Smyrna times., 1931-02-11
P. r.. r. LAUNCHING PROGRAM
Expenditure Estimated at About
$4,000 to Be Spent This Year

present launching its New Years
program of improvements, among
which is the betterment and en-
largement of its freight and pas
senger steamer facilities for its
fleet of boats plying between Cape
Charles, Little Creek and Norfolk.
This should be of immense inter
est to the travelling public and
business interests throughout the
Delmarva peninsula. At the pres
ent time attention is being directed
to the increasing passenger traffic
via automobiles through this gate
way to the south. Since the COM
pletion of that part of the Allan
tic Coastal Highway to Cape
Charles, this traffic has been in
creasing by leaps and bounds. Dur
ing 1925, the railroad carried A.,
COZ automobiles on it's boats across
the Chesapeake Bay, and by 1928
this figure had jumped to over 10,-
900. In 1929, it was within 100
of touching the $4,000 mark; and,
when the figures are completed for
1880, they will be well in excess of
$4,000. In anticipation of this
years traffic, the Pennsylvania
Railroad is starting the actual
construction work to double the
automobile carrying capacity of
their two steamers, the "Pennsyl-
vania" and the Maryland" When
the Virginia Lee" was placed in
service in the Fall of 1928, the IA
cilities for handling this special
traffic were materially increased,
but that increase has been entirely
absorbed. Doubling the capacity
of the Pennsylvania will enable
it to carry SO automobiles. To fit
up the Maryland" will enable it
to carry SO automobiles. To fit up
4 the Maryland" similarly will
bring its capacity up to 35 cars.
The Virginia Lee has a capacity
for about so average size automo-
biles. This work will entail an ex-
penditure which is estimated at
about $7O,O0O.OO, and it is sched-
uled on this years program. In
addition to this, the method of
handling automobiles will be i'm
proved by relocating the fore and
aft gangways of the Virginia
Lee" and the change in the docks
at Norfolk and Cape Charles, with
a view to reducing the amount of
time and labor necessary in get
ting cars on and off the steamers.
This in itself will entail an expen-
diture of about $15,000.00. A lit
tie more than two months ago, the
Pennsylvania Railroad made a re-
vision in their charges for this ser
vice across the Bay, cutting the
price for the heaviest cars practi-
cally in half. For vehicles weigh
ing up to 5000 pounds, the charge
now is $500 as compared with
$4.73. Those weighing between
5000 and 1000 pounds carry rate
of $4.25 as compared with 1926,
while vehicles weighing over 4,000
pounds are now charged $3.50 for
the trip as compared with the
former rate of S11.OO. When this
reduction in rates was made, they
fully anticipated an increase in
business. These hopes have been
realized, as this automobile traffic
has increased practically fifty per
cent from October 10th to the mid
die of December. 1t is believed
that 1881 will show that this par
ticular kind of business will far
surpass anything previously re-
corded. Last July, special provi-
sion was made for the transporta-
tion of automobile trucks between
Cape Charles and the Little Creek
terminal on the Norfolk side. One
of the railroads huge freight
bargest was remodeled for this
special purpose and they are now
equipped to handle with ease the
largest automobile trucks permits
sible on the public highways. The
run across the Bay is made in
slightly over three hours, on a
schedule of two round trips a day.
Less-than-carload freight from
Norfolk for points on the Delmar-
va peninsula is now handled regu-
larly through an arrangement be-
tween the Pennsylvania Railroad
and the Merchants Trucking Com
pany. This delivery leaves Little
Creek every evening on the 500
o'clock float, returning next day
on the 800 o'clock trip from Cape
Charles. With the completion of
these betterments, the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad will be in a position
to anticipate well in advance all of