Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-31
COMPLETE SHOPS
Of CAR COMP ANY
ATLARCE OUTLAY
New Barns and Equipment OF Street
Railway Concern Finished ut Cost
Of 100000.
GET TEN P. A. Y. L. TRoLLEYs
Rig Improvements Made at Watch
Tower Grounds Have Been treat
ly Beautified.

Among the many Improvements
made by the Tri-City Railway COM
pany during the last year was the
completion of the new esr barns at
Thirty-Gfth street and Fifth avenue.
The erection Of the plant was start /
ed in 1916 and was finished the early |
part of this year. The plant is most
modern, containing facilities for doing
all minor repair work and appliances
for overhauling and rebuilding street
cars. II was the intention OF the com
pany at one time to manufacture cars
under their own supervision but the
intention was never realized. Ma
chinery, complete equipment and all
material used In the construction OF
the shop caused total expenditure
of 100000.
There are four bays housing four
tracks in the west side OF the building.
Two OF the bays are 296 by 3715 feet
and the other is 100 by IS feet. The
bays In the east portion Of the build
ing are of the same dimensions as the
latter mentioned above. At the ex-
treme east portion Of the building, on
the FIRST floor, s-s Offices for the re-
ceiver and superintendent. with store
and boiler rooms in the rear. On the
second floor there is, hall for the en-
ployes to hold their meetings, read
ing rooms, pool and billiard rooms.
locker roms and toilets. The three
bays used for shops are for the car
penter, blacksmith and machine
shops.
Reinforced concrete and steel are
used throughout in the construction.
and the plant is considered by all ex-
perts who have viewed It to be one of
the best equipped and most modern
this side Of Chicago.
Tower improvements.
During the last season many i'm
provements have been made at the
Watch Tower. The side walks have
been covered with gravel at cost of
$3.50; shelter was built for the con-
yenience Of passengers at q cost Of
s1,S00; city water was installed in the
inn and en- the grounds at a cost of
$4,000, and In general the resort was
greatly renovated, making It one of
the prettiest and most picturesque in
the middle-west and greatly added 20
the comfort and enjoyment Of the
many patrons.
The company spent s23,400 for vari-
GUS improvements in the city. such as
rebuilding pole lines. laying new rails,
paving around and between the rails,
etc.
Despite the fact that steel was diff
ficult to obtain, much track was laid
during the year and many steel poles
erected. Then new pay-as-you-enter
cars we're purchased at a cost of
Ss2,2l0. Several cars were rebuilt,
new bodies bought and open cars re-
modelled at total cost of s17600. In
all the Tri-City Railway company has
done much towards improving the
street Car system in the city.
List Of Expenditures.
The following ia list of the approx
innate expenditures made by the Tri-
City Railway company in construction
and reconstruction work in Rock Is
land in 1917.
Complete Rock Island car
shops ......... ...........$ $4,000
Complete installation of
switches and side-track at
Rock Island car barns .... $500
Installation Of machinery and
motors at Rock Island car
barns 60. ...,........., 5000
Building shelter at Black
Hawk Watch Tower ....... 1,s0t
Installing city water In Black
Hawk ina and on grounds. 3,70t
Itspairs on walks at Watch
Tower i'm .t.....+.-....,. 6bt
Rebuilding track on Twenti-
eth street from Eleventh to
Seventeenth avenue ....... S.00t
Complete double tracks from
Sears to Center Station $500
Installing drain In street on
Forty-sixth avenue ....... 50(
Installing new curves on Third
avenue and Twentieth street 6,S0C
Building new bridge Of creo-
soted timber under road
near Watch Tower ........ 1,20l
Z Rebuilding pole line on Sec
ond avenue ......... 5Ot
Paving Twenty-third street in
from sub-station building. 1,10t
Purchase Of special track work
at several points In city 90. 2,00t
Installing steel poles in fire
ulstrlct 49,. ............... 20l
Paving track along Sixth ave
nue. from Twenty to
Twenty-ffth streets ...... SOC
Changing cars to p. A. Y. r.
type $50. .,......... 4.s0t
Purchase ten new P. A. Y.E.
cars .........."..... S2.21C
Purchase three new car
bodies .1..........:..-,. 1900
Rebuilding open cars for win
ter use ..,.....:......... 1000
Rebuilding overhead trolley on
Long View line ..... sac
Purchase tamping machine 1900
Total :...,,,.........,.. s1s1 ,o0c
Amount paid trainmen for
1917 -. ............... 10000
WILL Use OLD MAPS,
Berne.--German ingenuity has once
more found way to stave oil the
crisis threatening by reason of the
lack OF cloths and clothing. The an.
thorities Of the so-called in1peria,
clothing headquarters. according tc
Berlin papers Just arrived, have or
dered all schools to turn in old wal
maps that ere mounted on linen OF
cloth OF any sort. The maps, 1t n
explained by the clothing headquar.
tiers, will then be separated from the
cloth by a cleansing process. and the
supply Of linen thus obtained will be
used for clothing II possible, but In
any event for Innings.