Grand Trunk double tracking.

The double-tracking of the Grand Trunk Western Ry., or the G.T.R. Western division, between Port Huron and Chicago, 335 miles, is being proceeded with, and General Manager Reeve recently stated that 120 miles would be completed this year. Eighty-five miles are under contract, and an additional 18 miles is being done by the Co.'s own forces. This covers the line from Goodell's, mileage 12.78 from Port Huron, to Lapeer, mileage 45.59, or 32.81; from Belsay, mileage 60.52, to Durand, mileage 82.45, or 21.93 miles; from Granger, mileage 224.44, to Stillwell, mileage 255.14, or 30.70 miles; and from Ainsworth, mileage 290.12, to Thornton Jct., mileage 310.10, or 19.98 miles.

The contract work is generally light side earthwork without classification, while that being done by the Co.'s men is chiefly steam shovel work in grade reductions, one mile having about 125,000 cubic yards of excavation. There are in use two steam shovels, rapid unloaders and side levellers, with which appliances each shovel is moving about 48,000 cubic yards a month, without night or Sunday work. But little of the grading is completed, though work is being done on most of the sections east of Durand, and also on those further west, except through marshes, where wet weather has prevented work. Of the work being done by the Co. the grading is completed between Attica, mileage 38.47, and Lapeer, mileage 7.1, and 6 miles of track are laid. The grading is also completed by the Co.'s forces from Imlay City, mileage 33.77, 4 miles easterly and 3 miles of second track are laid. The grading east of Imlay City will be completed early in Aug. Under the terms of contract the grading, bridging and masonry east of Durand, the contractors for which are W. O. Johnson and Sons, Flint, Mich., is to be completed by Aug. 15; and that between Granger and Thornton Jct., the contractors for which are E. Phalen & Co., Valparaiso, Ind., by Sept. 1. The work is so far advanced by the contractors as to ensure its completion by the dates named.

The alignment is not changed materially, except for about 10 1/2 miles near Flint, Mich., mileage 65.51, where the line is diverted to the south 1 1/2 miles to avoid heavy grades, and reduces maximum curves from 4 degrees to 1 degree, also eliminating 170 degrees of curvature. All eastbound grades are reduced to a maximum of 21.12 per mile. On this part of the line there are some grades at present of 48 ft. per mile. Westbound grades are reduced to a maximum of 30 ft. per mile. On the diversion near Flint the eastbound grades are reduced from 48 ft. to 16 ft., and westbound from 70 ft. to 19 ft. per mile.

There are no heavy structures on this part of the line. Generally the bridges crossing streams are deck girders from 35 ft. to 70 ft. spans. There are through girders of 44 ft. and 81 ft. crossing the Pontiac, Oxford and Northern Ry. at Imlay City, and the Pere Marquette Rd., near Flint. Most of these girders were placed upon pile and trestle foundations, and are now being replaced with concrete piers and abutments, some of which are completed and the others are well under way. H. A. Woods is engineer in charge, with office at Detroit, Mich.

Railways: G.T.W.Rd.

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