The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-03-09
JUDGE ISRAEL B. COWEN NORTHERN PACIFIC USE
END LONG, USEFUL LIFE GASOLINE MOTOR CARS
REPLACE STEAM BETWEEN WAL
BURKE AND MULLAN-
HAULING SNOW.

The Northern Pacific Railroad com
pany is investigating the feasibility OF
using gasoline motor ears instead OF
steam passenger trains on short branch
lines or on those where the passenger
traffic is not sufficient to justify the
present service. These motor cars are
patterned after the jitneys. capable OF
carrying 80 or 40 passengers. with
baggage compartment and provided
with Hanged wheels. One of these
ears is now in use on the Gilmore &
Pittsburg railroad in eastern Idaho
connecting Salmon City with Arm
stead. Montana, and is said to be oper-
ating very successfully. \ recent an
nOuncement states that similar service
will be tried out on the branch line be
tween Genesee. Idaho. and Pullman
Wash. distance of IS miles The
advantage of these cars is the cheap
ness of operation. requiring only two
men. motorman and conductor. the
latter also 10 look after the baggage
and act as flagman.
Between Wallace. Burke and Mullan.
j. G. Sanders, general agent of the
Northern Pacific in this city. states
that the question of adopting the mo-
tor cars for service between Wallace
and Burke and Wallace and Mullan is
under consideration and that he had
reported conditions to A. ID. Smith.
general passenger director Mr. San
ders stated that there is just one OBJ
stacle in the way of their use for this
local service and that is the heavy
snowfall The steam locomotives now
in use find it difficult in bucking the
snow in the canyon with the traction
Of eight wheels, so it is evident that a
motor car with only two wheels draw
ing would be helpless during a winter
such as the present Mr.. Sanders has
called this to the attention of the pas
senger department and it has also
been investigated by a special repre-
sentative of the company. 1t was esti
mated that there are four or five
months of the year when motor cars
will be impractical. but during the 9TH
er seven or eight months the company
will probably operate them. In fact
it is expected that these cars will be
placed in service between this city and
Burke and Mullan about the first of
April and continue until sometime in
November, or until stopped by snow.
1t is expected that the Introduction Of
these motor cars will provide serv-
ice over longer hours. starting earlier |
in the morning and continuing until |
late in the evening; but this of course |
will depend upon the amount Of bust |
ness to be handled.
Operating at Loss.
For long time the Northern Pa
cific maintained local service between
Wallace and Burke and Mullan at
loss. due chiefly to jitney competition.
and the adoption of motor cars seems
the only practical way to overcome the
difficulty Already there are quite
arge number of men living in Wallace
who are mplOyed at the canyon mines
and who go back and forth daily; also
/ considerable number of pupils from
he canyon who attend the Wallace
nigh school These are carried gene
lily by the jitneys, receiving a special
rate and it is expected
hat the railroad company will meet
his when the motor cars are placed in
Trainloads of Snow.
The cost of maintaining local train
ervice in winter is much greater on
.ccount of the snow. The Northern
oacific finds it impractical to send the
otary snow pillow up the canyon. ms
he column of snow would smash the
of houses along the way. a
arge crew OF section men is therefore
.ept busy shoveling snow from the
rack. In many narrow places, and
PARTICULARLY in the street of Burke the
now must be shoveled onto flat cars
md hauled away. Mr. Sanders says
hat almost 200 carloads of snow have
,een hauled out of the canyon his
winter. and the end is not vet