The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-05
SET new RECORDS
Trains on Kansas Divisions
Have Been on Time.
Phenomenal Showing for Win
ter Is Made by All.
NEARLY 100 Per CENT MADE
Santa Fe Makes 93 Per Cent
During Last Week.
Open Winter Is Given Credit
for Accomplishment.

Some phenomenal records for this
season of the year have been made in
the past few weeks, in the matter of
operating railroad trains. Railroad
men agree that there have been few
winter months in past years when the
trains on the Kansas divisions of the
roads have been kept so nearly lVo
per cent. on their schedule.
Santa Fc Makes Record.
The Santa Fe passenger trains dur.
ing the past week, have been just 80
per cent on time, and last week was
not the best of the winter. Ever since
the holidays, the trains nave peeii
running ION the dot.
The exact figures for the, ROCK Is
land are not available, but j. j.
Breheney, trainmaster of the Kansas
division. says that the Santa Fe has
MT anything on us. if they can equal
our record" There have been. many
consecutive days during the past rev
weeks, Breheney said Friday night
when every train on the Kansas dlvl-
sion was exactly on time, and from
the way he receives the trains from
other divisions, Brebeney believes they
have been doing the same thing there
General officials have told me that
there have been several days during
the winter, when every train on the
entire system was right on time,
Breheney said.
One of the factors contributing TO
this condition is the open nature of
the weather for this season of the
year. The operating departments
have had no difficulties to encounter
as, a result of bad weather. There
has been no snow to buck no heavy
rains with softened road beds and
washed out tracks 1t has been an
ideal winter SC far from the stand
point OF the operating department of
the roads.
Increase in Efficiency.
There is probably another factor,
tho the operating officials of neither
road make any mention of 1t. since
the labor situation BECAME what IL IS
with more men than jobs for them
there has been "a noticeable increase
of efficiency in other lines of work.
Men work better when they know that
there are other men ready TO take
their places if they fail to make
GOOD" 1t is only logical to assume
that the same condition has been re-
Elected in the operating departments
of the railroads, and that the men re-
sponsible for handling the trains have
put forth more effort to keep them up
to the minute than is usual.
The passenger trains are not the
only ones which have been kept run
ming on time. The freight departments
are also proud of their records. There
is less freight to be handled now than
there was a few months ago. and con-
seduently fewer freight trains. 1T dldn
use to make much difference whether
Il freight train was on time or an hour
or so behind. but recently, with not too
much work to do, and operating con-
ditions ideal. there has been move
ment of freight trains which mas
equaIed the record of the passenger
trains.
Tihs is especially true'of thru, sched
uIe. fast freights.
Freight Business Increasing.
By the same token, the freight bust
ness is increasing. compared to what
it was>4mmediately after the holidays:
and there is much more movement of
goods in freight cars than there was
at that time.
California fruits and vegetables are
beginning to move into and thru Kan
sas, and are contributing largely to
the sum total of the freight business
on the Kansas divisions. There has
also been a revival of the general
merchandise business.
The comparative lightness of the
freight business has had its effect in
keeDing the passenger trains on time.
The job of the dispatcher who has
to move freight and passenger trains
over a division. is like the manipula
ton of a Chinese puzzle. When he
has so many freight trains that there
is at least one at every meeting point
laying over for passenger train,
about every so often something hap
pens-a draw bar pulls out or car
breaks down. and when the freight is
delayed in reaching the meeting point,
the passenger train is also delayed.
The fewer freights. the fewer acct
DENTS and as result the job of the
dispatcher in getting his trains past
each other and across his division
from one terminal to the other, has
been considerably simplified. as COM
days.
Business is getting better, but the
winter has been almost ideal from the
standpoint of the men who have to
keep the trains rolling across Kansas