The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-21 00:00:00

Steam Traction on Mont Cenis.

The Florence Nazione of April 11 contains the
following letter on the experimental line of Mr. Fell
now in operation on the Mont Cenis

Three days ago I made a trip to the Mont Cenis to wit-
ness the trials now making on the international postal road
of the system invented by Mr. Fell for the application of
steam traction to ordinary carriage roads across moun-
tains. The spot selected for the trial is on the inter-
national road, at a height of 1,773 metres above the sea.
The experimental line is two kilometres in length.. The
inclines on the same vary from a minimum of 1 in 23 to a
maximum of 1 in 12. The curves at the turnings of the
road have a minimum radius of 40 metres. The iron
rails are laid down on the existing road after the regular
fashion of ordinary railways, and they follow the line of
the road, excepting only that at each turning, as a larger
curve was required for the railway, it has been necessary
to widen the road at the part where the rail is laid down
so as to obtain the curve of a radius of 40 metres. The rails
are three in number. The two rails at each side are laid
down on wooden sleepers, and thus secured in the way
practised in common railways. The third is rail in the
middle between the two, placed on an elevation ; and in-
stead of being placed vertically, as are the rails at the
side, it is placed horizontally. This third rail is nothing else
than an ordinary rail placed horizontally and at an eleva-
tion above that on which the two side rails are placed.
This central rail is laid down on sleepers closely fitted to
each other, and forming as it were one continuous longi-
tudinal beam laid down on the road. The side rails have
the office, as in other railways, of receiving the wheels of
the locomotives and of the carriages and cars attached to
the same. The office of the central rail is that of securing
the adhesion of the four horizontal wheels attached to
the lower part of the locomotives, and constituting the
peculiar merit of sFell's system. These four wheels, two
on each side, are of the same form and proportion ; their
lower rim is provided with a catch firmly clasping the
central rail, and serving to keep the machine so com-
pletely on its track that it cannot jerk off or diverge. It
is another office of these wheels that they render possible
the increase or diminution of the required adhesion by
proportioning it to the greater or less weight to be drawn
by the locomotive. These wheels have a lateral move-
ment, and by their pressure on the central rail a sufficient
amount of adhesion is secured to admit of stopping the
machine at 30 metres, even when the train is going with
great speed. The locomotive now in use weighs 16,000
kilogrammes, has a 60 horses' power, and can draw a train
weighing 40,000 kilogrammes, proceeding with a velocity,
varying according to the inclines, from 12 to 25 kilometres
the hour; so that the entire road between Susa and St.
Michel, 77 kilometres in length, will be traversed by the
postal train in four hours and a half, and by the omnibus
train in six hours ant a half. The journey, as at pre-
sent made with the diligences, takes 12 hours and more.
The difficulties caused by the suaw and the winds
will be overcome, the first by snow ploughs, continu-
ally sweeping the line, so as to keep it 'clear ; the se-
cond, the winds, which are dangerous only at certain
spots, perfectly well known to those who pass their lives
in more Alpine regions, will be guarded against by
covered galleries, such as exist at present in some parts of
the road, and they will be constructed either of brick or
iron, or even wood. It appears to me that all the substan-
tial conditions of security have been attained, and that the
provisions for stopping the train under every condition are
sufficient. Each carriage will have its own drag, with a
guard specially employed to look after the same. The lo-
comotive, as I have already said, possesses the four hori-
zontal wheels continually adhering to the central rail,
and so firmly clasping it that the train may be almost in-
stantaneously stopped when at its greatest speed. Any de-
viation seems rendered impossible by the very nature of the
system. The fact is that the authors of the system, who
are now nuking the trial at their own risk and danger, are
confident of the most complete success.