Evening star., 1951-02-07
Rail Jam Tight
In Most Of U. 5,
But Eases Here
Service Near Normal
At Union Station;
Emburgoes Stoy


tight grip on vital transportation
and continued to tie industry's
hands today despite improved con-
ditions in some sections of the
country.
There still was no evidence that
trainmen were returning in suffi-
cient number everywhere to dis
solve freight jams in principal
rail centers.
Still caught in the middle were
more than 250,000 industrial
workers laid off because of mate
rial shortages and distribution
problems. The mails still were
hobbled by a Nation wide embargo
and many freight embargoes re-
mained in effect.
A spokesman for the carriers
noted some improvement here
and there, but not enough to say
a back-to-work movement is
really on"
"As long as Chicago, st. Louis
and Pittsburgh remain tied up
there can be no real resumption
of service" he said.
Union Station Near Normal.
At Union Station, service rapid
ly> approached normalcy for the
first time since yardmen began
catching a sickness" January 80
which eventually spread to 10000
of them.
With the restoration of IL trains
to the West and sleeper service to
Harrisburg. Pa. and the West, the
Pennsylvania Railroad had all
its major Washington n-connected
trains in motion again.
Normal service also was restored
on all New ork-Florida trains via
the Atlantic Coast Line and the
Seaboard, while the Southern's
service from New York to Atlanta
and New Orleans was partially re-
stored.
Complete service was resumed
over the Chesapeake & Ohio be-
tween New York and Louisville
and New York and Lexington. The
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Po-
tomac has restored sleeping car
service from New York and Phila-
delphia to Richmond and Nor
folk.
More Express Moving.
Another stride toward normal
conditions was made by the Rail-
way Express Agency, which lifted
part of its embargo imposed last
week.
The Washington Office began
accepting shipments served by
the Chesapeake g. Ohio and Nor
folk & Western Railways in these
Southern States: Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
Florida. Alabama, Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi. Tennessee, Kentucky and
West Virginia.
The express agency also lifted
its restrictions between New York
City and New England points and
between New York City and New
Jersey points.
c. L. Daniel, superintendent of
the Washington Office, said about
80 of the 800 furloughed employees
have returned to work here, and
more will be called as needed.
Eastern Situation Easier.
AS the situation continued to i'm
prove in the East, freight en-
bargoes were lifted at New York,
Trenton, N. j., Philadelphia and
Buffalo, N. Y. But movement was
slight in the gateway yards at
Chicago and st. Louis, through
which most of the East West
freight moves, and there were tie
ups at such points as Cincinnati,
Toledo and Cleveland.
SWitchmen were returning at
Minneapolis and st. Paul, one of
the earlier bottlenecks. Switching
service there was virtually normal.
But reports from other places
such as Pittsburgh were not so
encouraging. There the Pitts
burgh and West Virginia Railroad,
a key coal carrier, clamped total
embargo on shipments when calls
for 118 men produced none.
A check of 18 railroads in
Chicago showed no switchmen on
the job for eight of them, and
only partial forces working for the
others.
The partial return of workers
did little to relieve the shutdown of