Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1927-01-20
TREMENDOUS PROGRESS
BY SOUTHERN RAILWAY

traffic capacity and to promote OPP
Grating efficiency in handling the
growing business of the South.
On seven lines aggregating APP
proximately 1000 miles of road,
structures have been strengthened
to permit the use of heavier and more
powerful locomotives, new passing
tracks have been laid and existing
passing tracks heightened to accom-
modate longer freight trains. Elec-
trio automatic signals and telephone
dispatching lines have been installed
on number of busy lines, the laying
of heavier rail has been continued,
substantial additions have been made
to motive power and rolling stock,
and improvements have been made
both in freight and passenger SER
vice. The lines strengthened for the
use of heavier power were: Chatta-
nooga to Macon via Atlanta, Bristol
to Chattanooga, Chattanooga to Mem
phis, Richmond to Danville, Winston
Salem to Charlotte, Selma to Suggs-
vile, Ala, Parrish to Sheffield, Ala.
On the line between Chattanooga and
Macon, SO bridges were renewed, all
open deck timber trestles being elm
mated.
While the work done on the other
lines was not so extensive as that re-
quired between Chattanooga and Ma
con, the same purpose of making it
possible to handle heavier traffic was
on all. The improve
ments between Winston-Salem and
Charlotte give an alternate line OF
heavy capacity between Greensboro
and Charlotte; those between Selma
and Suggsvillie increase train capac-
ity between Greensboro and Char
lotte; those between Selma and
increase train capacity be-
tween Selma and the port of Mobile.
On the line of the Georgia South
ern and Florida railway, extending
from Macon to Jacksonville and from
Valdosta to Palatka, passing tracks
were heightened and progress made
on a program for laying the entire
line with heavier rail.
Important additions to terminal IA
cilities at Chattanooga, Tenn, were
made by the construction OF a new
yard, giving capacity
for 1905 additional cars, and mod
ern engine terminal including 3D.
stall, reinforced concrete roundhouse,
mechanical coa}ing plant, and auxll-
larry buildings and facilities. AT the
end of the year the yard was COM
plete and the engine terminal nearly
so.
These improvements enable the
Southern to concentrate in one yard
operations which formerly were con-
Quoted in several small yards.
During the past two years the
Southern has made rapid progress in |
equipping its lines with automatic
electric block signals and with tele-
phone circuits for dispatching trains.
signals have been installed
on the lines between Asheville, N. o.,
and Morristown, Tenn, and between
Atlanta and Macon, and are under
between Chattanooga and
Atlanta, between Macon and Jack
and on two sections of the
line between Meridian, Miss, and
New Orleans. When work now under
way is completed, the Southern Will
have electric signal protection on its
entire lines between Washington and
New Orleans, via Atlanta and BIZ
mingham, 11GO miles; between Gin
cinnati and New Orleans, 1886 miles;
and between Cincinnati and Jackson
Vile, $40 miles.
Telephone dispatching hnes have
recently been completed between
Salisbury, N. c., and Knoxville
Tenn, via Asheville; between Spar
hamburg. S. c., and Asheville; be-
,ween Chattanooga and Macon, via
Atlanta; and between Meridian, MISS
and New Orleans, 202 miles. The
Southern now has a telephone sys-
,em. covering 1886 miles of road.
Equipment purchases of the South
,rn made in March included ll3 To-
,omotives, 55 all-steel passenger cars
800 box cars, 1000 hopper coal cars
$50 ballast cars, and 1000 steel un-
lerframes to be applied to cars IN
he Southerns shops. The locomo-
ives purchaser included % OF the
,eavv Pacific type for passenger SER
,ice. 81 Mikado, 10 Consultations
md MaHets for freight service ana
p heavy switchers. The passenger
rain equipment included 80 coaches'
s baggage-express cars, = baggage
nail cars, and four full postal cars.
Early in 1926, the Southern made
notable addition to its passenger
ervice through the establishment OF
he "Queen and Crescent Limited, an
de luxe train, running be-
ween Cincinnati and New Orleans
With through sleeping cars TO ana
rom Detroit and Cleveland. Inc
ouipment on this train IS similar to
hat used in the "Cresent Limited
mining between New York and New
orleans.
The establishment of special sche-