New Britain herald., 1915-10-02
CITY WINS FIGHT
 AGAINST RAILROAD
"NeW HaVen"- Must Discontinue Running Locomotives Backward

ORDER IN EFFECT APR. 15, 1916 Public Utilities Commission Denies
 Petition of system-Msy Continue
 Present Method of Berlin Branch Line.
 Word was received to1,y that the city has won its fight to force the New York. New Haven and Hartford raii- road to lur it's Iocom :.>-s between New Britain and Hartford and Bris- l tol and Hartford Nltf the tender att 1 tached to the coaches. Notice to this effect was received D. city officials from Henry F. Billings, secretary of | the public utilities commission. The l commission gave a hearing on the matter on September 21. While the city wins victory on the main Bris- tol-Hartford line it loses its fight to force the railroad to discontinue the practice of running locomotives back ward on the Berlin Branch line. At the hearing before the public utilities commission the city was re- presented by Mayor George A. Quig- 1 ley, Corporation Counsel J. E. Cooper and Councilman George M. Landers. Senator George w. Klett also put up stiff opposition to the petition of the railroad for permission to continue to run locomotives backward. It was Senator Klett who introduced the original bill prohibiting this practice ir the last session of the legislature.
 Commissions Decision.
 The communication from the pub lie utilities commission is as follows:
 "On August 30, 1915, under the provisions of Section l., Chapter 27s of the Public Acts of 1915, petition ] was received from the New York, New Haven and Hartford Company for permission to operate passenger trains between Hartford and New Britain with the cars attached to steam locomotives in manner other than at the rear of such locomotives on and after October 1, 1915, as by petition on file and record will fully appear. =s
 Said petition was duly assigned for hearing at the office of the commis- sion on Tuesday, September 21, 1915 at 2:S0 o'clock in the afternoon, no- tice thereof being given to the peti- tioner and the municipalities through which said trains are operated and at said time and place the parties ap- peared and were fully heard.
 At said hearing testimony was presented as to the operation con- ditions on the said line, the grades, | curvatures and length of tracks, the schedule and speed of trains, the lack of present facilities for turning locomotives at either end of the routes, the cost of constructing facili- ties for turEing locomotives, the re- verue passenger traffic, and the ex- rense apportionable against such traffic, the conditions of road bed, ties, rails, and rolling stock, the re- cord as to acidents and evidence as to the safety of operation with tke locom otives preceded by the tender at limited speed.
 May Continue Until April 15.
 "On consideration of all the facts presented in this case. particularly the amount of travel and frequency of service on the main line tracks where many other trains are being operated, it is the opinion of the committee that the petition should be denied, pro- vided, however, owing to the imprac- ticability of immediate compliance by the company with the provisions of the statute, owing ro the time re- quired for installation for suitable turning devices, the petitioner is here by authorized until April 15, 1916, to operate upon said line between Hart ford and New Britain, such regularly scheduled passenger trains as it may deem necessary and expedient, pro- pelled by steam locomotives attached to the cars in other manner than at the rear of said locomotive, provided, however, that the speed of any pas senger train propelled by a steam To- comotive shall not exceed twenty-five miles per hour"
 Berlin Branch Line
 Regarding the petition of the rail- road to continue running locomotives backward on the New Britain-Berl,n branch, the commission says:
 ''The commission is of opinion that for the present, at least, and under the present conditions permission ought to be granted for the operation If trains requested"
 The speed limit on the Berlin branch is established at twenty-five miles per hour. e
 SHELTON STRIKE SETTLED.
 Shelton 0-Tha strike at the