525
and most efficient type of equipment. Further data are given in
vhe section on Machinery and Railway Equipment (page 379 of Commerce
 Yearbook).
Table 16 shows installations and retirements of locomotives and
freight cars since 1913, and the number and capacity of those in
service at the end of each year. While the number of new cars
annually installed has decreased since 1923 the average capacity and
number in service has increased. Fewer locomotives were in service
in 1925 than in immediately preceding years, but the average size
has grown steadily, and the aggregate tractive effort in use is considerably
 greater than a few years ago.

Table 16.—XLocomotive and Freight-Car Equipment of Class I Railways

Locomotives

Freight-train cars

In service

Year!

ors
er cr RW
ERR Am mmm swam er
fmmmeeac ees n————

wT TT

Numyer
 intalled


, 381
245
L114
086
148
802
of
17
od
226
360
786
733

Num-Jer
 retired


2,338
1,862
1, 507
2,217
1,423
977
~~

1, 254
, 130
682
2, 746
2, 529
3. 005

Number


31,172
32, 533
32,125
31, 332
11, 890
a 889
“gg
746
049
54, 512
35, 327
35, 358
a4 150

Average
tractive
effort |
pounds)?

20, 956
80, 705
31, 840
33, 188
13, 032
‘4,995
5 789
%, 365
* 935
1, 441
39, 177
39, 891
40. 625

Number
installed

162, 670
50, 813
86, 012
26, 851
17,210
15, 249
’8, 019
36, 044
3,406
105, 394
732, 060
156, 672
125 780

Number
retired

06, 827
96, 985
90, 347
06, 272
62, 25¢
56, 02¢
£3, 27.
75, 197
69, 24;
126, 471
213, 78¢
118, 590
117. 021

Number in
serviea

1, 237,418
> 291, 750
286, 79%
280, 955
330,123
354, 244
389, 86(
350, 707
L344, 780
>, 332, 286
, 345, 591
2, 379, 006
3 280° (00

Average
capacity
(tons)

$38.3
830.1
40.0
41.0
{LF
tL,’
‘LL
2.0
‘2,
“3.7
<3.
4

Years ended June 30 to 1915, inclusive, thereafter calendar years.
Exclusive of electric locomotives.
' Includes both Class I and Class II.
Partially estimated from unofficial sources,
Source: Interstate Commerce Commission.

Condition of Equipment.
The ratio of unserviceable to total number of freight cars for the
year 1925 was 7.7 per cent and the corresponding ratio for freight
and passenger locomotives 17.9 per cent. These ratios are lower
oven than the low averages of 1924 and decidedly better than those
in 1922. Because of high car surpluses it was natural that somewhat
less effort was made than in 1923 and 1924 to cut down further the
number of unserviceable cars. The figure for unserviceable locomotives
 closely approaches the 15 per cent set as a goal by the railway
executives.
During 1921 and 1922 the proportion of unserviceable equipment
was extremely high, reaching 15.5 per cent for freight cars during one
month in 1921 and 28.9 per cent for locomotives at one time in 1922,
The great amount of motive power and equipment installed during
the last few vears and the small percentage of locomotives and cars