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Archiver > AR-RAILROADS > 2003-05 > 1052972096


From: Ed Sanders <>
Subject: Re: [AR-RAILROADS] Roundhouse machine shop, Ft Smith, AR
Date: Wed, 14 May 2003 23:17:46 -0500
References: <007b01c31a54$7349fe70$cb77ca41@alaraven>


Connie,
Within a minute of sending my roundhouse story to you, I found this
railroad shop construction report from the Ft Smith area in the
northwest corner of AR. Knew you would enjoy it.

Van Buren Argus
Crawford County, Arkansas
September 2, 1903

BIG ROUND HOUSE
The Outer Walls Are Under Way While Work is Being Done in All Part of Line of Improvement

From Fridays Daily

Unless one is a frequent visitor to the new round house, that is now being built by the Iron Mountain System adjoining the new yards, but little idea can be formed of the progress being made or of the magnitude of the improvement:

Yesterday afternoon the reporter accepted an invitation from D W Moore Jr., to drive down with him to view the improvements and found a small army of men employed, from the Riverside crossing to the extreme east end of the grounds. At the crossing a new concrete culvert long enough for three tracks. The walls are heavy while the arch overhead is of the same material and is supported by railroad iron. On the top of the concrete arch will be a dirt fill of 2 ½ feet and on this will be laid the cross ties and rails as on any other part of the road bed.

The round house was the next point visited and this proved the busiest part of the vast work now being done. The brick work on the outer circle is well under way with 12 brick layers at work. This wall is 480 feet in length, and together with the shop, offices, engine house, the closets and oil rooms will require more than a half million brick. Fully one half of the big windows that are to furnish light and ventilation have been placed in position while the rest are ready to be placed on the sills which have been sawed from Bedford, Indiana sandstone.

The turntable pit has been excavated and is ready for the balance of the structure. The table will be 71 feet long and will accommodate the largest engine made. This will be operated by steam. The foundation for the pump house, water tank, coal wharves, cinder pits, etc., are ready for superstructures. The sewerage system has been completed and every drop of waste water will be carried off as well as all of the surface water.

The Company will have their own system of waterworks. At the beginning an 8 inch well was bored to a depth of 55 feet and a strong vein of water was struck. Another well, 100 feet south from the first one 10 inches in diameter the same depth, was drilled. It has been completed, and from it the water will be pumped into the tank by a large gas engine. The water has been analyzed and declared to be first-class for steam, and as the supply is inexhaustible, they have solved that problem.

Contractor Naughton, who makes a specialty of this class of construction work, informed us that the plans called for the very best material throughout and not a particle of cheap construction work was permitted. The workmanship had to be first class and everything done with a view of permanency and perfectness of plans. Mr. Naughton stated that he had done a great deal of this kind of work but he felt a particular pride in this one from the fact that he knew it would be the best constructed and most modern round house in the west.

Mr. Naughton informed us that in the construction of this plant he would use 50 cars of brick, 75 cars of gravel, 40 cars of sand, 20 cars of cement, 50 cars of timber, iron and miscellaneous material and 6 cars of tiling, a total of 241 cars.

Fran Alverson Warren
e-mail:
479-369-2703
http://www.crawfordcountyarkansas.net/



Connie Rayon wrote:

>Hi
>
>I have an ancestor who worked for the railroad in Pulaski County, N. Little Rock. The census records list him as a machinist at the railway shop.
>
>I would like to know more about the railroad he worked for and am curious if there is a connection between that railroad and one in Erie County, Sandusky Twp, Ohio. He was born and raised in Ohio. The rest of his family left Ohio and came to Alabama. He left Ohio and went to N. Little Rock.
>
>Are there any websites with index of employees of these railroads? Or any background info on these railroads?
>
>Joseph Ege worked for the railroad around 1900.
>His step-son also worked for the railroad.
>
>Thank you for any help!
>Connie Ege Rayon
>In Alabama
>
>
>
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