Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-12-02
Wilmington aud Reading railroad.
FROM WILMINGTON TO CHApD's FoRD-PRoaREs
NF TILE HyaRu

FROM WILMINGTON TO CIApDs FoRD-pRooREss
OF THE WORK.
Last Thursday,in company with Emlen Hewes
Assistant Engineer in charge Of the Wilmington
division of the Wilmington and Reading Railroad,
we passed over the greater part of the line from
| Wilmington to Chadd's Ford. We rode on a con.
struction train from here to point opposite
Smiths bridge, where tho track-layers were then
at work, and had view of the scenery through
which the road passes as uninterrupted as our
position was unsheltered. From the point where
the road curves to the westward, near Delaware
Junction, the scenery along it becomes pleasant,
| and the road Is 30 crooked that passengers will
be enabled to obtain several distinct views of
any given point.
The road Is purposely made very crooked here
TO- epgthen 1t, as the grade l. so heavy from VIII
mington upto Brandywine Summit that it would
be impossible TO ascend 1t by short direct route.
We have said that the scenery thus far has been
pleasant,-the road passes through rolling, fer
tile, farming country, and farm-houses are dotted
when some distance teyond Brandywine Summit,
which Is about opposite Dupont's the road
sweeps down into the beautiful valley Of the Bran
dywino the scenery becomes handsome even Ia
winter, and In the SUMMER time 1t will be superb
and make the road an attractive one to all lovers
of the beautiful In nature. We need not expatiate
the beauties OF this historic stream but we say
enough for the scenery along the new road, when
we say that the route follows the Brandywine
closely from Smiths bridge to point several
miles beyond Coatesville. This is not the time to
indulge in an extensive description of the topog-
raphy of the country through which the rond
passes, but any one can readily see that when
embankments from 40 to 60 feet high, and cuts
through solid rock of depth equal to the hight of
the embankments are found within mile of each
other that 1t has required the highest engineering
skill and lavish expenditure of money to pre-.
pare the bed of the road. In many places cul--
vert that has cost $4,000 to $4,000 Is concealed
under thirty feet of embnnkment, and is not visi-
BILE from the road bed at all.
At point just opposite Smiths Bridge, about 10
miles from the city, the road makes perfect
horse shoe bend to avoid too rapid descent, and
then passes directly out to the very bank OF the
Brandywine. 1t was on this bend thai the track
layers were working yesterday, though they will
havc probably passed beyond 1t by the time this
Is read. Their work progresses quite rapidly,
and the " down. of the boss track layer followed
by the thump of the rail upon the tics is heard
every two or three minutes. 1t is interesting to
watch the process. A car containing rails, ties,
and chairs, and pulled by a wonderfully trained
mule, follows just one half q rail behiRd the
most advanced of the tracklayers. Six men seize
a rail on this car and carry 1t forward at run,
two Others catching the last end just as 1t leaves
the car, and fitting 1t to the chair, two or three
blows from the maui send 1t an inch or two into
Lut cuhlTt WutH lu6 OTutT uuWu lB given uDQ LQ6
rail is thrown fiat the ties always falling direct
y iu Its proper place and 1t is Immediately driven
the rest Of the way into the chair by pOnderous
blows fiom the sledges of two workmen. The
car is hauled forward and the process repeated on
the other side, aud SO on hour after hour. Fol-
lowing this car is small army Of spikers, and
preceding 1t force engaged in laying the ties.
Leaving tho work progressing with rapidity
which both pleased and surprised us. we took
carriage with Mr.. Hewes and rode up to Chadd's
Enrd Rnuth nf fhn rat1rnad hrtd0a at hiu
place the new road crosses the Philadelphia and
Baltimore Central Railroad nearly at right angles.
large force OF men were grading for connec-
ton to enable cars to be switched off the latter
onto the new road, and carpenters were prepar-
ing the heavy timbers on which the frogs, used
for the crossing, are to rest.
1t was expected that these crossings would be
put down Friday, and that track laying would
commence there early this week. Over hum
dred tons of iron and the necessary number OF
crossties were lying there awaiting the arrival of
the truck layers. The track now extends from
this city to within three or four miles of this
point, and from Coalesville to within five or six
miles of 1t, so there is certainly reasonable
prospect of the forces soon coming together.
| They expect to come together by tue 10th of
| December, and If the weather does not get bad
again, the expectation will doubtless be realized,
| and there seems no reason to doubt that trains
will run from here to Coates vile by Christmas.
The road Is as smooth as could be expected for a
new r0ad, and Is, we are assured by disinterested
| observers, very well built.
The company Is now building temporary
frame locomotive house just beyond E. d A.
Belts machiHe works, and making other prepar-
ations for commencing operations. Next week
| they will extend their track to their depot
| lot near the Gas Works, where the freight depot
will be for the present, and probably pcrma-
nently.
| Three new passenger cars have just been fn-
| ished for them, aud new locomotive (the
fourth) will be finished for them by M. NJ. Baird
q Co., In few days.