The border vidette., 1923-05-26
NoGALEs TO MEXICO CITY.
Southern Pacific of Mexico Rushing
Work on Tepic-Quamada Gap.


Work on Tepic-Quamada Gap.
Construction by the Southern
Pacific Railroad Company Of
Mexico of a line from Topic to
La Quemada, now under way. is
being watched with great inter
est by people of the western part
of the United States, as the new
line bridges the 100 mile gap in
the West Coast railroad line
from Nogales to Mexico City.
When completed this route
formed by the Southern Pacific
of Mexico and the National Rail
ways will form a new and direct
Pacific Coast trade route into
the southern republic.
In addition to the work of con-
structing the Tepic La Quemada
line, the Southern Pacific of
Mexico will also rebuild the To
nichi and Alamos branches.
Ground was broken March 5,
1923 for the new construction on
the last gap in the West Coast
line, President Ooregon Of Mex
leo turning the first earth with a
silver spade presented to him by
H. B. Titcomb, president Of the
Southern Pacific of Mexico The
gap, now to be bridged. extends
from Topic, the present terminus
of the Southern Pacific of Mex
leo to La Quemada. The South
ern Pacific of Mexico already
has a short line constructed from
La Quemada to Grendain where
the line connects with the Ma
tional Railways line to Mexico
City.
LOW MAXIMUM GRADE
One of the main values of the
new construction work is that
the West Coast route, when CON-
pleted, will materially cut the
time between the Pacific Coast
and Mexico City, since the West
Coast route is one of very slight
grades while the eastern route
is mountainous one.
According to President Tit
comb of the Southern Pacific of
Mexico, the new line from Topic
to La Quemada, about 100 miles
in length. will have a maxlmum
grade of Is per cent, with no
curves greater than six degrees,
metric, which will make a safe
and high speed line. The pre-.
sent line from Nogales to Topic,
a distance of 910 miles, has "a
miles of "a per cent grade. 5
miles of 2 per cent grade, Z miles
of i to 1.9 per cent grade, 30
miles of per cent grade, and
balance of 844 miles does notex
ceed maximum grade of s. per
cent. This probably equals if
not exceeds any other piece of
original construction on this con
tinent in point of low maximum
grade.
This railroad gap from La
Quemada to Topic involves many
difficulties" said President Tit
comb at the ground breaking
ceremonies, but the work will
be prosecuted with all possible
haste and completed at an early
date. My written agreement
with your president is that the
road must be put in operation
within four years. [ predict that
my chief engineer. Mr.. Sloan,
will have the track ready and
trains operating into Guadala.
jara within three years. The
line from La Quemada contains
IS tunnels with a total length of
nine kilometers, and IS viaducts
with total length of two kilo.
meters"
The line will cost in the neigh
borhood of 2O,O0O,OOO pesos, of
which very large part will be
expended in the construction of
38 kilometers of line in the Bar.
ranca territory.
MEXICO'S PROSPECTS
President Obregon, in his
speech at the ground breaking
ceremonies at La Quemada, Pro
vince of Jalisco, spoke of the
difficulties encountered by capi
tai in Mexico during the revolu
tionary period and said that a
new era for Mexico had arrived
with bright prospects for future
prosperity Touching on this
point, be said:
"Capital invested in Mexico
suffered great losses during the
revolutionary period, and there
l. -.