The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-21
ROCK ISLAND REPORT. .

tcontInued from Paes one.J
creased $2S. 112.93O during the year
and equipment notes $2.4O6.00O. This
e241.O3e.600.000 to 3z6s. 14s. $50. 900 IN
1914. The total of the equipment trust
notes grew fs0m SIG, 779.0 in 1913
to SIS. $4,000 in 1914.
The Rock Island acquired possess
sion during the year OF the St Paul &
Kansas City Short Line railroad and
the Rock Island. Stuttgart & Southern
railway. the latter q small system in
Arkansas The line OF the former
Malvern Camden railway, extending
from Malvern to Kent. Ark, . dis
lance OF SIS miles. was purchased by
the Rock Island. Arkansas & Louisi-
ana railroad effective January l and
was added to the property leased by
that company to the Rock Island sys-
tenn.
Money for Track.
During the fiscal year ending last
June, large amounts of money were
spent Tor bridges. trestles and culverts,
increased weight Of rails, track fasten-
1ngs and appurtenances, siding and
spur tracks. In order to meet the in
creasing demand for improved ter
minal facilities. $1.433. 1OS.23 was ex-
pended during the year.
The report showed the pension work
done during the past year. There
were us persons placed on the roll
Perhaps the most interesting part
OF PRESIDENT Mudge's report was his
company. This is a comparison Of
the mileage. physical and financial
condition of the road and other use
Tweive-Year Review.
On June 30. 1902. the Rock Island
main line owned and 33S.O5 miles of
trackage rights, a total of 4,O94.32
miles: also S42.O5 miles of yard tracks
and sidings. On June 80. 1914. the
property consisted Of 7.4o7.26 miles of
main line Owend: 271.6O miles of leased
lines and $500 miles of trackage
rights. making total of S.328.06:
also 2,300.40 miles of yard fronts and
sidings.
1t is interesting the note that H.
S2S,45 creosote ties have been in
serted since 1907, when the method
was first adopted. There have yet
been no results of this statement, as
the time has not elapsed for differ
ence to show in the use of creosote
and untreated ties. The president
recommends that on the entire main
line, with the exception of the west
ern and northern portions where I'M
treated ties are working well enough,
that creosote ties replace all of the
untreated ones
Better Ballast Now.
There is marked difference in the
miles of ballast today than in 1902.
In that year. the ballasted track con-
sisted of $40 miles Of rock; 2OS miles
of burned clay: 731 miles of gravel
2.O18 miles of ballast other than dirt
On June 80. 1914, there were 1.466
miles of rock; 681 miles of burned
clay; 2,6O6 miles of gravel and 685
miles of cinders. a total of 5,439 miles
of ballast
In 1Q02 tboro wor- M ~<ora -. ~ou
crete bridges on the line; there were
66.923 feet of steel and iron, 12,184
feet of wood truss spans and 1910 feet
of combination wood and iron. A
marked difference is noticed today.
There are 1900 1ineal feet of stone
and concrete culyerts; 1895 track
feet of steel and iron bridges; 2291
feet of wood trusses and but 900 feet
of c6mbination wood and iron trusses.
Block Signals. -.
Block signals have become an i'm
portant part of the Rock Island in
were only 10 miles of automatic block
signals on the Rock Island Lines, and
no manual block. Compare this:
there were in operation at the end of
matte signals, and 1887 miles in adj
dition protected by the manual or
other block signals.
Good Facilities Now.
The report and twelve year review
points out that in 1902, the road was
deficient in terminal facilities and re-
pair shops. Since then a complete
new shop plant has been constructed
at Silvis, ILL.,. which is equal in capa-
city and modern conveniences to any
other locomotive repair shop in the
west A large freight terminal was
built at that point. On account of the
16 hour federal cattle law. terminals
were built at Manly, Iowa, Pratt and
Liberal, Kan, and Ell Reno and
waurika, Okla During the IL years.
about 100000 were expended for
new terminals, additions for existing
houses.
Tractive Power.
The company owned 661- locomo-
tives, with a total traction power of
11,9O8,O7O pounds, or an average OF
1905 pounds per locomotive. Today
the company owns 1878 locomotives,
with a total traction power of 49,
241,511 pounds. or an average of 49,
345 pounds In twelve years. the in
crease in the number of locomotives
was 1886 per cent; in the average
traction power per locomotive, the
increase was 36.9 per cent. and in the
total traction power. 1881 per cent
In 1902 the Rock Island possessed
1888 freight cars and they were
built entirely Of wood; At the close of
the last fiscal year. the company had
1881 steel and steel underframe
freight cars and 28,143 wooden cars
a total Of 45.674 cars, or an increase
Of 129 per cent.
Steel Passenger Cars.
In 1902 the company owned ATS
wooden passenger cars. June 80,
1914, there were 346 all steel passen-
ger train cars and ST. wooden passen-
ger train cars. a total Of 1853, or an
increase of IA per cent.
According to this review, there was
ground for belief in 1902 that the
level Of rates then effective. both as
to income and outgo might, within