The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-01
MANY R. R. IMPROVEMENTS
Railroads Have Ordered Total OF 49,
900 Freight Cars During Year.

900 Freight Cars During Year.
The following statement OF what
the railroads have been doing in the
way Of improving and extending their
facilities during the past year is pub
lished in the current issue of Amer
lean Railroads a publication issued
tives. It is written by Robert 8. Bin
kerd, assistant to the chairman of the
association.
The railroad companies have or
dered approximately 10000 freight
cars this year. and in the later months
Of the year were attempting 10 MAKE
financial arrangements which would
enable them to increase this sum total
| to about $4,000. OF these, some
900 will be refrigerator cars, there
having been no net addition to this
class of equipment for some years,
and there having been no refrigerator
cars constructed at all during the en-
tire twenty-six months of federal con-
| troll.
The companies either have ordered
l or are making the financial arrange
| ments to purchase approximately
/ 1 500 additional locomotives and about
4 /, 200 passenger cars. The total cost
of this equipment is approximately as
Y follows:
15.o Ss1 Refriaerator ears at $500
go ssSn Locomotives at s7o,oooo $1,000
| 80 Passenger train cars at .oooooo.
i $4,000 oacn .....-............ 4z,VV'VVV
Total .s349, 600, 900
Il In addition to this, the Pullman
4 company is building 500 Pullman cars
| this year, none having been built DUR
| ing the period of federal control.
| go Additions and Betterments.
Capital expenditures on fixed prop
erty this year have necessarily been
largely confined to those which would
promote the movement of cars. 1t is
| impossible for the carriers, even If the
present rate increase ultimately brings
them a per cent return, to go into
a or per cent money market and
raise large sums or money LOT capltai
improvements.
| Accordingly, the expenditures made
have generally looked toward the
enlargement of round houses and en-
CINE terminal capacity, the increase OF
shops, machinery and tools for the
repair of equipment, the extension OF
sidings. additional yard tracks. inter
locking devices, automatic signals and
heavier rail and ballast.
Double Tracking and Reducing Grades
In addition. number of important
carriers have been double-tracking
STRENGTHENING Dr. 1 u & e 3, TeuuClHe
grades and other work necessary fol
the extension of the operation OF
heavier locomotives and larger ca
pacity cars.
Ali told, it is estimated that the car
riers are spending some 100000 upor
such improvements, of which about
) s7O,000,0 900 is being financed by loan.
: from the fund provided by section 21t
of the transportation act, and most o.
the remainder out of earnings.
) Spending More for Maintenance.
! The operating expenses filed by the
carriers with the interstate commerce
, commission show that in the 81,
months from March 1 to Sept. 80, TN
t carriers spent approximately $175,
t 900, 900 more than in tho similar 81;
l months of 1919 on the maintenance 0
3 their fixed property, and approx
mate1y $220,000,000 more than durint
q | the similar six months of 1919 on tn
= maintenance of their cars and locomo
= tives.
q Some of this increased expenditur
( of course merely reflects the highe
| wages which the railroads are com
PEELED to pay for such work, but con
| siderable part of it also represent
outright increases in physical repara
8 tions necessary to make up some o
the deterioration caused during tn
n war period.
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