The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1923-11-02
G.N. Is FULLY PRE-
PARED FOR RECORD
FREIGHT MOVEMENT
Thousands of New Cars, 100 New LO-
comOtives and Enlargement of Ter
minal Facilities for Adequate Hand
ling of Harvest Time Flow of Ship
mentS.

St. Paul, October 29.-PreparatiOns
for handling a recOrd-brealdng vol
ume of freight traffic this fall have
been completed by the Great Northern
Railway, the exceptional expansion of
facilities assuring adequate service,
during the busiest season of the year,
to the large section of the Northwest
served by the Hill lines, it was dis
closed in a statement by executives
here. Additions and betterments to
road terminals, motive power and
equipment, which have so greatly in
creased the freight handling capacity
and operation efficiency of the trans
continental system, resulted from the
completion of a $3O,0O0,00O improve
ment program this year, it was en-
phasiZed.
The program included new double
track, automatic block signals, new
and larger terminal yards, laying of
heavier rail and the purchase of large,
new freight and passenger locomotives
and new cars. This year, the Great
Northern is prepared to handle larg-
er traffic than ever before, officials
said, car and locomotive supplies be-
ing larger and this equipment being
in exceptionally good condition, in
fact in better condition than at any
time since the beginning of Federal
control in 1917.
Among the many improvements
made through maintenance of way
work are the laying of 2,250,00O cross
ties, the replacement of $4,000 tons of
! Eghter-rail and the placing of 100000
cubic yards of ballasting. Mantle
nance of equipment included the re-
building of 5000 freight cars, the re-
building of twenty-five locomotives
and rebuilding into all-steel cars of
!, thirty diners and ten passenger and
baggage cars.
Expenditure of large sums was re-
quired for the elimination of grade
crossings, new bridges and threstles,
telegraph and telephone facilities, au-
tomato block signals, additional main
and yard tracks, freight and passen-
ger stations, fuel and water stations
engine terminals, and coal and ore
/ docks Freight equipment purchased
included 1000 box, 1900 ore and SOC
automobile cars. In addition to freight
cars rebuilt, extensive repairs were
made to several thousand other cars.
This S30,O00,000 program was car
ried out in the face of poor earnings
such expenditure being justified only
by the needs of patrons in Grea
Northern territory and by confidence
in the ultimate return of prosperity t.
the fertile fields of the Northwest
officials pointed out.
"The Great Northern is prepares
adequately for an exceptionally bus
season." said Chairman Louis w. Hill
of the board of directors. "The terri
/, tory served by the Great Norther
2 Railway harvests its crops and ship
, to market its heaviest load in the ia
t and this peak burden has been in min
Y as preparations to handle it eficientl
n have been made"
r This year the Great Northern
t prepared to handle a larger trait
T than ever before. 1t has purchase
e nearly one hundred large, new loco
motives of the most modern type, {
t well as 1000 new freight cars.
e has built new track and improved OLE
7, it is equipped to do the peoples wOl
e well. A supply of cars is one of tt
e important factors in such preparatio
d The Great Northern not only owl
ample equipment for the crop movir