The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-22
Greatest TranScOntinental
Fight in Roads History.
PLANS IN Topeka OFFICES
Santa Fe Buys Trains at $780,
600 Each.
Chicago to Los Angeles at 33
Miles an Hour.

The passenger departments of the
Santa Fe and Rock Island in Topeka
are engaged in one of the hardest
fought speed wars for quick and ef-
fective time from Chicago to the coast
in the history of transcontinental rail-
roads. A third railroad the Salt Lake
is taking a hand in the time cutting
contest from the Great Lakes to the
Pacific The result, it is expected,
will end in a 6S-hour run from Chl-
cago to Los Angeles, or between 5Z
and 50 hours from Topeka.
This time will be MADE py nI= Ine
Golden State Limited" of the ROCK
Island Lines the California Llmlted
of tie Atchison, Topeka x santa
and the Los Angeles Limited OF the
San Pedro, Los Angeles q SAT- Lake
railroad. The present running tllne
of II hours one way and 6S12 hours
another will be cut to 6S hours nat
both ways, if the plans of the three
passenger departments are carried
out. x.
time across the country the three rail-
roads are fighting for supremacy IN
public travel convenience Ihe fockk X
island boasts of an alI-steel @ soI1u
Pullman train in its Golden state
Limited" The Santa Fe is recelVlhs g
new massive Pullmans from the
shops at a cost of more than mil
lion dollars. The Salt Lake is making
q number of travel betterments'
Fight for Winter Travel.
Reports from the east received at the
offices of ]. NJ. Connell, general passeIl-
ger agent of the Santa te, and ). n.
Stewart. general passenger agent Oh
the Rock Island, indicate that the pas
senger travel to California Will De
heavier than ever this year. The ROCK
Island is planning on adding new cars
to its Golden State Limited and the
Santa Fe already inSinuateS that IL Will
take at least ten trains besides the IA
nous DE Luxe to take care OF the
traffic.
The fact that the Panama expost-
tion will be held in California in 1915
has prompted the Santa Fe and Rock
Island to keener competition for the
western travel Thousands OF travel
ers it is assumed, Will take the ROAD
to the worlds fair that suits them the
best on previous trips to the coast
The road that can please the patron
this winter will be able to carry this
patron to the Frisco and San Diego
expositions.
The Importance attached to the win
ter's traffic is shown in the recent ef-
forts of the Rock Island and Santa Fe
to improve their trains The Santa Fe
has invested 81, 600 in ten years to
compose the California Limited. They
estimated that it would take ten COM
plete trains of at least seven cars each
to accommodate the patrons. Figuring
on cost of 5000 600 a train for equip
ment the immense 81. 600, 900 outlay is
seen. The Santa Fe figures an aggre-
gate cost of SO, ,544, 600 for the transcon-
tinentaI equipment.
The Rock Islands solid all-steel train
is their Golden State Limited. The
road is figuring also on adding a car
from the St Paul short line
The Rock Island line from Chicago
to Los Angeles is 2.2SO miles. The
Santa Fe 2.261 miles. The Salt Lake.
2,3010 miles. 1t will be seen this this
Is an average of 80 miles an hour. in
Guiding all stops and changes from
Chicago to Los Angeles. 1t is a speed
war without an equal in the history of
railroading in the west