May 1953 page 18

ready to combat floods, washouts,
blizzards, tornadoes, hurricanes, earth-
quakes or other sudden visitations and
act quickly to restore tracks to safe
working condition.

The railway officer specifically charg-
ed with the responsibility of keeping
the roadway in good condition is the
engineer maintenance of way. Under
his direction are assistant engineers,
division engineers and roadmasters.
Under each roadmaster are track su-
pervisors, and under each supervisor
are section foremen, each in charge of
the maintenance of a certain section
of the road. In addition, there are
groups of workmen trained and equip-
ped to perform specialized types of
work, such as laying new rail, welding
rail, renewing ties, repairing and re-
newing bridges and buildings, painting,
ballasting, and so on.

High cost of roadway

The work of maintaining roadway
and structures engages the time of
about one person in five employed by
the railroads. Materials, supplies, and
labor required for the work involve
expenditures equaling about 18 per
cent of total railway operating expens-
es. Last year the Class I railroads of
the United States spent $1,519,000,000
for the maintenance of way and
structures and some $383,000,000
additional for improvement to roadway
and other fixed property.

In earlier years most of the mainte-
nance work was performed by men
with picks, shovels, sledge hammers,
spike mauls, crowbars and other hand
tools; today scores of ingenious me-
chanical devises ranging from electric
drills to huge track-laying machines
and bulldozers perform much of the
back-breaking labor. These machines
help reduce the cost of maintenance
and increase efficiency of roadway
forces.

Rail oddities

[sketch of "feeler" car going through tunnel]
TO MAKE SURE THAT OVERSIZE FREIGHT
SHIPMENTS WILL CLEAR TUNNELS, SIDE
WALLS, OVERHEAD BRIDGE, ETC., RAILROADS
HAVE SPECIAL CARS EQUIPPED WITH SENSI-
TIVE "FEELERS" (CAT'S WHISKERS) THAT
RECORD THE EXACT PROFILE OF NARROW
PASSAGEWAYS.

[sketch of diesel train racing a stork with baby]
RECENTLY IN A REMOTE SAWMILL TOWN, LARGELY ISOLATED BY
FLOODS AND STORMS, A RAILROAD CREW MADE UP AN EMERGENCY
SPECIAL TRAIN (ENGINE AND CABOOSE) AND RUSHED A MOTHER-TO-BE
TOWARD THE NEAREST HOSPITAL — 45 MILES. BUT THE BABY INSISTED
ON BEING BORN EN ROUTE . . . IN THE CABOOSE . . . CONDUCTOR ASSISTING.

[sketch of beaver felling tree on train tracks]
TRAINS WERE DELAYED ON
ONE OF THE BIG RAILROADS THE
OTHER DAY WHEN BEAVERS
FELLED A TREE ACROSS THE
TRACK.

[advertisement]
[cartoon of husband and wife arguing over where to vacation, small boy holds up sign which says:]
No matter who wins
GET HOME SAFELY!
Wherever you decide to go this summer on your vaca-
tion, please drive safely.
Think of the other fellow . . . he may be on his vacation, too!
And, frankly, we want you both back!
[seal GREEN CROSS FOR SAFETY]
[seal A PUBLIC SERVICE PRODUCT THE ADVERTISING COUNCIL]
BE CAREFUL — the life you save may be your own!

MAY, 1953 19