The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-01-08
RAIL WAY STATISTICS FOR 1916

The year 1916 was one Of rec
ord breaking traffic and earnings Tor
/ the railways Of the United States.
Their increased business is reflected
| in statistics regarding new construc-
| ton and orders for equipment curing
| the year which have been gathered
by the Railway Age Gazette from Of
| fetal sources, and which are PUBLISH
ed in its annual review number.
The mileage Of new railroad puiit
during 1916 was 1908 miles. This
is an increase over 1919, wnen
only 933 miles were built, the latter
having been THE smallest amount OF
NEW construction in any year since
the civil war. While there has been
an increase in new construction, II
has continued to be small, being less
| than in any year since the civil war
iexcec: 1915. There was reduction
in second track built. tbis amounting
to 312 miles, as compared with 800
miles In 1915 and SOS miles In 1914.
There were 81 miles OF third, fourth
and other main tracks built, as COM
pared with SIS miles in the preceding
lyear. The largest amount of new
construction was In Montana, where
80 miles Of railway were built; South
| Carolina being second with 81 miles,
and California third. with IS miles.
| New construction in Canada shows
a heavy decline. The mileage OF new
lines built in that country was only
29O miles. as compared with 7lS miles
1 in 1915 and 97S miles in 1914.
| The new mileage found to be pro
jected in the United States Is 7I
I h1Sr
miles; and that being actually built
/ 1850 miles.
Increased Orders for New Equipment.
The increase in the purchase of
new equipment was much greater
relatively than the Increase in new
construction. The following table
gives the numbers of cars and loco
motives ordered by the railways OF
| the United States within the last
thTs5 years.
1916 1915 1914
ordered :. 10000 1o7,7ss so.2e4
ordered -. 2,a4s 1902 2,oo2
/. Locomotives
| ordered 80. 1928 1873 1,265
| The number OF freight cars order
ed for domestic service is larger than
! in any year since 1912, and the num-
Der of locomotives ordered for do
nestle service is larger than In eth
ker 1914 or 1915.
! Large Foreign Orders for Equipment.
In addition to the orders received
from the railways Of the United
Estates, the locomotive and car build
| oP
Increased orders for equipment for
export. The number of freight cars
ordered for export was 1852, as COM
pared with 1922 in 1915; and the
number of locomotives ordered for
export was 1883, as compared with
$50 In 1915. The number of locOmo-
tives ordered for both United States
and foreign railroads totaled 5.906,
which exceeds the total number Of
locomotives ordered from the locomo,
tive builders OF the United States Id
any year since 1905.
sixty.three Railways In Receiver
Hands.
The year closed with So railways,
having an aggregate of 1859 miles
of line. in the hands, Of receivers.
This compares with q mileage OF 49,
| DOL miles WHICH was III tAS udAuS "a
ireceivers, at the beginning OF 1916
The principal changes in the list OF
roads in the hands Of receivers dur
ing 1918 was caused by the ST. Louis
! & San Francisco, operating 4,749
miles OF road, some OF it's subsidiartes'
operating 1000 more; the Western
Pacific, operating S43 miles; and the
| Atlanta. Birmingham e Atlantic,
! operating 633 miles, being taken out
/ of the hands Of receivers. while the
Boston & Maine, with 1900 miles, and
! the Texas & Pacific, with 1914 miles.
went into them. The number OF
roads put into receivers hands dur.
ing the year was eight, and their
total mileage 4,439.
Railways Operated Under Block
System.
The total mileage Of railways oper.
ated under the block system at the
end of the year is $685.. OF this,
! 2,97S miles is automatic. an increase
Of 1878 miles.
Comparison and Contrast Between
1906 and 1915.
! In an article on THE Railway Sit
uation at the End Of 1916" the Rail
way Age Gazette draws q compari-
son and a contrast between the year
1916 and the year 1905. just de-
cade before. The year 1906, like the
year 1916, it recalls. was character
lied by record breaking traffSc and
earnings, by a large car shortage
and severe congestion OF traffic and
by extensive movements by railway
labor for higher wages. On the 9th
er hand, the year 1906 came near the
end of a period Of great prosperity
for the railways, during which there
had been a large expansion Of their
facilities, while the year 1915 follows
period Of depression for the rail
ways, during which there was a rela
lively small expansion OF their facil
tiles.
"In the five years ending with the
calendar year 1906" says the Railways
Age Gazette. there were almost 3d.,
500 miles of new railway built in the
United States. an average OF almost
4, 7eC miles a year. During the five