Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-04-11
Union Station Discussion Con.
tinued to May %.
chief Engineer Of Grand Trunk load
Points out Defects in Plan SUBJ
mittcd to Public Service COM
mission Tuesday.

! body the power to come and tell US what
they want"
The session was held in the city court
| room from two o'clock until five. Blue
prints of the Sinclair and the Central
| Vermont plans were tackled up on the
wall and the respective merits of both
! were taken up In detail The Central
| Vermont plan aims to locate tho station
on the cast side of the tracks, whilo the
Sinclair plan would place the station on
I tho west side. Main street being carried
over the tracks, and the present outlets
Of College and King streets to the water
front being reached from the foot of
Main street by two ramps diverging from
the station and descending by easy grades
from the station level to the surface
The Central Vermont plan provides for
the elimination of the College and King
street grade crossings by overpasses.
Whi'e the Sinclair plan does away with
them by turning the traffic on those
streets INTO Battery street to the union
station and thence down the inclines to
the ground west Of the tracks.
Mr.. Sinclair explained the advantages
OF his plan as he saw them pointing out
/ that the proposed grades would be q Ave
! per cent incline northward to College
street and n { per cent grade southwark TO
King street, the width of the roadway being
( ~ rect. The cost he estimated at sl5S. 900.
| this amount covering all expenses. .includ-
ing the station. but excluding land dam
! ages. When asked to reconsider his esti-
! mate IN favor of larger figure he said
1 mat II had the approval OF such COM
| petent authority that he did not care to
! make any change whatever
Chief Engineer Stafford of the Grand
Trunk brought up several points which
he considered defects in the Sinclair plan.
one of the principal ones mentioned dealt
with the matter of the curved tracks
proposed by Mr.. Sinclair The effect of a
curve upon the ease Of movement of a
train, said he. is not very great II the
train is moving over six miles an hour.
The difficulties are. that an engineer of
| Il train on a curve IS often unable to see
but few of his cars. while there Is con-
siderable difficulty in coupling and I'M
coupling cars standing on a curve But
the principal objection he made to a
curved track In a station arises from
the fact that the middle Of each car
projects over the edge of the station
platform, so that the umbrella sheds''
have to be made narrower by Is inches
for each adjoining track.
Mr.. Stafford also said that the distance
| that baggage has to be moved would be
increased by 400 feet under the Sinclair
plan, and in addition the ARRANGEMENT
OF the station approaches would be very
likely to result in congestion and con-
fusion in handling freight. The overpass,
he added. would he unpleasant to use,
because of the smoke and gases rising
from trains passing under it.
He estimated the cost of the Sinclair
plan as s293.9o1 the bridge item being
based upon similar undertaking in
Toronto. The Central Vermont's track
elevation plan he estimated would cost
s195 lo7. The cost Of the station itself.
$4,000. had been taken out Of the esti-
mate in both cases. and the figures given
included the cost Of grading. bridge work.
track changes and street paving, but did
not include engineering. He also said
thai the Sinclair plan would permanently
prevent any future removal of the
freight depot to the east side OF the
tracks. He also picked flaws in the sug-
Geslion OF subway under the tracks.
and the correspondlngly long descent
from the street level that would be nee
essary in going to the trains.
MIR. Sinclair emphasized the water front
advantages that would accrue from n sta
ton easily approached. as in the case Of
one built upon his plan. from both sides
Everything, said he. is possible in an
overhead structure.
The plan he declared. permits Of
tracks enough FOR the next 100 years Of
development at the present rate"
Mr.. Stafford objected to the College
street approach. and said that an over
pass at that point would be cheaper. while
the lake front approaches would be bet
ter. the Rutland yards would be untouch-
ed. and the tracks would be at lower
level than would be tho case In the SIN
clair plan were carried into effect
Mr. Redmond said that II had been the
effort Of himself and his colleagues to get
al the wish of the city, to deal fairly with
the railroads. and now. as soon as they
could ascertain what was wanted. they
could consult with the expert as to the
best solution Of the problem
IF they could decide whether they want
the Sinclair plan. let them come and tell
want it, admit we are prejudiced
against It. We are not sure the track ele-
walton plan is fair to the Rutland railroad
Du: we arc beginning to see our way
through"
Mayor Roberts said that the people
seemed to be pretty well agreed that the
station should he at the foot OF Main st.
I'VE can see." continued Mr.. Redmond
that you've got your minds made up
very well as to that ana It sort Of pleases
us"
Laughter and applause followed this re-
mark. and after outlining the position Of
the Central Vermont. with Its plans
respectively. for eliminating and not
eliminating grade crossings on College and
King streets, he sized up the Rutland's
stand In favor of the abolition of the
grade crossings and of an overhead
structure.
In closing his remarks, Mr., Redmond
raped the committee of Is,
We've turned this over to committee
of Is, and It's like having 10 generals TO
run an army, Now 1t Is proposed to place
the matter with a committee of three"
Mr. Cowes jumped to his feet.
Mr.. Chairman" said he. II don't think
those criticisms of the committee of Is are
Just"
Il am not criticizing you as this partic-
ular committee replied Mr.. Redmond
ANY committee Of that size Is too much
like a debating society
After expressing the hope that a ANAL
settlement Of the union station problem
is In sight. and declaring that further
postponements Of the hearing would he