- PANAMA RAIL ROAD COMPANY.  - | lO ae

Switchboard troubles have been less frequent than during the pre-

ceding fiscal year on account of the installation of new relay coils with a

better installation.

Connections were made during the fiscal year to private branch exchange Se

boards installed by the Signal Corps, U.S. Army at Fort Sherman, Fort —
- Randolph, Gatun, Corozal, Quarry Heights, Fort Grant, Camp Otis,
Camp at Empire and Camp Gaillard. New P. B. X. boards were installed
and connected up for the Port Captain’s office at Colon, the Depot Com-
missary at Cristobal, the Receiving and Forwarding Agent at Colon and
for the Pacific Terminals Office building at Balboa. ‘The old central office
-at Empire was abandoned and the telephone distribution system in —
Bue district removed. |

Operation of Railway Signal System and Accessories.

"phe Electrical Division performed all work in ‘connection with the
operation and maintenance of the automatic block railway signal system,
interlocking plants, etc., of the Panama Rail Road during the fiscal year.
_ At the end of the year there were 111 automatic, 14 semi-automatic, 22
power-operated, and 13 train order signals in service. There were 7 inter-
locking plants in service with 142 active levers operating 10 power-

Operated, manually controlled, wire connected, 29 dwarf mechanical, Wire -—

connected signals, 27 switches, and 32 derails. :
There were no false clear signal aspects during the fiscal year, aud but
one false caution aspect. There was a total of 2,922,449 arm movements, —
with 199 responsible interruptions, 43 non-responsible interruptions and
721 train minutes delay for the entire year. ‘There was an average of one
signal failure per 14,685 arm movements during the fiscal year. For the _

last six months of the fiscal year the average was one failure per 30,858 arm — =

movements. During the preceding fiscal vo there was one failure per =
10,228 arm movements. : ;

M aintendince of Lquipment. .

The total charges to the various accounts under this heaains shows an

increase of $266,075.39, or 46.98 per cent. Repairs to freight cars show an
increase of $280, A09. 98, or 186.90‘per cent.; this increase is due to extra-

ordinary repairs to equipment placed in service on account of the increase __

in traffic brought about by the closing of the Canal. Charges for repairs
to locomotives decreased $22,127.71, or; 17.09 per cent.

ena Expenses.

The expenses of this department decreased $193,206.22, or, 18.90 per
cent., aS compared with the previous year; while the freight tonnage shows
an increase of 28.08 per cent. The mileage of this tonnage shows an increase
of 14,755,370 ton miles, or, 37.73 per cent. 7

The decrease of expenses is due to discontinuing the charges fot handling
and transfering cargo on the docks at the Atlantic and Pacific Terminals to
Rail Road Transportation. ‘This charge is now accounted for under the Boe
of Harbor Terminal Operating Expenses.