Bill,
I've not read anything directly related to justification for removal of the
fourth main. I believe the onset of the depression took most by complete
suprise as projections were for continued prosperous times and increasing
business. In reading a couple sources it becomes clear the company was
cutting expenses whereever possible in response to the unprecedented drop in
carloadings. Jobs were eliminated,trains dropped,lines abandoned.The unions
even agreed to a 10% pay cut on the Q in an effort to save jobs.
Leo Phillipp
While I now realize that my earlier comments were obviously
incorrect, yours and those of Leo Phillips quoting from Overton's
Burlington Route of 1965 raises another question. The installation of
the fourth main in the late '20s completed in 1930, had to be a
relatively expensive modification, particularly with the line
adjustments that you describe. My guess is that a construction job of
that magnitude in 1920s dollars might have been $5 to $10 million
dollars. To tear it out a mere 4 years later suggests a significant
corporate blunder. The removal cost and associated modifications
would have been fairly expensive in a time period of very tight
corporate dollars. I wonder if anyone can shed more light, at this
late date, on the decision process that initiated the construction
and the later decision process that determined that it was economical
to remove the track. Certainly, the installation did not pay for
itself in those few years of service.
I assume that there was a business case developed to justify the
original construction expenditure. What possible savings drove the
decision to remove the track? I suppose that maintenance costs were
one, but new track structure with the lighter loads of the Depression
should have required very little maintenance. Tax reduction might
have been another savings. It certainly appears that a mistake was
being corrected, but why was the RR in such a hurry to get it done.
It seems to me that there is more to this story that would be of
interest. Of course, this isn't the only corporate mistake made by
the Hill Lines. There was a hump yard built at Minot, ND, I believe,
that was never used for it's intended purpose. More recently, there
was the reconstruction of Galesburg Yard in the '80s that also was
never fully utilized as intended.
BTW, thanks for the excellent description of the work done to create
the fourth main.
Bill Barber
Gravois Mills, MO
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