PUBLIC DOCUMENT No. 12 1910 58TH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS TO WHICH ARE ADDED STATISTICAL TABLES COMPILED FROM THE Annual Reports of the Steam Railroad Companies of the State for the year ended June 30, and of the Street Railway Companies for the same period PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE LEGISLATURE HARTFORD PUBLISHED BY THE STATE 1910 REPORT. To His Excellency FRANK B. WEEKS, Governor of Connecticut: The Fifty-eighth Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners is herewith submitted, containing the reports of the operations of the steam railroad and street railway companies for the year ending June 30, 1910, with statistical tables compiled therefrom and a condensed statement of the proceedings of the Board to date of this report. The gross operating revenue of the steam railroads for the year included in this report was $64,819,495.12, an increase of $6,833,953.22 over the revenue of the previous year and exceeding that of any previous year. Of this revenue, $3,022,720.19 was derived from the operation of the Central New England Railway, $1,083,759.11 from the New London Northern Railroad, $60,693,667.55 from the N. Y., N. H. & Hartford Railroad and $19,348.27 from the South Manchester Railroad, all showing an increase over the revenue of the previous year, except the New London Northern Railroad, which was about $6,400 less. The amount of this revenue derived from the passenger service was $25,422,102.49, being $2,027,930.38 more than the previous year, and the number of passengers carried 84,519,264 compared with 77,564,350 for the previous year. The amount of revenue received for the transportation of freight was $33,463,648.40, $3,999,245.34 more than last year, and the number of tons of freight carried was 29,085,934, an increase of 3,511,846 tons over the tonnage of the previous year. One important improvement accomplished during the past year, involving a large expenditure and adding materially to the public safety of the operation of the roads is the elimination of fortytwo grade crossings, according to a recent revision of the entire number of crossings in the State. Another improvement, elsewhere referred to, is the double tracking of the Berkshire line between Hawleyville and Botsford, which involves the straightening of the line and the elimination of all the grade crossings, some seventeen in number, between the points named. The double tracking also extends over the Botsford branch to Shelton, on which there are no grade crossings, as it was built after the passage of the law prohibiting the construction of a railroad at grade over a highway. The double tracking of the New England road from Waterbury to Bristol, in progress for several years, is now nearing completion, involving the elimination of all the grade crossings between those places, the straightening of the line, the construction of a tunnel 3,500 feet long, and forming a continuous double track line between Waterbury and Hartford. The iron bridge on the Air Line branch over the Connecticut River at Middletown, which was too light for present traffic requirements, is being replaced by a heavy steel structure equal to the demands of the heaviest equipment and traffic. Other minor improvements in the physical condition of the railroad property are noted under the head of "Condition of the roads," commencing on page 25. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD REFERRING TO STEAM RAILROADS. ELIMINATION OF GRADE CROSSINGS. TOWN OF BROOKFIELD. On February 9, 1910, the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Company presented a petition asking that we approve of a change in the location of a portion of its line of railroad known as its Western Division, north of Brookfield Junction station; also to approve plans presented "for the elimination of the crossing at grade of said line of railroad by the highway leading to Danbury from Brookfield Center, being the crossing just northerly of said Brookfield Junction station, by discontinuing and closing the present highway within the limits of the railroad location and constructing a new highway substantially one hundred feet northerly of the existing grade crossing, from an intersection on the westerly side of the railroad location with the highway leading to New Milford, carrying said highway easterly under the tracks and railroad location, with a width of thirty feet, constructing over said highway a railroad bridge having a clear head room of thirteen feet and a clear space between the abutments of said railroad bridge of thirty feet, and constructing said highway on the easterly side of the railroad location in two branches, one connecting with the highway to Brookfield Junction and the other with the highway leading to Brookfield Center, reconstructing the highway from Brookfield Junction to Brookfield Center in the locality so as to form a proper connection with said branches of said new highway." This petition was heard on February 16, 1910, at which time said railroad company, the town, and certain property holders affected by said changes, appeared and were heard, and said hearing was continued until the 25th day of February, when said railroad company and said selectmen again appeared and were fully and finally heard. On February 28, 1910, we issued our finding approving of the change in line of the railroad and of the plans presented for the elimination of the crossings referred to, and ordered and directed |