The workingman's advocate., 1869-05-22
Narrow Gauge Railways.

The battle Of the broad and narrow gau-
gss, champi0ned respectively bY Brunei and
Stephenson, AS fought many years A., but
although the victory Jay cOnfs-sadly witt
the f0ur-feet- eight and bali inra gauge.
ss compared with that 0f seven fees 1n. ~
the results of the contest was 20 PRACTICAL 3
Withdraw attention from tue question a. 70
whether a still narrower gauge mig1t not be
adopted 10 vantage. This unanswered
query, the legacy left TO the engineers Of to-
dtv from those 0f past generation, IA bow
exciting considerable interest, more part.c-
ularly ID England, and has an important
bearing upon the economical Construction
and manag -mHHt 0f railways
The use u @ gauge narrower than those
Of the railways hitherto built Is advocated
for the most part, for local lines where tbe
number Of trains is not excessive, say not
more than two PEI hour, and where, owing
to this liTi.ei number Of trains, the tele
graph viii render travel b0Jh ways possible
upon q single line High the same saf1t7 se-
cured un double ones A thl 90 feet and
half gauge has been extensively introduced
10 Belgium and Norway, and also III THE
province Of Queensland. Australia, iu CaY
lon and other places, and Is stated I'd have
given complete satisfaction, as aHJriinE AL
necessary accommodate TO passengers A
gauge much narrower even than this, viz
twenty three inches, has 10 one instance beel
ad opted ia North Wales, with locomotives
Weighing less than eight tons. This road :
thirTee;. miles l0EE, and it, capabilities for
r-ansnortation we're shOwn by the carriag-
Ia l.JJ Of two thousand I've hundred pas
sengers, and upwards Of one hundred thOu
sand tuns of fTei mt, while its merit as a
source Of financial profit was Indicated hv
dividend OF twenty SIX per cent. upon the
original outlay. Such extremely narrow
gauges may be used in some exceptional ca-
ses wish good results, but al present the
three and one half system appears to re-
oeiya the create degree of approval from
engineers. its advantages as conrrasted With
the ordinary narrow or four feet eight and
a. -hali-lnch gauge are that rails uf forty
instead Of eighty pounds 10 the yard NAV
be employed. The height OF the tlnneis and
bridges need not be more than ten aqd oDe-
half feet instead Of sixteen feet the omen
cuttings beng TO esch other in the same "a
ito. Curves mas be had Of only two chains
radius, instead of having radil four times
as great; and locomotives Of fifteen and
carriages Of i've tuns, instead Of the thirty
tln locomotives and eight tun carriages nov
in use, may be employed On ordinary branch
Or local railways. Aside from whatever en-
gineering advantages may be derived from
this reduction OF the gauge ~ local rail
ways, Is the no less important matter Of cost
both of construction and management. This
cost is claimed to be at least thirty-three per
cent. less than that of the ordinary so-call-
ed narrow gauge systems. Thus far this idea
OF very narrow gauges has been the subject
Of few Or 90 practical tests, bat is merits
must recommend il TO the attention 0f en-
gineers, especially Of those interested Ia tho
construction and management of suburban
and city railway lines.