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358 7 MARINE REVIEW riers cannot say. “Why should we worry if our stations are a bit in- adequate. We’ve done as much as can be expected of us, and anyway the shippers pay for their own trucking.” True again in a way, but only in a very superficial way, for these same trucking costs often far exceed what it paid for the line-haul They are a crushing burden on transportation and limit the quantity of goods shipped. Lower them and more ton- should be unloaded at this point. Ex- pensive stations are not Adequate covered platforms will gen- erally serve the purpose. As soon as the freight is taken from the car it should be consolidated with other shipments destined to the same “zone”. Tractors and trailors or trucks with demountable bodies will carry it to the union station. Much of the bother, expense and de- lay of breaking up trains, and switch- North River ALA : PA ts aD a | - | fp | | | | | | | | | U East River DIAGRAM OF LOWER MANHATTAN ISLAND DIVIDED INTO INLAND TERMINAL ZONES FROM FIFTY-SEVENTH STREET SOUTH—SHADED SQUARES SHOW PRO- POSED LOCATION OF UNION FREIGHT STATIONS nage will move. More tonnage mov- ing means more business and more profits for the carriers. The terminal problem has become too big for the individual railroad or steamship line to properly cope with it. At best they can only reach a few scattered sections of the com- munity, and they do this at great ex- pense both for property and opera- tion. The time has come for union freight stations, located at strategic positions in the districts producing and receiving freight, and used joint- ly by all the railroads concerned. A city should be divided into zones, each of which produces and receives a tonnage substantially equal to that of the other zones, and of sufficient amount to warrant the construction of a freight station. Union Terminal Station Proposed These union stations will be “off- line.” They will not be on the rails of any of the carriers. It is not necessary or advisable that they should be. Freight cars. should not’ be brought into densely built up cities except in special instances. The rail journey of freight should begin and end at a yard on the main line some distance outside the congestion area and where land is relatively cheap. Line cars bearing freight for the city ing individual cars hither and yon to particular local destinations is done away with. Furthermore, as_ soon as the line car is unloaded it becomes available for reloading for a return trip. This makes possible a greater use by the railroad of its rolling stock. A tractor or truck that takes a load of inbound freight to the union station will at once return with a full load for outbound shipment. It will be continually busy doing this work all day long and at low cost. Outbound freight arriving at the plat- form at the rail head will be sorted for destination and loaded into cars. As freight from all the off-line union stations is constantly coming in to this one focal point it will be possible to secure the most efficient loading of ears. Under present practice where loaded cars come from a road’s dif- ferent local stations, consolidation of loads can only be secured at the cost of an additional handling and much time. There will be no congestion or delays at these breakbulk platforms as at the present terminals. Inbound freight will be immediately forwarded to a zone station where it will be within a few blocks of its ultimate destination. Outbound freight will be promptly loaded into cars and dis- required. October, 1925 patched towards its destination. There is no reason why carload freight should pass through the new union stations. will be to forward inbound shipments direct from the breakbulk platform in the railroad yard to the consignee. Outbound carload shipments would likewise by-pass the stations and be trucked from the shipper to the car at the rail head. It is natural that railroad men might at first object to union freight stations. The competitive spirit is still strong in them. Since rates are fixed by the interstate commerce com- mission the railroads now largely com- pete for business on the basis of ex- clusive terminal facilities. While it is true that union freight stations place all roads on an equal footing in soliciting traffic. So far as terminals are concerned, it also means that each road will have facilities equal to every other road in all sections of the city instead of having to rely for ton- nage on the localities adjacent to its own tracks. In future, competition will largely be based on the _line- haul service. There is no economic justification for the expenses of the present system, and it is doubtful if any road-can continue to incur them in the face of better methods. From the standpoint of the shipper and receiver of freight, union freight stations will prove a tremendous boon. Each zone will be a _ self-continued, self-sufficient piece of terminal ter- ritory, equally accessible to and from all lines of carriers, rail or water, serving the city. No longer will shippers forward their freight in small lots to a dozen different termi- nals and piers scattered all about. No longer will trucks move to and fro through the streets for long dis- tances and but partially loaded. On the contrary, no matter on what road or steamship line or on how many different roads or steamship lines the shipments are carried all will be sent direct to the nearest zone station. This means full loads and short hauls for the trucks. Assuming that the sta- tions have been properly designed to handle the business of the territory they serve, there will be no waiting and no delays for the truck when it reaches the station. Adequate tail- board space will be provided to ac- commodate all that come. These union stations will act as “clearing houses” for shipments brought to them. As freight is un- loaded from the trucks it will be weighed, sorted and piled ready for the carrier who transports it. These consolidated piles of outbound freight will be constantly forwarded to the The best procedure