Norwich bulletin., 1916-08-08
RUSHING ENGINES TO
AID NEW HAVEN
Locomotives Are Loaned by Eight
Roads to Enable 1t to Haul Trains.

Twelve engines were taken from the
New Haven road in a single day re-
Gently, thereby reducing the road to
almost desperate straits in handling
traffic.
Foreign roads are rushing all the
engines they can spare TO the aid Of
the New Haven. Although it is Off
cially announced that the New Haven
has % engines from outside lines, more
than that number have been seen in
use. NO less than eight roads have
lent engines to tide the New Haven
over the siege it is undergoing.
Chiefly because Of the lack Of en-
gines, the road has been forced to
extend indefinitely the embargo that
was to have been raised at midnight
Wednesday. Freight cars are piIing
up on the system at the rate of !, 100 a
day more than the road can take off
the system. There are approximately
Al, eco freight cars on the New Haven
according to official information, and
the road owns only $4,000 cars. Some
10000 cars have been added to the
road since last year, for the last an
nual report set the total at 34,30S.
Few of the So big engines the road
ordered months ago have arrived here.
The road fears that the munitions be-
ing made by the locomotive building
companies are blocking the engines.
But it is pointed out that few of the
tools and machinery entering into the
making of locomotive are used in
making munitions. A few weeks ago
it was reported that the road was
having difficulty in arranging salts
factory terms of payment for the en-
GineS now il the works, and that this
was the only reason why the New
Haven couldn't get the machines. AS
matters now stand, the New Haven
hopes to get some of the new engines
in September. The road itself an
nounced some time ago that Septem-
Der was the month These were to
have been of the /, S0O-type and were
supposed to be chiefly for passenger
service. Evidently the rush Of freight
business has caused the rad TO
change its plans.
An official points out that the New
Haven is not only suffering from de-
layed deliveries in locomotive power,
but from lack Of terminal facilities.
Switches and sidingS at all New Eng
land factories are now 0VerCrowded
with business"
The combination of lack Of engines
and OVeTcrOwding of freight has had
its effect on the passenger service.
With continual protests that the New
Haven roads passenger trains are
never on time comes q record of the
percentage Of trains that have gone
into terminals on time. A few months
ago the New Haven led all roads en-
tering New York city in this matter
Today it is far down the list. In June
only 1915 per cent. Of its trains reach
ed the Grand Central on time; in May
the percentage was 85.3, in April ST.,
in March S4.2 per cent. Ontario and
Western was quite as bad, the percent
ages being June 1885, May 81.8, April
1875, and March 65.3.
A big relief will be afforded when
the improvements at the station in
New London are done. The roads own
architects have just completed the
plans for the buildings that are to be
erected in connection with the i'm
provements and actual construction is
to start very soon.
The work of laying out the new bulk
freight tracks on Brewery street is
going ahead fast and when that is
finished the work of cleaning up the
farm will be started.
1t is expected that within a few
days work on the subway from
Meadow street to the old system build
ing will be started. The entire work
Of improving the station will be split
up into several contracts and by hav-
ing work going on simultaneously on
each contract the road can get the
whole thing done by football day.
Just now the road is preparing to
handle the rush Of Labor day. Every
effort Is being made to have all it's
engines repaired to the satisfaction Of
the interstate commerce commission
before then. On that depends whether
the public will be greatly 1nconven-
fenced during what will prove its rec
ord breaking passenger traffic period.