Evening star., 1932-08-07
RAIL. EQUIPMENT
SHOWSLOAN NEEDS
Proposals for Lending Money
Spring Naturally From
Reports on Condition.
BY BRADLEY w. TRENT.


NEW YORK, August 6.-Proposals
for lending money to the railroads for
equipment repairs aHd maintenance
work, in the hope that this activity will
have a cumulative stimulating effect on
business. spring naturally from the re-
ports available on the condition of
equipment.
Against these proposals, the railroads
that are unwilling to burden themselves
further with debt can point to circum-
stances that nullify to some extent the
cold figures on percentages of cars I'd
engines in need of repair.
AS of June 1, 15.5 per cent of the To-
comotives on lines of the United States
railways were awaiting repairs, COM
pared with 1913 per cent a year ago
Some roads had more than a quarter
of their locomotives in this condition.
among them the New York Central
(34.4 per cent?, Chicago, Indianapolis 6
Louisville 1902 per cent?, Pittsburgh &
Lake Erie (33), Chicago g. Eastern Illi-
nois t239), Lehigh Valley (254. and
Missouri-kansas-Tex t25.2)- Freight
locomotives waiting for repairs were 17z
per cent of the total for that group
passenger locomotives, ISL per cent. anC
switching locomotives, 1927 per cent.
ToWeT NOT hequHCI.
On the other hand, there were II ,38s
locomotives in Serviceable condition in
storage out of 44,227 serviceable loco
motives. 1t is found too that only about
so per cent of the power of locomotives
in use is being required at the present
rate of traffic, so that a heavy increase
in freight movement could be accom-
modated without much increase in To-
comotiveS.
Traction IS more of a problem thar
carrying capacity. The freight cal
equipment condition nevertheless pre-
sents a poor statistical picture. OF
June ! out of 2,141,231 freight cars or
line, 23O,82O, or 1913 per cent, were
undergoing or awaiting repairs. Tht
largest percentage in bad condition wa!
1873 per cent for stock cars. OF $685.
box, auto and furniture cars, 102,66I
were in bad condition; of 903 ,282 gon.
dola, coal and coke cars, 101, ,l54 o.
1l.2 per cent we're awaiting or under.
going repairs.
Here again, as in the case Of loco.
motives, there is ample opportunity fol
increasing load without increasing the
number of cars in service In 1881 the
average freight car handled 382 tor
miles of freight daily compared with
SAT In 1929.
Winter May Be Test.
In spite of the present surplus O.
tractive power and road capacity there
i no gainsaying the fact that the rail
roads could spend a considerable sum
upward of $5O,OO0OOO, in bringing
equipment back to standard condition
1t is altogether likely in fact that tht
reports on equipment condition may b.
understated; locomotives may be KEEP
on the run when in normal times the!
would be sent to the shops.
Severe Winter conditions would b.
the surest way to bring out the weak
ness in power equipment and if thi
Winter breaks the precedent Of recen
years, the rail carriers will want t
taEe every precaution against engin
breakdowns, not only because of tn
expense involved, but also because the.
believe that hard weather will Civ
them a welcome opportunity to com
pete with road trucking. For thes
reasons there will be some receptive
ears to the offers Of Reconstruction
Finance Corporation loans for equip
ment improvements.
(Copyright, 1920