The Railway Library, 1909. Various
That part of the line below Huntingdon has been located permanently; thence to Logan's Narrows the calculations are based on a preliminary location, and between this point and Blairsville upon an experimental survey, with liberal allowances for contingencies. Between Blairsville and Pittsburg the road has been carefully located. Upon that portion of it, between Blairsville and Turtle creek, gradients of 52–8/10 feet per mile have been admitted, which may be reduced to 50 feet per mile, by the expenditure of an additional sum of $40,000.
Our measurements of distances commence at the depot of the Harrisburg and Lancaster Railroad Company, 106¾ miles from the corner of Vine and Broad streets, in the city of Philadelphia, and terminate at the intersection of Liberty street, in the city of Pittsburg. Those made for the Commonwealth, under the direction of Mr. Schlatter, began at State street, in Harrisburg, and ended at Two Mile Run, on the Monongahela river, giving a difference in favor of Mr. Schlatter's line of about 1–8/10 miles in the points of starting. Between Blairsville and Pittsburg our distance has been actually increased 2–8/10 miles over that proposed by Mr. S., after making allowance for about 6/10 of a mile of an unaccountable discrepancy in the two measurements. This increased distance is incurred to save three tunnels, and other expensive work, amounting, together, to $280,000, or $100,000 per mile.
The whole difference between Mr. Schlatter's and Mr. Miller's measurements, supposing the points of starting and ending to have been the same, is 4–3/10 miles. The difference between the points of starting of the two surveys, on Mr. Foster's division, is about 2/10 of a mile. From Harrisburg to Huntingdon we lose, by following the river route. 7/10 of a mile[A] on Mr. Schlatter's line, and save, from thence to the summit of the mountain, about four miles.
As a connection with the Allegheny Portage Railroad would insure to us most of the advantages of an independent road to the western base of the mountain, it is evidently the policy of the Company to make it at the earliest practicable moment. Our location falling within 6–⅓ miles of that road, it becomes a very small matter to effect a junction with it. If the present means of the Company, however, would justify the expenditure, the connection could readily be made at the foot of Plane No. 4, on the west side of the mountain, thus saving 7 out of 10 of the inclined planes. This could be effected for the additional sum of $1,250,000, or for $950,000 a junction might be made at the summit of the Portage, avoiding the five eastern planes.
The branch to, or above, Hollidaysburg is, however, the cheapest and most speedy way of effecting the connection, and when our road is carried over the mountain it will remain a good feeder to the main line, and a fair investment of the capital of the Company.
The following is an estimate of the cost of a continuous road from Harrisburg to Pittsburg, in connection with the Allegheny Portage Railroad, graded for a double track throughout, except the branch to Hollidaysburg:
| Items. | Places. | Dist. in miles | Cost. Dollars. |
| { From Harrisburg to Robinson's | 132.67 | $1,990,952 | |
| { " Robinson's to Hollidaysburg | 6.33 | 32,000 | |
| Graduation | { " Hollidaysburg to Johnstown | 36.67 | |
| { " Johnstown to Pittsburg | 76.00 | 1,515,000 | |
| Total | 251.67 | 3,537,952 | |
| Superintendence and Contingencies | 419,754 | ||
| Superstructure. | Including turn-outs on 215 miles | 2,408,000 | |
| Cost of Road | $6,365,706 | ||
| Interest account | 450,000 | ||
| Land damages and fencing | 154,294 | ||
| Grand Total | $6,970,000 | ||
To the above amount should be added, for the purchase of depot grounds, erection of warehouses and shops, and the construction of cars and locomotives, as follows:
| Warehouses, including ground at depots | $475,000.00 |
| Shops and machinery | 185,000.00 |
| Locomotives | 510,000.00 |
| Passenger and burden cars | 820,000.00 |
| —————— | |
| Total | $1,990,000.00 |
Making the whole cost of the Road, graded for a double and a single track laid, including outfit, $8,960,000.00.
It will not be necessary to expend the whole of this amount until some time after the Road is in use to Pittsburg. As the business increases the turnouts must be lengthened, depots and shops enlarged, and the number of locomotives and cars added to. These will not reach the sum estimated until probably four years after the Road is completed, in connection with the Allegheny Portage. We shall also reduce the cuttings and embankments to a single track width, wherever the character of the excavations or a deficiency of material for embankment will justify the curtailment. This will effect a saving, in the first outlay, of about $450,000, which will not be required until the business demands a double track.
The expenditure for