The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-03-23
Extensive Postwar Expansion
 Program Planned By Railroads
By S. BURTON HEATH NEA Stan Correspondent

Washington, March 23.-Amer- ican railroads expect tS spend some sS50, 900, 900 in each of the first five post-war years for new locomotives, freight and passenger cars - to- tai of close to two billion dollars. For this they hope to get about 635 new locomotives, 350,000 new freight cars and more than 5000 new pas senger cars.
 Comparing the new rolling stock program with existing equipment, 1t appears that about one out of seven locomotives will be replaced. one out of five freight cars and perhaps one out of four passenger train cars. At the same time, when demand lessens, the more obsolete cars now forced into service pre- sumably will be retired and inter- mediate cars will be modernized.
 New passenger equipment will be air-conditioned, with split-seats in coaches and luxury equipment that is tops.
 Contrary to the fears of many, the roads have been able to main tain both rail lines and equipment fully, 50 far as safety is concerned, letting maintenance deferment fall upon comfort, speed and aesthetics.
 MAINTENANCE IMPORTANT The $500, 100000 of accumulated right of way maintenance. for ex- ample, big as 1t looks, represents only four per cent of the normal maintenance expenditures over the past three war years. There are two types of railroad maintenance-cur- rent, for safety, and long-range, for efficiency and economy.
 Equipment is checked carefully and continually for safety, but whole classes of vehicles no longer are sent automatically to the shops, at certain intervals, for thorough overhaul. This probably will mean that their lifetime will be shortened, but 1t does not mean that they are less safe for day-by-day use.
 In ordinary times substantial proportion of the roads rolling stock is not in active use at any given time. Some is undergoing cur rent repair, some long range repair, and some has been laid off for dis card but not yet actually broken up and written off Also great deal is on standingby duty so that, if heavy traffic or equipment break down requires, a new locomotive or car can be substituted without de- lay.
 Of 1881 ,O0O freight cars owned by the roads in 1889 there never were less than 165,0 900 of them in the shop or awaiting repair, and at times the number rose to 239,- 900. In addition, there were from 64,00O to as many as 265 ,000
 surplus" cars. some just not needed but others on standby service lying idle at all times.
 SHORTAGE OF CARS
 Last year there never were more than 55,000 cars on the repair list, and the Surplus" ran from 82,000 down to under 14,000. With a sur- plus of less than 25,000 to 3O,o00 cars there actually is shortage - that is, there aren't enough cars in reserve to get them to where they are needed.
 A similar picture could be drawn of the passenger car and the locomotive situations and, for that matter, of personnel. By bring ing into use every vehicle and every power plant capable of safe opera tion; by reconditioning obsolete, in- efficient but usable equipment; by making only immediately necessary repairs, even though deferment of overhauling means eventual shorter life and therefore financial loss; by cutting reserves to a minimum; the roads were able to carry their war load without new equipment that cannot be had. This intensive use of equipment explains some of the delays to which both travellers and shippers are subject.
 The almost two billion dollars that the roads will put into rolling stock after the war will provide clean, comfortable, efficient coaches, pullman cars and locomotives. Even commuter trains will become com fortable.
 Increased safety, after the war, will come chiefly from elimination of present track congestion and from return to service of the thor oughly seasoned man now in uni form or in war industries, plus additional seasoning of thousands of new men now doing the best they can under difficulties