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Show B.&R.G. Gives Annual Review The Denver & Rio Giande Wes-JSi-h Raihoadi with av network of '65u li.iies of steel highways blanketing blank-eting the vast intermountain area cf Colorado, Utah, . and -northern rim' Mexico, locks upon 1937 as a yea. cf progress and achievement, despite iasi quarter traffic decreases whica sharply reduced percentage gains' tuilt up earlier in the year. Oicss revenues will ; approximate 27,000,000, n increase of .about six per cent over last year but far under un-der the 22.27 per cent gain recorded, record-ed, du.i.'.ij 1937 carloaiJings of revenue rev-enue freight Bind volume of pas-seiiger pas-seiiger -bushiess. An imp.ovem.ent program involving involv-ing expenditure of more than $8,-t0t;,000 $8,-t0t;,000 was vigorously prosecu.ed du.ing 1937. "The. sole aim of the trustees is to improve the Rio Grande to the greatest extomt consistent con-sistent with its earning power, and o provide .. the , Intermountain West Vith a railroad matching in every partiular with the nation's leading carriers" was' the slateraient ef Wilson McCa'.thy and Henry Swan just. a. year ago when they announced approval of . the 1937 improvement budget by Federal Judge J. Foster. Symes, under whose jurisdiction the Ri; Grande is operating oper-ating pending reorganization. How veil this axbition has been realized real-ized is best deaionstraied by briefly lUir.irrizing the year's activities. Ip-.reased tiaffic and; the.improve-hc:" the.improve-hc:" t prog, ami, combined to ;main-l.'in ;main-l.'in Ri: Grande employment at a -iL.h level during 1937. Number of r- Icyes .'averaged 10.000. The pay-.1 if reached ; $16,000,000, ' highest jir.ee 1929. ' " For line changes', reduction of de ani curvature, ballasting.! ayi"; cf 82 miles cf new 112 pound ail. brid".os and buildings, approx-; approx-; n?teh- $5,000,000 was spent. Every 'tvJri.il . on the system shared in '"icso betterments. Lciigest mileage f new mil w:s laid on the Pueblo division between Denver and Pueb- : c, and between Canon City and Salida. Most extensive line chang- j es. including new track, we'e made ;n, trie Grand Junction division, between be-tween Glenwecd Springs and Grand Junction. Longest mileage of new roadway ballast, was placed -i the Salt Lake division, between -rvo and Midvale. Fir pi'-cnase cf new equipment "'2 9.")0.000 was apprp iated. First cf 15 new loco.notives 10 freight .nid 5 passenger was placed in service la e in December. Recognized Recog-nized as among the fastest and most powerful in use anywhere in the United States, these new leco-rr.ictives leco-rr.ictives will all be in service during dur-ing the first few mcnths cf 1938. New equipment purchased during 1937 also included 100 all-steel gen-dc.la gen-dc.la cars for handling coal. Majcr improvement to terminal facilities cccurred at G. and Junction, Junc-tion, central" terminal of the Rio Grande system. Additional trackage track-age and yard extensions were ne-cessita'ed ne-cessita'ed by increased t.afflc rout-ei rout-ei ever bcth the Roya; Gorge and ul:ffat Tunnel lines, j Rebuilding and modernization oi '.nairow gauge passenger equipment was the most significant change It. ade cn t'"e Alamosa division. Steri.n heated, elettric lighted, ves-tibuled ves-tibuled and a'.tractively lefurnished, the San Juan, operating between Alamr.sa and Durange, and the Shavano, operating between Salida and Gunnison, are the nation's finest narrow gauge trains. Equipped Equipp-ed with 110-volt electricity, these and the diesel-powered trains running run-ning between Denver and Chicago, are the enly trains in America on w'cich e'ect ic appliances may be used. The Rio Grande's narrow gJi'ge systex, cox-prising 725 miles in southwestern and central western wes-tern Colorado, is considered the mcc'el to. , narrow gauge operations ; he world over. During 1937 engin-!ce-s for the South African railway :ne' the Alaskan rjilway made ex-ts. ex-ts. ive studies of Rio Grande nar-I nar-I row, raur.e power and equipment. ' : '.. T-diU're cf an additional $1,-,"01,42 $1,-,"01,42 for new rail, roadway ma- Vrr.3 shop machinery and tools, . a;. : '. io ized late in October. Of ; ai:::; $1 215 527 WJS' spen' .- liJl: y? :s tens oi" 131 pound ."".I o ' 11 502 gross tons of 112 . .ail. -Tnis rail has all been .s'AsC -17 the Colorado Fuel & Iron C . poraticn and mcst of it has ..c-n a o ribvtsd. Longest stretches ; . toat t- be re'.rid are 17.83 miles ! '.jf-.vten ..c'ali3 and Paime.- L-aks, : Co. ado, and 22.98-.imil.es between ! I.; .- p:ra an?, Greeii River, Utah. Also ins'uded in the Ootote.- ir,-pri.ve.re-nt s-hedule vos $312 642 for s eel truck frames to replace j.cld style arch bar trucks on 1579 -eii.it ca s. hen shop machinery and tocls Sx. use in Rio Grande hops at Burn r am, Salt Lake City, '?uell: and Grand Junction called i'or expenditure of $263,989. Thus briefly reviewed, R;,o G and o...--ii ies lor 1937 pointedly - show hit p.rs'pcrity for its territory t -upe-nd-s, 'tn -na; little .-extent 'on rail--. -bad: pr.cspa ity. .Well over .25 imil-icn. imil-icn. Gona.s have been. -spent thru-u'-. dcaal teriitory during the past ca l.r. wages, taxes, . and direct p'jiXlia'sei .f -,-laterial aed ihel. To-' .a! Rio Grande expenditures so really equal .total income that ' ;rsnlc- c'.ec eases and increased o-:sts cf railroad r.peration. beer-Tie I a mattjr ri general concern, lending L;dded significance to testimony csented.by Vilson McCarthy on bp'oair cf the. Ric Grande at the I Interstate - Commerce Commission ihea'.:'--; on-' application of the railroads rail-roads for a Hat increase of 15 pev' oen' in freight rates. . . Stating that higher transporta- ticri costs, together with decline in avt ae ievtnue per traffic unit re-solai;' re-solai;' i'rem lowered rates, have li-i.-wed aj.nos. to the vanishing point the .aoargin between revenues a;ri txpoiases, Air. McCarthy called alioni-or.' to the increased costs L ,-Ught about by recent legislation suca as-the : Social Secuxi'.y and railroad ii.otirt..rjont Acts, by wage i 'ncrf ases. a.r.d ty increases in state taxes. "In 1938", he said, "the Denver an?,- Bio Grande Western 'i.c-i the l-ucwlns eost-.inceases: i, ;.al Scon K.y Ace taxes $133,300; Ir-jiUL'oaj KeiinT.cn1 Act tu.es ; -:3,3C0; ivose in... eases $970,000; and Co-oi;cl; state taxes 52d0,Ii00. I As this rail.oad h:s been in default i .i; c...;Ja L .u J interest obligatirn .sir.oe August 1, 133 i, the effect upan i lJ ..oity cf this increase cf il- ais . i naili-a d. Hals-in cost, is .Vl-us." "LiKO-.iain but hopeful." Mr. ! o-i-C-.'r'.'ay rcioried to the r.ew Syerr. "The Ex. G andc enters !'.!3S cats -mired t: p: ogress, to re-I re-I double efforts for increased tr:f-Iji tr:f-Iji to .vin p. v'.ixi f:rce in. con-I con-I tinue-d develcpxer-t cf i s terri- I1--' . |