Evening star., 1933-01-01
RAILROADS SLASH
NEW CONSTRUCTION
Abandonment of UnprofitabIe
Trackage Is Highest for
Any Normal Year.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, December 31.-Railroad
economies to offset decreased freight
and passenger traffic brought American
carriers to two new stations in 1892.
One on the graph of new conStruc-
tion, Samuel o. Dunn, editor of Rail
way Age, said today, was the point
representing the lowest total for any
year since the Civil War. The other
on the chart of trackage abandoned
placed the total for the steel lines at
the highest figure for any ordinary
railroad year.
In 1921" said Dunn. "the roads.
just returned to their owners from the
control of the Federal Railroad Admin
istration, began as quickly and COM
pletely as possible to get rid of un-
productive lines. This policy resulted
in the abandonment that year of
1.62638 miles of track, the all-time
record"
Built Only 1853 Miles.
In 1882, under more normal operating
conditions, so far as Government
operation was concerned, the Nations
roads abandoned 1,452.07 miles of track
and constructed but 163
Since 1918, according to Dunn, the
American railroads have been more
or less accustomed to track abandon
ment in excess of construction. but iii
no year-with the exception Of 1921
has the ratio between the two been so
far out Of line as in 1882.
The figures for tracks abandoned and
new mileage constructed since 1917
follow:
Lines abandoned-1s17, 942: 1918.
958.51: 1919, 636.92; 1920, 535.52; 1921,
1,626.38: 1922, 676.77; 1923, 512.e5;
1924, 692.6l; 1925, 60637; 1926, 457;
1927, 28l.97; 1928, 512.36; 1929, 475.38;
1880. 694.17; 1881. 79468; 1882, 1,452.0T.
Total, 11,85566.
New lines constructed-1917, 979:
1918, 721; 1919, 686: 1920. 3l4: 1921.
ATS. 1922, 324; 1923, 427. 1924, 579;
1925, ga 1926. 1,005; 1927, T79: 1923,
1.c25; 1929, 666; 1880, SIS; 1881, 748;
1882, 163. Total, .10,048.
Competition Is Cited.
survey of Dunns publication dis
closed three leading causes for the high
total of trackage abandoned in 1882
First was placed competition from bus.
trucks and other transport services;
second decline of industries served,
and, third, the fact that some of the
lines abandoned represented weak
sisters" in the railroad family These
latter. Dunn said-many of them
farmer built were roads never too
profitable in prosperous times which
could not weather any decided drop in
business
Tracks to logging and mining camps.
Dunn said. figured largely in abandoned
list for 1882 Several companies found
the mines ard lumber camps they had
served no longer active. Obsolescence
was responsible for tearing up other
trackage. Replacement even at the
lower figures now prevailing for rail-
road supplies being deemed improbable.
Three railroads abandoned their
entire trackage. They were small COM
panies-the Minneapolis and Rainy
River in the Minnesota lake country, So
miles; the Washington and Lincolnton
Railroad in Georgia, 20 miles. and the
Marion and Rye Valley. 25 miles, in
Western Virginia Competition was
given as the reason for abandoning a
total Of 80 miles of tracks by the New
York Central and Michigan Central in
Michigan.
One Major Project.
Much Of the new construction of 1892
was in the nature of small connecting
tracks, but contracts for one important
project were let by the Denver & Rio
Grande Western. That was the So
called "Dotsero cut off, to save time
between Denver, Colo, and Salt Lake
City. Utah. The construction includes
about 80 miles of track between
Dotsero and Orestod, both in Colorado
With general railroad construction
at the most marked decrease for any
year since 1902. the SITS, 100000 pro-
gram of the Pennsylvania Railroad
stood out in decided contrast. The
Baltimore Improvements of this program
which will cost $30000,000 are just
being started The New York Central
despite adverse conditions of 1882 main
tanned an approximate schedule on its
S175,000,000 West Side New York City
grade separation and improvement
program started four years ago. 1t is
expected the New York Central con-
struction will require about two years
TO complete.
Despite the showing Of these two
strong Eastern roads, the country's
lines will carry over into 1888 drasti-
caily reduced schedule of general con-
struction from previous years, the
magazines surr:y indicated.