The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-06-06
fnferaarbQfe Electric
System In Cnr0limQs

tBy Albert Phenis, In Manufactures
Record)
The Dukes OF Durham and their
associates have in operation an cleo
trio railroad in North Carolina and
South. Carolina that III many of its
featuress Is -strikingly unique inno-
vation in.the railroad world. 1t is
not only atcarrier of passenger traf-
fic, on familiar interurban line. fut
Is built. acq,Gtpped and apurteuAnced
ior heavy freight traffic. and will, in
deed, make freight handling as i'm
portant pert OF its business as 1t Is
OF any standard steam road. Heavy
electric engines. able to pull 1000
tons. or train. of 30 to 40 loaded
cars. have been. installed and are at
work, and although the lines in oper-
alton are only "a portion Of the full
system to be built. the operations are
on a very robust commercial scale
now. and give definite indication of
the important factor the line will be
In the transportation field of the Pied
mont section.
Ultimately the system will be about
800 miles long, and will extend from
Durham. n. e.. to Greenwood, S. G..
AT present II fs operated in two sec
tions under the name Of the Pied
mont & Northern lines. One section
OF 23 IL miles. extending from Char
iotte to Gastonia, is at present called
the Piedmont Traction company: the
other, from Spartanburg to Green
wood, S. c.. length OF 93.J miles.
with branch from Belton TO Andcr-
son of 1915 miles. This section is
called the Grcenville. Spartanburg G
Anderson railway After July ] both
companies will consolidate and oper-
ate under a South Carolina charter
with the name of the Piedmont &
Northern railway.
The gap between Gastonia and
Spartanburg Is 54 miles. From Char
lotte to Durham is 14S miles. While
no definite plans for the construction
OF the Gastonia-Spartanb gap and
the Durham extension have been in
nounced. the maps put out by the
company indicate these as projected
lines. and their early completion is
manifestly inevitable. They are need
ed to unity the system. There is no
talk OF further extensions beyond
these lines. and, in fact. the line be-
tween Durham and Greenwood makes
a very compact unit OF ITSELF 1t con-
meets with all the railroads of the
South Atlantic coast, and serves the
section Of greatest southern Industrial
development.
r Up to the present time the con-
struction expenditures have been
financed by the company. and no
bonds have been issued. With the
Incorporation Of the new company
with capital stock of $50.000.000
arrangements for funding the enter
prise will be made. There have been
spent In construction. terminals and
equipment some s10,000,O00. 1t will
probably require on towards an add
tional $1O:UuUU0U TO Build the remain.
ing 200 odd miles to complete the
system, and $2,000,00O for the equip
lnent Of these extensions.
The road is due to the enterprise OF
J, 9. Duke. who also Is responsible for
the Southern Power company, with
it's network of transmission lines and
numerous hydro-e cctric Developments
In the Piedmont section. A company
was organized with sl5.0O0.00O cap
ltal. and while the Dukes and asso-
ciates were always heavily interested
and took the initiative In financing
the enterprise, the cooperation of the
people along the line was desired and
was freely and literally given. There
are stockholders in every town on the
road In both North and South Caro-
lima. and even people outside. oi
America voluntarily took stock on
hearing about the enterprise. The
officers Of the company are: J.. B.
Duke, president, New York; w. 8
Lee, vice president; E. Thomson
treasurer and general manager; w
A. Cooke. secretary; r. L. BLACK, au-
ditor; all these Of Charlotte. The d.
rectors. In addition to the officer
named. are. all local men. The gen-
eral Offices are at Charlotte, SO that
the enterprise is given distinctly To-
cal colorIng. '.,'s2': '!'.f- Si'.' !.
'--Fhe first section of the road, from
Charlotte to Gastonia,, was, finished
md opened for traffic July g. 1912
.The next section was, built, from
Greenwood to Bolton; ana, from there
20 Anderson. and &gas opened III No
,ember. 1919. The line from Belton
0reenville, Was completed and
opened. for traffic q month later, and
tho extension from Greenvilie to Spar
'anbmrg was opened up few weeks
ago, March 23. 1914.
: Standard construction was adopted
throughout, end the road was built to
maximum per cent. grade. Eighty
pound rails were laid. and the track
is to be entirely rock-ballasted. All
the trestles and bridges are OF steel
built to Southern railway specifica-
tions. so that any engine on the
Southern. Pennsylvania or other
istandard road may run; over the line
a striking feature OF the enterprise
IA the system of terminals provided
In the larger cities or. the line exten.
sive sites have becPf fseeIgea and In
the very heart OF fii; fiz5s ssS;:ssss;s S;:ss;s