The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-07-11
TENMILES STRING
Of BOX CARS IDLE
Uncle Sam and Railroads
Have Not Agreed on
Allotment.

A string Of brand new boxcars ION
| miles long that ave never carried a
pound Of freight for a single mile STANDS
on the sidetTacks Of the Memphis rll-
roads. They are the property OF the
federal railroad administration anu were
built by the American Car and Foundry
| company at its B~inghamton plant
Some OF the cars have been in storage
since the first of the year. Not one OF
them has been stenciled and wiIb not ne
| until the government allots them TO
some railroad. The idle cars represent
an investment Of approximately A'oOO'-
900.
There Is a Shortage In boxcars and
with the movement of wheat and other
crops which is already beginning, a.
shortage OF cars almost as acute as
during the war Is expected. For the
last two months the officials OF the ray
road administration have been sehdlns
GU t~circulars TO shippers urging the
greatest economy In shipping space to
conserve rolling stock. =.
With the approaching shortage OF
cars the officials of the various rail-
roads Of Memphis are looking on the
string of 1900 ned cars with longing
eyes, and wondering which road Will be
the lucky one TO get the award.
Contract About Complete.
The cars are distributed among near
ly all the local roads for storage, 700
on the Illinois Central tracks, 200 with
the Southern, 10S with the N, c. Il st,
L., ll5 with the l.. & n, 100 with the
Frisco and 1870 with the Union railway,
making 1853 cars that have been turned
over to the government. In addition 10
this number, the builders have l47 cars
that are still in their possession.
The federal railroad Administrators
contract with the Memphis plant of the
| A raartnon T7nr md Foundry HOmnany
called for 1900 cars. OF this number
400 were completed and put in service
between Dec. Is, 1918, and March L.
The Charleston & Western Carolina
railroad received 800 and the Atlantic
Coast Line got 1870.
The contract has been virtually COM
pleted and only about 60 or 70 men are
employed at the plant now, where some
1000 men were used when the work
was at Its height.
A difference Of opinion exists among
railroad men as to why the cars are
standing idle when the demand for
more cars Is so urgent. Some say that
the government is anxious to assign the
cars, but that none Of the railroads is
willing to take the cars at the price it
cost the government to build them, and
that It is the belief of such officials
that when the railroads are returned to
private ownership the railroads can
| CllCI u COAlpCblAlNC lHdl NSI aliu BSI idld
built for much less than these cars
cost.
Are of Finest Type.
On the other hand, It Is contended
that these cars were built at a bargain
price that is not likely to be duplicated
In the future. Built in immense num-
bers by quantity production methods,
1t Is said by the men who take this
view that NJ individual railroad could
place an order for a sufficient number
Of cars to command quantity production
econimies In manufacture such as was
obtained by the government, When
the contract was let, an order for 10l,-
900 cars of various types was placed
with al 1.-The car building companies OF
the country, The slight reduction In
the price of steel since the armistice
was signed would not offset the saving
possible by production on such a scale
1t is commended.
Charles A.. Price, district manager
OF the American Car and Foundry COM
pany, in charge of the local plant, says
that the cars probably will be assigned
In the near future and put in the grain
service. These cars are of the very lat
est type of boXcar and nothing better
has ever been turned out, Mr.. Price
says. The cars are 40 feet long and
have a capacity Of so 1000 pounds, The
1,500 cars now In storage in Memphis
have a combined carrying capacity OF
100, 000, 900 or 60, 900 tons,
If put In the grain service, zach car
will haul from 1900 to 1,4OO bushels Of
wheat. The entire string of new cars
now held here would move approx
mately 1000, 900 bushels of wheat at a
trip.