The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-18
ROundhOuSe and Is Miles of
Sidetrack To Be Built Here.
Engineering Department APP
proves Large improvements.
TWO new STATIONS FOR CITY
Fire-PrOOf Passenger Depot To
Be West of Kansas Avenue.
Freight Terminal on Present
Site of Station and Hotel.

Plans, which will result in the ulti-
mate expenditure by the road of $780,
600 in Topeka, are being drawn in
Kansas City under supervision of the
engineering department of the Union
Pacific railway Robert NJ. Ritchey,
general agent for the railway here, to-
day said plans for a new passenger
depot and a freight depot which Will
he credits to Topeka and the Union
Pacific" are being completed. lntor-
nation from other official sources is to
the effect that the railway company
is planning to erect a new roundhouse
here and practically rebuild its yards
and lay about Is miles of new track.
Orders to the effect that Topeka mas
been made an important freight ter
minaI as the result of coming reor-
ganization of schedules. demanded by
the Adamson law, are expected mere
any day.
Information which has reached To-
peka regarding the new passenger de-
pot is to the effect that it Will be one
or two story concrete or brick bulld
ing. 1t will be strictly modern and
fire proof. The freight depot viii be
two-story building of brick. 1t Will
be located on the site of the present
passenger depot with the freight office
touching the sidewalk on Kansas ave
nue. East Of the office. warehouse
and loading platform will be erected,
probably twice as large the freight
accommodations.
Change Station Location.
The new passenger depot will face
the tracks. being located on the south
of the latter. 1t will be located a
short distance west of Kansas avenue
and will stand at the front of jackson
street, that thorofare being closed
across the tracks. 1t will be accessible
from the south, east and west.
Under the plan of placing the pas
senser depot whore the freight depot
now stands and vice versa, Union Pa
cific officials expect to avoid blocking
North Kansas Avenue as is now often
done, especially by freight trains.
Switching facilities, it is planned, will
also be rearranged so is to avoid back
ing switch engines across the Avenue
as much as possible.
Construction work on the two de-
pots will begin as soon as possible
according to information from Oma-
ha and Kansas City, providing mat
ters are not delayed by the war A
half-million dollars. approximately,
has been appropriated as Topeka's
share of the budget allowed Kansas
by the railroad. Officials of the road
in Kansas City say the only thing that
will stand in the way of beginning
work next spring is n possibility that
the road may have to use the money
at military points if the government
launches an extensive movement of
supplies and troops.
Rebuilding of the yards will be made
necessary by the re-arrangement of
the depots. In addition to that the
present yards have long been too
small to care for the rapidly growing
business of the road here.
1t was said by officials of the road
today that when the old passenger de
pot is razed the Union Pacific hotel
one of the oldest hotels in the state,
will either go out of business or locate
somewhere else.
Topeka as a future freight terminal,
due to the reorganization of schedules
because of the Adamson eight-hour
law, is regarded as a certainty here.
Freight men point out that the logical
shortening of runs would make freight
terminals west from Kansas City as
follows: Topeka, junction City, Sa-
lima, Ellsworth and Ellis. The pres
ent terminals are located at junction
City, Salina and Ellis. Shortening of
the distance between terminals as is
now planned would make possible
what is known as ''turnaround" runs.
wherein crew takes one train out of
a terminal into the next and brings
.Yon+ har- hapIx