732 



Popular Science Monthly 



How a Second -Hand Automobile 

 Made a Railroad Pay 



THE Kansas, Southern and Gulf 

 Railroad, a dream of the early 

 80's, was projected to traverse the 



A second-hand automobile which made it possible to 

 operate a bankrupt railroad profitably 



wheat belt, connecting the Dakotas 

 with the Gulf Coast. Work started 

 at Blaine, Kans., and after twelve miles 

 had been completed to Westmoreland, 

 the county seat, the promoters could 

 find no further sale for their bonds and 

 had to abandon construction. For 

 equipment they had two engines and 

 two cars. 



Lifting Made Easy 



AN electric trailer-truck employed 

 for shop and factory transporta- 

 tion has been equipped with a powerful 

 and compact crane operated by the 

 same energy that sends the truck on its 

 way. The crane revolves on ball-bear- 

 ings, and the hoist is motor-operated. 

 The steel barrels loaded, 

 have a weight of seven hun- 

 dred pounds and the electric 

 lifting arm will pick them 

 up easily and lift them over 

 the side of the truck. The 

 platform of the truck itself 

 accommodates three barrels. 

 It is very hard to attempt to 

 hand-truck barrels of such 

 weight over perfectly 

 smooth floors and over 

 floors of uneven surface it is 

 almost impossible. 



The truck itself is also 

 used for drawing trailers 

 from one location in the fac- 



The road never paid dividends, and 

 even had to borrow money to pay in- 

 terest on its bonds. About five years 

 ago the engines wore out, and there 

 was no money for repairs. The State 

 took charge and appointed 

 C. E. Morris as receiver. 

 Morris traded the two loco- 

 motives for a reasonably 

 good one and kept the trains 

 going with some regularity. 

 He also got a court order 

 that let him raise the freight 

 rates, and charge five cents 

 a mile for passenger fares. 

 But even this would not 

 make the road pay expenses. 

 About two years ago Morris 

 disposed of the old engines 

 and purchased a second-hand 

 automobile. For the front 

 wheels he substituted the trucks of a hand- 

 car, and for the rear wheels two locomo- 

 tive front wheels. The body had room 

 for six passengers, besides the driver, and 

 Morris built some miniature freight cars, 

 by putting bodies on hand-cars. The road 

 now has three freight cars, each with a ca- 

 pacity of two tons, and is not only giving 

 satisfactory service, but is making money. 



tory to another, and with the addition 

 of the new crane and lifting arm the 

 trailers are easily loaded and emptied. 



This truck runs around the shop and picks up and 

 transports barrels and castings 



