| January 1902, No. 47 | The Railway and Shipping World (Toronto) | Page 8, col. 2 |
Grand Trunk betterments, etc.
The Montréal general offices will not be ready for occupancy until spring, owing principally to delays in procuring material for the interior ornamental work. The following provisional location of the offices has been made:—
Ground Floor—General Auditor, express money order department, Manager's office, Canadian Express Co., and Paymaster and staffs.
First Floor—Treasurer, Divisional Freight Agent, freight claims and part of the staff of the General Auditor.
Second Floor—Second Vice-President and General Manager, board room, Solicitor, Freight Traffic Manager, General Freight Agent, Passenger Traffic Manager, General Passenger Agent and Comptroller.
Third Floor—Chief Engineer, Car Accountant, General Superintendent, Car Service Agent, telegraph and telephone. Fourth Floor—General Purchasing Agent, Insurance and Provident Society, Chief Medical Officer, stationary department, Express Auditor, assembly room.
Basement—Canadian Express Co., post office department, ventilating apparatus, and general storage accommodation.
Montréal elevator.—We are officially informed that the rumor to the effect that the Co. proposed to erect an elevator at Windmill point or some other convenient place in Montréal harbor, as mentioned in our last issue, is without foundation.
Middle Division Yards.—The proposed improvements of the yards at Bathurst st. and the Don, Toronto, have not yet taken definite shape. The Co. will have to reconstruct its yards at both places very soon, but no plans have been adopted. No further privileges for yard space in the Bathurst yards will be granted to merchants and shippers, until it is decided just how the tracks in the reconstructed yard will be laid.
The reconstruction of the yard at Sarnia has been completed, and that at Stuart street, Hamilton, has been finished with the exception of the engine house tracks.
Stratford tender shop.—Recent press reports state that the management is considering the building of a tender shop at Stratford, to be 220 by 120 ft., costing about $50,000. On Dec. 11 we were advised that no decision had been arrived at.
Point Edward elevator.—To replace the elevator recently burned there is being considered a new elevator of a total capacity of 1,500,000 bush. It will consist of a work house with square bins having a capacity of 500,000 bush., built entirely of steel, and will have steel storage tanks in the rear with a capacity of 1,000,000 bushels. The tanks will be connected with the workhouse by a complete system of belt conveyers. The workhouse will have two marine legs located in movable towers, and 4 shipping legs. The entire machinery will be operated by electricity. The elevator will be absolutely fireproof, no wood whatever will be used in its construction.
Southern division.—During the past fiscal year the following expenditures were made on this division, the Wabash Rd. paying its proportion on a wheelage basis:—
Stations, buildings, etc. $45,151.64 Additions to shops, roundhouses, etc. 7,225.80 Wood, water and coal stations, new and rebuilt 2,316.49 Iron bridges repaired, renewed and strengthened 41,902.91 Interlockers erected 9,411.96 Block signal system 1,700.08 $107,708.88 Detroit grade crossings.—Press reports say that an agreement has been reached between the city of Detroit and the Michigan Central, Grand Trunk, and Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railways, for the separation of the grades at 19 streets in that city during the next five years. The estimated expense of this improvement is $1,000,000, and is to be borne exclusively by the railway companies, which agree to spend $200,000 each year until the work is completed. The damage to adjacent property is taken care of the by the city. On Dec. 23, we were advised by a G.T.R. officer that the matter was in negotiation between the various interests, and that a definite decision as to the plan to be adopted had not been arrived at.
G.T. Western Ry.—The double tracking between Port Huron and Durand, Mich, 82.45 miles, including 10 1/2 miles of new single track line near Flint, to avoid heavy grades, is completed, and is being used by east-bound freight trains. The track is practically all laid and surfaced from Grangers, mileage 224.44 west of Port Huron, for 10 miles to Studebaker. From Ainsworth, mileage 290.12, to Thornton Jct., mileage 310.10, or 19.98 miles, the work is completed except the railway crossings at Maynard and Griffith, which had not been delivered Dec. 16. The double tracking is to be extended over the whole division to Chicago, 335 miles. (Dec. 1901, pg. 362.)
Central Vermont Ry.—During the past fiscal year 18.4 miles of new 80-lb. steel rail has been laid between Essex Jct. and North Duxbury on the main line; and the 72 and 75-lb. steel rail taken up has been relaid between Yantic and Orcutts on the Southern division. The roadway generally has been well maintained, and the track between White River Jct. and South Royalton (18.3 miles) has been retied and ballasted with gravel. Wherever new ties are laid in rebuilding and ballasting the track, the number of ties per miles is increased by 300. New steel bridges, replacing old wooden structures, have been put in at 24 points. A new steel bridge has been built over the White river at Hartford. This was the lightest bridge remaining on the line between St. John's and Windsor, and practically completes the extensive expenditures for bridge renewals, which have been made for that portion of the line during the past few years. The completion of this bridge will enable the Co. to operate heavy modern freight locomotives of large capacity through between St. John's and White River Jct.