San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-06
MOVEMENT Of
FREIGHT To Be
HEAVY IN 1924
Roads Must Break All Rec.
ords to Pay for New
Equipment.
mo CAR SHORTAGE
Railways, However, Will
Require Many New
Types This Year.
BY j. c. RONLE

New York, April 9Th: railroads
of the country seem destined TO move
more freight this year than ever be-
fore. They will have TO do so in Or
Ger to pay for the new equipment now
going into commission snd ia prospect.
In the last month, taere have beea
numerous fires in the railroad centcrs
Of the country which have not needed
an appeal to the local fire depart
ments. The railroad companies have
been burning up thousands of freight
cars to recover the iron and steel cot
tanned in them.
Orders for new cars were OF tire
mcndous volume in 1923 and have
held up remarkably 50 far this year.
but they have not exceeded the num-
Der of requirements required. There
arc now in operation about 2,4O0.-
600 freight cars. Taking tie average
| life Of car as twenty years, the
country requires at least 10000 new
cars annually. The Increase in popu-
lation automatically requires an addi-
tional supply. 1t is extremely prob
able, therefore. that letween 10000
and 100000 new freight cars wiz be
ordered and built this year
| NuIllt Oh tut IOduS udNt
for their requirements. Others have
not. There is no car shortage in
prospect but many roads will require
additional cars of particular types.
Nearly 10000 cars have beer ordered
since January 1. IMPROVEMENT in
operating efficiency, increased car
mileage. increased car capacity, bet
ter loading and few bad order cars
will help the situation, but the indus
tries involved in the railroad equip
mcnt business are anticipating good
buying.
Outlook Is Good.
This attitude was expressed by Will
| liam ii. Woodin. president of the
American Car and Foundry company
who says the outlook FIR the industry
| is bright. There has been quite oft
OF business placed for the car equip
ment companies" he sad, "and it has
not been completed. | do not expect
the total orders for equipment to be
as big as last year, but we are look
ing forward to good business. Their
is a very, sound financial basis at pres
emit" ~ s,,V e.. .. s.-
The cost Of the new EQUIPMENT and
the freight to be moved to make ii pay
has been strikingly illustrated by G.
j. Mcdonald. superintendent of per-
ishamle freight Of the Southern Paci-
fic.
"a Pacific type loc,n.otiv. in 1916
he said. cost us S25 ,5S4. 1t would
take gross earnings fvorn hauling w
&C Roads Of fruit from trensno to chi
cago TO pay for It. .iow the engine
costs S64,244. and even at the in
creased freight rate, 154 carloads
would have TO be hauled to pay for
IL. We paid S13,124 for switch en-
gines nine years ago. the equivalent
OF the sum received for hauling 90
cars of cantaloupes from Brawley.
California to FL Paso. Now it would
be necessary to haul $50 carloads t.
earn the present cost of S36,623.
Ties Cost More.
! an 1915 we had 10 haul five car
loads of oranges from Los Angeles To
T., Paso to pay $1,000 Cor a box car.
The same car now costs S2oOO. flr
cross ties which We could buy. Tor so
cents then, cost S1.12 piece in 49,
making the total for tics for one ml'e
of track 1925 as compared Win
$l01S."
Increased activity IN the railway
signal industry has follower the order
of the Interstate Commerc. Commis-
sion requiring 40 of tac large carriers
to install train control devices.
at has been estimated that sucn
systems already ordered will cost the
railroads upwards Of S15U,OOO,OOO,.
George d. Morgan, vice president OF
the General Railway Signal Company,
said today. an all probability it wifi
be impossible for all Of the licensed
signal companies of the country TO
complete the vast amount OF work Or
dered by the commission within the
time prescribed. In tais event, it is
Anticipated that reasonable extern
SIGN Of time will be granted by the
commission, as was d,ne in the case
OF the installation of the automatic
ccupler and the air brake