The following report from the superintendent of the Sioux City & Pacific Ry. gives the operations of a shovel for nine months working in a yellow clay bank from 30 to 40 ft. in length, and with a one-mile haul: "The total number of cars loaded was 31,420 in 209 days, giving an average of 150¾ cars per day. The greatest number of cars loaded in one day was 275, with an average of 6 cu. yds. per car. The average cost of loading per cu. yd. is 6½ cts., including expense of all men about shovel, and shifting of shovel track. Average cost of unloading with one-mile haul, 7.8 cts., including wages of all men with trains and engines, use of cars and locomotives, with all supplies and repairs of same, making a total cost of 14.3 cts. per cu. yd. or 85.8 cts. per car delivered on track."
A report showing the largest amount of work, with the most complete detail as to the expense of operation was furnished by the resident engineer of the Missouri Valley & Blair Railway & Bridge Co., contractors for the Chicago & Northwestern Ry. bridge across the Missouri River at Missouri Valley, Ia., the material excavated being used in the approaches to the bridge. The work, a tabulated statement of which is given in Table IV., was done under the most favorable circumstances, with but few delays, and with but one locomotive, as the cars ran down the hill themselves while being loaded, the locomotive being employed to haul the empty cars back; the haul was short and a round trip was made in 30 minutes. The report shows that during the work of six months the average number of cars loaded per day was 205, including delays and movings, and that the average cost per cu. yd. was 7 cts., which, as shown, included labor of loading, moving shovel about once a month, moving track to suit, dynamite for caving bank, repairs of shovel, fuel, oil, waste, wages of watchman, rent of cars and locomotives, labor of engineers, firemen and wipers, labor, conductors and brakemen, and, in fact, absolutely everything connected in any way with filling the embankment.
TABLE IV.
Work Done by Steam Excavator in Six Months at Missouri Valley, Ia.
| Repairs to locomotive, shovel and cars; material | $457.14 |
| Repairs to locomotive, shovel and cars; labor | 211.80 |
| Supplies for shovel | 1,760.00 |
| Rent of locomotive and cars | 1,404.75 |
| Supplies for locomotive | 1,781.52 |
| Wages of locomotive attendants | 1,508.37 |
| Wages of all other employees | 10,680.01 |
| ————— | |
| Total cost | $17,803.59 |
| Cars loaded | 32,141 |
| Cost per car | 55.38 cts. |
| Cost per cubic yard | 7 cts. |
| Hours worked by gang | 2,325 |
| Hours worked by shovel | 1,926 |
The report of the Roadmasters' Association for 1885 gives the cost of steam shovel work as follows:
| Railway. | Work. | Cost per yd. | |
| Baltimore & Ohio | Including everything, haul 5 to 25 miles | 8.1 cts. | |
| Michigan Central | Loading | 4.5 cts. | |
| Michigan Central | Hauling, 30 miles, labor only | 4.0 cts. | |
| N. Y., P., & O. | Loading | 7.0 cts. | |
| Central Iowa | Loading | 4.75 | cts. |
| "" | Unloading | 1.9 | cts. |
| "" | Engine service | 3.1 | cts. |
| —— | |||
| "" | Total | 9.75 | cts. |
The detailed statement given in Table V. was prepared by Mr. E. A. Hill, Acting Chief Engineer of the Indianapolis, Decatur & Springfield R. R., and is a record of work done under the supervision of Mr. A. J. Diddle, Roadmaster. It shows marked economy and gives an excellent idea of how the expenses are apportioned. The Otis type of excavator was used, which cuts 24 ft. wide and to a depth of 4 ft. below the track. The banks were about 15 ft. high, the average haul 4,000 ft. Twelve flat cars constituted a train. By a special cable arrangement the time of plowing off, ordinarily requiring about 15 minutes, was reduced to 5 or 6 minutes.
TABLE V.
Steam Shovel Work; Indianapolis, Decatur & Springfield R. R.
| Sangamon River Trestle. | Montezuma Gravel Pit. | Sangamon River Trestle. | Guion Trestle. | Nichol's Hollow Trestle. | |
| 1885. | 1886. | 1886. | 1887. | 1887. | |
| Total number of days | 54 | 186 | 48 | 108 | 51 |
| Number of working days | 46 | 115 | 38 | 85 | 40 |
| Days idle besides Sundays | 0 | 45 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Material handled | light clay. | gravel. | light clay. | light clay. | light clay. |
| Average height of bank | 10 ft. | 12 ft. | 10 ft. | 10 ft. | 12 ft. |
| Total No. cars loaded | 2,899 | 8,631 | 2,771 | 5,254 | 2,528 |
| Greatest No. load. per day | 94 | 124 | 90 | 80 | 75 |
| Least No. cars load. per day | 22 | 16 | 50 | 30 | 15 |
| Average No. loaded per day | 63 | 75 | 73 | 61.8 | 63.2 |
| Average length of haul | 1 mile. | 9 miles. | 1 mile. | 2 miles. | ¾ mile. |
| Grade, shovel to dump, p. c. | -1.00 | varying. | -1.00 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| Tons coal used, shov. & eng. | 141 | 853 | 99 | 170 | 65 |
| No. car loads per ton coal. | 20.5 | 10 | 28 | 30.9 | 38.9 |