Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-12-22

Central RanrCaa.'

The Improvements in the condition Of this read
are progressing 50 steadily, as soon 10 entile il &c
its appropriate rank az first-ciuss Railroad. Dit
ring the last eight months nearly forty miles Of the
old strap rails have been displaced by the heavy L
Rail the work is progressive, and eventually the
whole track to Richmond will be rid Of the delays
and dangers Of the sirap-ron--wi.h lis ''snakc-
heads''-and be relaid with the safe ard substan-
tal heavy raj.
The Company was fortunate in having made its
purchases Of this gcrsil (cnough to lay the track
to Stainson) jdat when the price was at its lowest
point Of forty dollars per ton since then the price
Of Railroad iron has risen nearly forty per cent
One third of the cost Of this iron was paid in the
bonds of the Company at Par value; these bonds,
by-the-way, sell at not less than 80 PEI cent and
are in good repu,e in market.
Before commencing TO relay with the heavy
rail, the whole line from Richmond to Charlottes-
vile was re surveyed, ard the result shows con-
siderable reduction in the grades and curvaturcs of
the road already, with the report (sincc approved
by the Beard of Drectors) Of the practcabiliiy of
yet more important reductions at particular points,
by small expenditure for that purpose.
The old passenger cars have been ''run off the
track" and others more elegant and comfortable
have been substituted-one (Which, we observed,
was manufactured in Richmond, and compares ia
vorably with the work ofNorhern factories 1t is
stated that the increasing travel and tonnage on
the read requires additional coaches and engines
these new equipments, when supplied, will doubt
less be in accordance with the taste and spirit of
enterprise thus far displayed by the Directory.
| With these various Improvements the speed Of
transpor alton over the road is, of course, much ac-
celebrated. The running time, on the heavy rail,
is thirty miles an hour if desired it is said that
when all the contemplated improvements are COM
pleted an average of forty miles an hour may re
safely attained en- most of this track although for
many reasons an average Of twenty-five miles an
hour is considered as perhaps the most desirable rate
Of speed on any railroad.
| In ''old times" the trip from Staunton to Rich
mond, BY Stage coach, took three days in time,
and proportionally of money-not to speak of dis
comfortsl Now with twenty six miles of staging,
we accomplish the trip easily ''between daylight
and dark" By next Summer it is hoped to have
the cars running to Staunton, then we can go to
Richmond in five or six hours, to Baltimore via!
Alexandris and Grange Railroad in eight hours,
| and thence BY railway to-any where we choose
1t is proposed to construct an s'air line" railway
for government purposes-from W ashington City
to New York, by which the time between those
Cities will be reduced to hours, and thus between
Stanton and New York to about IL hours run
ming time! A railroad is in prcgross Of const'uc-
ton (up tho valley Of the Susquehanna River)
which will bring Baltimore within, it is said, ten
hours travel Of Buffalo City trip can then DO
made from Staunton to Niagara Fallsin one day
if"nothing happens!" Surely there is "good
time coming"