Evening journal., 1922-01-17
Orr Service Division

In February. 1917. there was estab-
iished at Washington by the rail-
roads the Commission on Car Serv-
ice, to represent the railroads In
working out problems OF car dis
tribution. This organization was
continued during Federal control OF
railroads and since the return Of
the railroads to private operation II
has been known as the Car Service
Division Of the American Railway
Association.
Its functions have been an adjust
ment or balance OF car supply as be-
tween railroads. or territories.
Automatic Train Control Committee.
This committee Is engaged in in
vestigation and test installation Of
automatic train control devices.
Joint Committee on Fuel
Conservation.
This Committee is working entire
iy in the direction OF more economy
in the use OF fuel. The demand for
the work OF this committee very
clearly indicates that the railroads
realize its value as an addition TO
their own individual methods as to
ruel economy.
A few Illustrations OF the char
acter Of the work OF the association
IN the direction OF railroad econo-
miles is indicated in a few charac-
teristic examples,
Standardization Of Freight
Equipment Parts.
= ~. Al
, ical Division OF the Association is
in the line OF Standardization.
Through the efforts Of this division.
there has been brought about the
following reduction in car parts;
1882. 1921
Axles, different kind. 56 8
Journal Boxes different
kinds ............... So g
couplers, different Kinds 26 1
Brake Shoes, different
kinds ........4...
Brake Heads, different
kinds ............. ~
In nearly every part OF freight car
construction this same simplifcation
and Standardization has taken place
/ through their efforts. with a conse-
.quent economy both in the parts for
repairs as we'll as in the original
construction OF the car, and this pre-
] cess OF elimination is Naing contin-
ually developed
Freight Claim Prevention.
To illustrate what Is being accom-
/ plished, a statement showing the loss
and damage by years. from 1914 tc
1920, indicates a decrease OF about
~ per cent. over Septembsr. 1920
in the number OF claims presented
and also indicates a very large de-
crease in accumulated claims beinl
held for payment.
Miles Per Car Per Day.
This factor indicates unreliabllit,
OF statistics unless accompanied by
consideration OF all the facts In
| connection with the matter, and IL
likewise misleading. For example
II you take all the cars in the coun.
try and figure up the miles the,
made per day, including all surplus
cars, and all bad order cars, It woulS
indicate that the mileage per ca
day during the last twelve month";
ending September 80. 1921, was 23.
miles per car. the lowest OF an,
period, with one exception-191S
since a similar period in 1914. Whei
you deduct, however, the bad order
and the surplus cars for the sam
v period from the computation, yol
find that the actual cars in ser
vice in 1919 made 27.5 miles pc
day. in 1920, 26.0 miles per day, anS
in 1921. 2s.9 miles per day.
Loading Per Car.
Two measures OF efficiency are tn,
miles per car per day, and the ton,
per car-and the improvement. pos
sible therein, are subjects worthy o.
serious thought. OF course. they ar,
merely averages, and what results IN
the average does not always worl
out in individual cases.
But while the 2,334,495 freigh
cars, which, on November Is. 1921
comprised the total ownership
would at 2S.5 miles per car per da!
produce 4S.606.325 car miles O
service daily, that same service
could be produced by 2,239,2O9 car
operated at an average OF 24.5 mile
per day. In other words. the i'm
provement OF one mile per car pc
day Is the substantial equivalent O
an investment in 100000 freigh
cars and everything else necessar
to produce an efficiency mark O