The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-03-21
In Four Years, Ford Has Double Tracked Railroad,
Dispatches Trains by Wireless and Shows Profit
Engines Are NiCkeI-PIated-
Hopes to EIeCtrify Whole
System,

BIZ NEA Scrric.
DETROIT, Mich. March i'm
the less than four years Henry
Ford has run the Detroit, Toledo &
Ironton Railroad, he has
l. Converted a net operating loss
of more than $4,000. 600 in 1920 to
net operating profit in 1923 cS ST.
7S6,924.
2. Distributed dividends last
month at an annual rate of II per
cent, TO employees and other invest
ors. for the first time in the rail-
roads history.
3. Installed a wireless dispatching
service along the line, which in
few months is expected to handle
1000 messages in an average eight
hour day.
/. Decreased the amount of per-
sonal injury claims more than half
and employees casualties to one last
year.
3. More than doubled the volume
of traffic over the entire road.
Ford spent and is continuing to
spend millions Of dollars in his ef-
forts to make the D.. T. & I. the
most efficient short line in the coun-
try.
He has cleaned up the entire sys-
tenn of 455 miles from Detroit to
Ironton, Ohio, modernized the road
bed. rebuilding the structures con
nected with the road, making short
cuts. building new bridges, renewing
aid polishing up the locomotives and
adding thousands of freight cars
and other new equipment.
Raises Pay
Ford is encouraging his employees
to invest in the road-and it's a pay
ing proposition.
He has stopped operation on Sum
days.
He has nickel plated the locono-
tives and furnished comfortable
seats for the engineers.
He is open to all sorts of sugges-
lions from his help.
He has raised pay and lowered
freight rates.
Ford runs his road on the open
shop plan, although most Of the
trained workers are members OF
the railroad brotherhoods. lie pays
his men considerably highey than
the scale, hit they are compelled to
work out their allotted days time
regardless Of what their regular as
signment might be. say railroad
brotherhood officials.
when the D., T. & l. Railroad
was taken over" comments e. @.
Liebold, Ford's secretary and mem
Der of the roads board of directors.
1t was a discouraging financial
prospect, and had behind it no less
than twenty-six unsuccessful re-
organizations"
Ford has two pet dreams, one Of
which has already begun to ma
terialize. They are:
1. Double tracking
2. ElectTifcation.
Double Tracking Line
The entire road was single track
when Ford bought it in July, 1920.
Now he has q double line running
between bis River Rouge plant. just
outside Detroit. and Flat Rock,
Mich, 1876 miles farther south It
was the first short cut he had made
on the road, eliminating consider
able switching of cars from one
road to another and producing
faster service.
On this same stretch Of road,
Ford plans to experiment with
electric locomotives. Generators are
already being built in the River
Rouge plant. The water power Is
ready at Flat Rock. All he needs
are the electric locomotives and the
power lines. These he expects to
have installed by May. according TO
latest plans.
Whether Ford will go through
with both these dreams, for the en-
tire system, is a question no one
here would essay to answer Every
one shakes his head obviously.
And Ford remains silent