemplated placing
of twin" tracks on the west side OF
the freight house and platform and
trucking from one car to another
The new plan abandons this scheme
altogether. ..-
An extension of the house platform
of about two hundred feet will be
built to the south. reaching almost
to Third avenue. There will be a
house track along both sides of this
new platform, running along the en-
tire length and these tracks will be
accessible to wagon, that is, the
platform will be on one side and
driveway on the other, practically
two blocks in length.
Spencer's wholesale house switch
which now originates at a point lit
tile south of Second avenue will be
lextended. leaving the main track at a
point between Fourth and Fifth ave-
nue. and becoming in itself a lead
track" for a number of other sidings.
The Spencer track will be on the east
of the new house yards" and from 1t
the two house tracks and number
of other side tracks that will run
north to First avenue. This revision
of the original plans gives greater &C.
commodation, makes possible much
better disposition of the business of
the freight house and gives the new
yard a larger car capacity.
But to make the changes possible,
more property had to be purchased
and the west half of the quarter block
on the south side of Third avenue was
bought by the NJ. & St. L. Ry., of Kate
Van der WAL. This property was
formerly owned by Charles Grill, who
had started the erection of home on
the lots, and is part of the old home
place of Mrs. F. Sims, mother of
Robert Sims. The Spencer lead track
crosses this lot along the east side
and in the next block north runs
along the original alley way, north to
the west side of the new building of
the Western Grocer Company, and
will be about four blocks in length.
The old battery house occupied by
Ed Bell, superintendent of telegraph
lines, and his equipment, now locat'
ed on the east side of the tracks
about a half block south of Second
avenue. stands in the way of the new
platform extension and the new
tracks. This building is being torn
down. Accommodations OF enlarged
and improved character are being
provided by the removal Of the old
Horace King house, or the Clara Bar
ton property, from its place facing
Second avenue to the London Dairy
lot one block south and facing on
Third avenue. The old house will be
placed over a seven foot cement base
ment that will serve as a battery
room and the house itself is to be re-
paired and made over into work
shop and storage building.
All of the trees on the properties
mentioned have been cut away and
all old buildings torn down. The old
residence of the Dairy family was re-
moved last week and the new battery
house now stands on the corner of the
| lot and the excavation for the base
II ent has been made. Work on the
new tracks and the platform will be
commenced within the week.
Agent w. F. McCarty with the pres
ent equipment has more business and
men at command at the station than
| it can handle and men are working
night and day to accomplish the work
Transfer work alone has increased
and doubled itself several times. Mr.
McCarty has given personal direction
Nv tue pldliOt III Jul ms bimCo VI I'm
gestion and his appeals to the com
Ipany for increased facilities for hand
ling the business have become i'm
peratiye.
Plans for the new arrangement oil
the freight house yard we're devel
open and drawn by Jack Reed. civi
engineer OF the NJ. G. st. L., resi-
dent in Oskaloosa. and they have hac
the full approval of the management
Work on the new round house yards
is moving along rapidly. The new
round house has been staked of ant
the construction gangs, assisted b!
the steam shovel. are handling ;
! large amount of dirt daily in filing II
the new yards. .
, With the completion Of all the sid
ings the car capacity of the Oskaloos'
. yards will be greatly increased
Trackage will be provided sufficien
for the storage OF one thousand car
| without inconveniencing the move
ment Of trains nor the making up o
trains or the proper and expedition
'lhandling OF cars by the switching
lcrews.
Twenty years ago this year Osks
loosa was given it's first switchin,