Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-09-04
From the American Railway Times.
Steam Oh Common. Roads.


Mr.. William Bridges Adams, the well
known engineer of London, addresses a
letter to the Times in which he advocates
the use of steam engines on the common
roads, thereby rendering the last impor-
tant feeders to the railway proper, in
stead of building branch roads which he
calls suckers instead of feeders. He
says substitute bands Of iron for the |
broad surface of macadam and the iron !
horse would take the place of horse-hesh,
saving nine per cent. in haulage, and do
ing weeks work in a day. After speak
ing of the opposition of vested interests
to new projects and the common belief
that steam locomotives can only run in
straight lines he says: But the praeti-
cal fact is, that properly constructed en-
| gines and carriages can run upon as
sharp curves and up as steep gradients
as horses can, and with power of car
rying loads that no horses could ever ac-
complish, and therefore every common
road in England has the capacity for be-
coming railway, with its inns, stations
towns, villages, farms, and water supply
all ready provided. These common
roads intersect the railways and form APP
proachcs in every direction with very
little outlay. The rails can be laid fiat
with the surface and permit the traffic of
ordinary horse vehicles SO long as horse
vehicles continue to be used Steam
trains can travel on such lines at any
speed from five to thirty miles per hour,
and although tram rails, at they are
called, may be Objectionable on crowded
London streets and thoroughfares, and
such neighborhoods as the parks, country
roads present very different set Of cir
, cumstances.
He intimates the cost per mile for
rails to be from $4,000 to $500 strong
and stiff enough to bear twelve ton en-
7 CINE capable of drawing on level 800
: tons, two thirds of which could be pay
I, ing load; or it could take Is tons pay
9 ing load up gradient Of in %, or
21O feet to the mile. Such engines
could run from FIVE to thirty miles per
hour and the traffic to consist OF freight
: and passengers, and not as in the United
States confined to passengers. lie MAIN
: tains that such roads properly construct
, ed. and not overloaded as most steam
:, roads are would cost almost nothing to
: : keep in repair, while they would become
: good paying investments in themselves.
:. besides adding very largely to the traffic
! of the regular steam RAILWAYS. The
other points discoursed in the letter are
identical with those previously alluded
to in the Railway Times the local ben
efits of such lines; the opportunitle'
;, they would give for the middling CLASSES
- in large cities to live in the country at
:. reduced cost and greater comfort, the re
:, ducpd cost of transport for family store
- and particularly the benefit they woult
- :. be to large railway lines as feeders AM
" distributors of traffic. There can be n
doubt of the value of such lines and
: = they have not proved valuable to tn
=, owner in their country it is from the fat
that the tract and rail have not bee
e built strong enough to resist the welgf
of the engines. An increase in tn
weight of rail should be insisted upo
where steam engines are to be ana
- street roads. The common horse raj
~ way rail is too light for economical Sc
vice but when the proper change is mat
40 we have no doubt that the street raiwa
system can be extended very largely
D' the suburbs of the larger cities with pre-
cry If to all concerned. Mr.. Adams stat
'ne W that when a traffic of 60 shillings or st
!, 81 fifteen dollars per mile per week can
'ne calculated upon it will justify the la
ing of the rails on common roads as
- selfcontained speculation, and no tru
il more certain than that the means
10 transit creates and increases transit, a
=, thickens population, and all this culr
''ai mates in the high speed railway.
to Close OF LIFE-When the SUNNI
my of youth is slowly wasting into the mig
xbo fall of age, aud the shadows OF the p
:. 1 year grow deeper and deeper, and
wears to its close, it is pleasant to 10
,een through the dim vista of time upon
INV sorrows and felicities of our former yea
al - IF we have home to shelter US, a
out, friends to gather around our fire-si
lay, then the rough places of our wayfarI
, of will have been worn and smoothed av
ight in the twilight of life, while the sur
a of spots we have passed through will gr
49, ,,J moro heautIfuI.