The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-04-16
GREAT RAILWAY
TRADE FIELD IS
OPEN IN RUSSIA
u. S. Has Chance to Share
in Billions, Declares
Burlington Chief.

~ -
CHICAGO, April 16.-Job hungry
industry and labor in the United
States stand to share in the ex-
penditure of $500, 600. 900 on Rus
sian railway expansion and i'm
provements, If we go about it the
right way, Ralph Budd, president Of
the Burlington Lines, indicated to-
day.
One of Americas outstanding
railway authorities, Budd knows the
Russian situation first hand. He
recently made an inspection tour
of the country in connection with
technical advice to Soviet railways.
The foundations already are laid
for America to get much of this
business, if it is wanted.
European countries, however, are
after it and, thanks to normal trade
relations and credit facilities which
they maintain with the Soviet I'm
ion-and we do not--they may get
it-despite Russia's partiality to-
ward American machinery and
methods.
Vast Field Open
There are approximately $4,000
miles of railway in Russia" Budd
declared. I'm the United States
there are 25O,0O0 miles. Russia has
approximately 10000, 900 people,
compared with 1872, OO0, 900 in this
country. And her area is two and
one-half times as great as ours.
1T thus becomes apparent that
with o~ne-Seventh as much railroad
per capita, and one-twelfth as much
per square mile of territory, a great
deal of new railroad building is
necessary.
These comparisons are all the
more impressive when it is kept
in mind that there are compare
lively few miles of improved high
way and comparatively few motor
vehicles there, while we have 100000
miles of hard-surfaced highways
and $4,000, 900 vehicles operating
over them.
Use Smaller Units
Russian railways use much
smaller units than ours do. Their
freight cars are mostly four
wheeled, with an average capacity
of about thirteen tons, compared
with about forty-Six tons on our
railways. Their locomotives like
wise are much lighter than ours and
their gradients steeper-notwith-
standing theirs generally is a f1atter
country. Their gauge, too, is slight
ly wider.
"Such being the case, there is ex-
cellent opportunity to adopt the
railroad standards of this country
and handle long, heavy, trains, made
up of large locomotives and cars, on
easy grades and curves
ITO do this means strengthen
ing tracks, improving roadbeds, and
using heavier rails. 1t also means
purchasing, or building, new loco
motives and cars.
"a fair estimate of thus i'm
proving the $4,000 miles of existing
railroads, is $4,000, 0O0, 900. But it is
probably conservative to say that
another $4,000 miles of new railway
should be built as soon as
practicable.
Billions in Trade
With the necessary motive pow
er and equipment, this would mean
another 81, 900, 900 900, or a total of
SO, 500, 900, 900, if American standards
are followed.
But it is by no means the unani-
nous opinion of Russian railway Of
f1cials that American standards
should be adopted. Powerful for
eign competitors of American man
ufacturers are urging continental
standards, alleging this would be
cheaper, easier and quicker than
to change to the American.
Nevertheless, an initial order of
ten comparatively heavy and strict
ly modern freight locomotives was
placed last year with American To-
connective builders.