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The corresponding margin of stored over ‘ ‘ active ’ ’ freight loco- !■> g j- t_. 
notives averaged 15.4 per cent during the first ten monthjfcof 1927, 
md rose as high as 18.7 per cent on the date (August 1) when 
[he margin was greatest. The carloadings, at this time of greatest 
‘tiargin, were running considerably above one million cars per week. 
Similar calculations may he made for freight cars. The car 
•ituation at the middle of October, when traffic was highest, is set 
•ut in the following table, which includes railroad owned and con- 
rolled freight cars. 
October 15, 1927 
Number of freight cars - 
> Number of surplus cars 107 «9i 
Number under repair 
Number “active” (excluding surplus and repair) 2,12^,784 
In other words, at the time of peak loading, the freight car vit 
iation offered a margin of safety of 7.5 per cent against a possible 
ncrease in traffic. The corresponding margin for the first ten 
months averaged 13.3 per cent, rising as high as 17.4 per cent in 
Tanuary. 
The respective margins, as measured by the available surplus 
•f freight equipment at the traffic peak of 1927, are indicated by 
hese percentages of 13.2 per cent for freight locomotives and 7.5 
>er cent for freight cars. The locomotive margin at the peak could 
landle additional carloadings of nearly seven million per year. 
The freight car margin at the peak could similarly handle, addi- 
ional loadings of nearly four million cars per year. That is, the 
‘espective margins would take care of these numbers of additional 
jars loaded, with equipment that was in service and in good order 
luring the month of October. 
In addition to these margins, attention has already been directed 
0 the 1,233 passenger locomotives and 954 switching locomotives 
,n storage at the time of peak loadings. The freight car margin 
loes not include an unusual number of cars loaded with railroad 
»al and held under storage. This number averaged 25,000 cars 
•bove the corresponding figure for the preceding year. The margins 
>f safety have thus been computed on a very conservative basis, and 
make no allowance for further possible reductions in the number 
>f locomotives or cars under repair. 
Still another phase of the question of adequacy of freight equip 
ment demands attention. The ratios here presented as to the 
ivailable margins of freight locomotives and cars are computed 
>n the assumption that no increase will take place in the perform- 
ince of the average locomotive or average freight car. But these 
.actors have been increasing over a period of years, and it is rea 
sonable to suppose that similar increases may continue in the future. 
9