The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-26
Will Then Have Eight Fast
Trains in Operations
Through Birmingham
TRACK is
NOW COMPLETED
Will Be Put in Operation September
After Tunnel at Blount Springs
Is Completed-Preparing
for Winter Rush =
BY CLYDE w. ENNIS

BY CLYDE w. ENNIS
In view of the increasing traffic
through Birmingham and this city's in
dividual Importance as traffic CEN
ter, 1t Is announced unofficially that
the Louisville and Nashville will in
augurate two additional passenger
trains through Birmingham. When that
is done the Louisville and Nashville
will have in operation through this
city eight fast passenger trains in adj
dition to the score or more local trains
that ply In and out of this city daily
The Louisville and Nashville man.
agement expects 1t is believed, that the
traffic Immediately after the end of
summer will be very great. The pas
senger trains will, it Is contemplated.
handle great volume of passenger
traffic en- route to the Panama EXPOSE
ton in San Francisco as well as BUSH
ness originating from the main line en-
route to intermediary points. On ac-
count of the fact that all of the lines
expect heavy business in the passenger
departments next year this contem-
plated step of the Louisville and Nash
vile Is expected to be followed by an
lnouncements from other lines of addi-
tional trains through Birmingham TO
take care of the expected rush of bust
ness.
The Louisville and Nashville now
serves It's patrons south and north with
extremely frequent service and with
TWO more trains even the service now
rendered by that line will be greatly
enhanced 1t has often been said that
a person from Birmingham could Sc
cure train to Montgomery over the
Louisville and Nashville almost with
the frequency of street car transporta-
ton in town.
Double Track Completed
The new service will not be started
| by the Louisville and Nashville until
| the double track north of Birmingham
is in use. 1t was announced yesterday
that all of the double track is com
pleted. Service will be possible over
every inch of it after September 1.
The Louisville and Nashville is now
using the double track from Boyles to
Blount Springs while the line is being
used entirely from Blount Springs
north to Decatur. This has been the
case for several days. However, at
Blount Springs the line has been laid
almost on top of the mountain. and it
has been necessary to construct a tun-
mel of unusual length to get through
that mountain. The Louisville and
Nashville has as a consequence been
delayed in getting all of the double
track, though completed, in operation
1t is stated that the tunnel will be
finished soon, and through service Will
be attained about September l.
In connection with the double track
work of the Louisville and Nashville
1t is stated that the line north of
Decatur to Nashville will be completed
and placed in operation July Is. That
line operates to point north of Nash
ville and when opened Birmingham and
Nashville will be Hinged together with
u double track system the longest of
any between two points in the south.
With the Nashville division open. the
Louisville and Nashville will have a
double track from Calera to point
north OF Nashville. 1t is planned by
the Louisville and Nashville to dou-
Bile track into Louisville on the north
and to Montgomery and perhaps New
Orleans on the south. This will re-
qulre few years to work out
The statement was made Yesterday
that the practical completion of this
task, which has required three years
and cost $l5,OO0,000 will not serve to
materially reduce schedules until the
new track is well settled and becomes
firm. After that it is said that the
scneaules between this city and the
north will be greatly shortened both
as to passenger and freight trains. 1t
is obviously true that with through
double tracks the operation of trains
Will be much safer and can be accom-
plished with greater speed than il the
system was single track as at this
time.
Heavy Grades Eliminated
Inc Louisville and Nashville. it is
stated VIII be in a position to dis
pense With the double header pas
senger and freight trains when ali of
the new track is In operation. AS it
is now. 1T frequently happens that two
engines are required to handle one
train on account of the heavy grades
between this city and Decatur That
one proposition was a rather serious
handicap to fast schedule and was one
of the facts that was emphasized
when the management started out
with the double track plans. The man.
agement desired to eliminate the heavy
grades and thus place the operations
of a more efficient basis
With two additional passenger trains
operating through from Louisville to
birmingham and in addition to the re-
ouced schedules. the Louisville and
Nashville operations will be of even
greater Importance to Birmingham
than at the present time. The new
trains will be arranged at hours which
Will be very convenient to this COM
munity. The company now operates
trains during the day hours and early
at night on schedules that have proven
satisfactory. The new trains will pos
sibly be operated before midnight for
the south and probably at an early
morning hour northbound With
northbound train about o'clock ev-
cry morning having Pennsylvania con-
nections at Cincinnati, the Louisville
and Nashville could materially
strengthen its eastern position, while
a train operating through here about
the same time as the Queen and Cres-
cent limited for New Orleans at night
would certainly prove a source of keen
competition for travel from the north
and from Birmingham to New Orleans.
With the new trains to be given Bfr-