The Portland daily press., 1868-10-21
MIR. LATRoBE's LETTER.

BALTIMORE, Nov. %, 1867.
Jno. f. Anderson, Esq, c. E., Portland, Me-
DEAR SIR,-Your letter to me of the 7th
September was not received until day or two
since on my return from four months absence
in Europe, or it would have been answered at
once. The time mas long passed, / presume
when any information L could now give or
opinion express upon the questions you pro-
pose would be of service to you, and write
now only to account for my not writing before.
VIII however say, as you ask what are "the
highest grades and their lengths, also the high
est continuous grade for any distance up to
twenty miles which | have known 10 be work.
ed over by locomotive engines"-that on the
Baltimore & Ohio railroad which located
west Of Cumberland in 1889, there is con-
tinuous grade ranging from 116 TO 100 feet per
mile and averaging 116 for IL miles, with
curves on the i20 feet grade of 1000 feet radius
and over, and on the ITO feet grade of 600 feet
radius as minimum between all reversed
curves not less than 200 feet straight-up this
grade engines of about So tons (of 1000 pounds)
all wheels coupled, carry nine to ten freight
cars, each 20 tons car and load, or from 100 to
200 tons behind the tender. There is another
grade uniformly 116 feet per mile of IL miles
long on the some road. with curves of 800 fe ct
radius on that grade. On branch of the same
road leading TO coal mines there is continu-
Gus grade of seven or eight miles of 135 feet
per mile, up which the same class of engines
carry empty coal cars weighing some 100 tons
gross. The curves on some parts of this road
are, think, OF radius as short as 400 feet
but the grade is lessened, 1 believe on those
parts. L speak only from recollection of
some years past in regard to this road, which
1 did not locate. On the part of the B. Sc o.
Railroad, which is above referred to aud which
embraces the passage of the Allegheny Water
shed, the passenger trains OF 5 or 6 cars behind
the tender are carried up the grades at twenty
miles per hour by 10 wheeled locomotives-6
drivers coupled and supporting some 1000 lbs.
adhesive weight and a tender in front. On the
Pennsylvania r. R. through Allegheny noun
tains from Altoona to Galitzin, about 16 miles,
is surmounted by grade of 95 feet per mile
with curves of about 800 feet radius think.
On this grade passenger trains of or cars
are carried up by two ordinary passenger loco
motives coupled together in front of the train.
If these facts will be of service to you you are
welcome to them. 1t would be impossible for
me from the data you give in your letter to ex-
press an opinion as TO what system of grades
would be the best for the line you describe.
can say, however, that could have got grade
of 66 feet per mile instead of that averaging
116 on the B. & o. r. r. by elongating the
lines several miles and encou utering great adj
ditional expense and much heavy curvature
The practical working of the road has, l think
justified my location. No accident due to the
grade had has ever happened on the II miles
grade or that of IL miles, and it continues to
be worked satisfactorily.
remain respectfully Yours,
BENZ. LATROBE.