The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-30
Santa Fe Railway Completes
Gigantic Program i'm July.
Longest Stretch of Standard
Ballast in Existence.
FROM CHICAGO TO The COAST
Years to Construct This 1875
Miles of Work.
Millions Have Been Spent on
Kansas Lines.

Before the end of the summer, the
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railway
will have completed the longest
stretch of standard ballast track in
the world. 1t is stated at the office
of J. NJ Council, general passenger
agent of the road in Topeka today,
that in few weeks the Santa Fe will
have either a rock or Stag ballast from
Chicago to the coast either by the
way of Colorado or along the cutoff
on the southern route.
This 1873 mile stretch has been
under operation for many years. Hun
dreds of miles of old gumbo and
gravel ballast have been removed and
rock or Stag ballast substituted. The
enormous cost The roads ambition
TO standardize the entire main line
across the country will be realized this
summer
AS an additional improvement to it's
roadbed for the comfort of the travel
ing public and the greater economy
in maintenance charges through heavy
steel and solid ballast, the Santa Fe
has spent thousands in oiling down the
right of way, thus doing away with the
dust of the desert and the discomfort
10 passengers. The Santa Fe now has
1000 miles of roadbed on the coast
lines oiled. Recently the territory be-
tween Hutchinson and Nickerson,
Kan. was treated in like manner.
Millions Spent in Kansas.
When the ballast program is COM
pleted TINS summer, kansas VIII nave
many miles of Santa Fe roadbed to
show for the years tasks. Here is
partial list of the improvement actIvi-
ties:
From Newton to Kinsley, over the
cutoff. rock ballast has been laid for a
distance OF lis miles. This has been
standardized to conform with the i'm
proVement
From Hutchinson to Nickerson, new
rock ballast and ten miles of oiled
roadbed-
From K1nsley to Dodge City, new
ballast and 90-pound rails. Rock bal
last was substituted for gravel through
this district
From Garden City. Kan. to Holly.
Col, Stag ballast has been laid. This
is a refuse from the mines and smelt-
ers and is considered as good as rock.
This will be extended to Lamar and
from LaJunta to Pueblo, giving the
entire line from Garden City to Pueblo,
a distance of 216 miles. all solid Stag
ballast
In other words new solid rock and
Stag ballast all through the lines in the
states of Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and
Colorado have been either relaid or laid
originally.
With the completion of this work the
Santa Fe probably will have more miles
of standard ballast track considering
the territory through which it runs than
any other line in the world. Through
the sands of the desert, along the
mountains and rivers-in every dis
trict and condition penetrated by this
road, the heavy steel and the standard
ballast have been laid.
In a. few years the Santa Fe will be
double tracked from Chicago to the
coast Already only a few gaps remain
10 be filed with the additional rails
In railroad circles 1t is said the Santa |
Fe is preparing to handle an immense
passenger traffic to the big California |
fairs at San Francisco and San Diego |
IN 1915 In Santa Fe circles, the off, |
cfals say it is just a part of the gil /
gantic improvement program outlined ,
by President Ripley several years ago. |