Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-17
SOON TO LAY RAILS ON
NEW CITY POINT ROAD
Trolley Line From Petersburg Is Ex-
pected to BE in Operation on
November 15.
WORK GOING RAPIDLY AHEAD
President Workman Says That Four
Miles of Right of Way, Which Is
Little Over Ten Miles, Has Already
Been Graded.

Work OF laying tho tracks OF the
which will form the trolley link be-
tween Petersburg. Hopewell. City Point
and Deepwater. will begin in a few
days according to Major I. NJ. wor-
than. president OF the new company.
Major WORKMAN said last night that
large consignment of steel rails
and they will BIO Immediately dis
tributed along the right OF way 70 be
put down az soon as possible.
Major WORKMAN said that a large
force has been Mt work for nearly a
month the line, which will run
about ten and one-fourth miles. and
that about four miles Of the right of
way has been graded and five miles
more cleared ready for the grading
AS the work is light, 1t is confidently
alton by November Is. The Vaughan
Construction Company. OF Roanoke and
Petersburg. Is the contractor.
At present there is a jitncy service
between Petersburg and Hopewell. but
the highway between the two places is
a dirt road. and better facilities are re-
quired to afford adequate transporta-
ton facilities for the large population
at City Point and vicinity. which has
increased tremendously since the Du
Point company established Its large
powder plant at HopeweIl. The new
railway is to be equipped with electric
cars, which are to connect with the
electric cars running from Petersburg
TO Richmond. The schedule time from
city Point and Hopewell to Petersburg
is to be forty-tive minutes. and It is
estimated that the time from City
Point through TO Richmond will be ap-
proXimately an hour and Il half If sat
81 10
made with the Virginia Railway and
Power Company.
The railway has "A franchise for troll
ley car rights through Prince George
County. Hopewell and City Point, and
also has all necessary franchises In
Petersburg, in which city its cars will
run over part of the track of the power
company to the latter's terminal at
Sycamore and Bolingbroke Streets.
That company will furnish power for
the new road. IT is contemplated to
operate multiple unit equipment with
1900 and 600 volts current between
trolley and rail interchange BILE. Oper-
alton Will be easy, the maximum grade
being l-2 per cent. and only one
small bridge or culvert will be re-
quired, besides an inexpensive overpass
TO cross the Norfolk and Western Rail-
ways City Point branch. The road Is
particularly "A home enterprise All
the capital was raised locally. and It
is owned by people residing near its
route
PROBLEM NOT TO GET BUSINESS,
BUT TO GET SUFFICIENT CARS
Probably the most unique feature of
the new road, Major WORKMAN said
yesterday. is that il Will not have to
generate business. In fact the prob
lem facing the officers is to get enough
rolling stock to handle the business
chat Is ready and waiting. With ap-
oroxmately 10000 employees at the
gu Font plant. either engaged in pow
der making or in construction work,
or in the new nitrate and acid plants
recently completed. great city Is
growing on the banks Of the Appomat-
toX and the James.
The Norfolk and Western. which has
Il branch line from Petersburg TO City
Point. is double tr3cking with all speed
and because of the problem Of keeping
the volume OF freight traffic from be-
coming congested. has recently placed
a special Superintendent in charge.