The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-10-20
The Gauge orthe Railways Of the Future.

Under this head Mr. r. +. FAIRLIE, one Of
Che ablest of English civil engineers pub.
lslcs an important article in the EBgi1,oer
for Sept 90, in Which he argues with great
force and cloarncss that every irch added
60 the width Of gauge beyond what is oh
rolutely necessary for the traffic adds 20 the
cost Of construction, increases the proportion
of dead weight, increases tho cost and danger
ofworking, and In consequence increases tho
tariffs to the public and by 10 much reduces
the useful efit-t Of railways" and that TAX.
ing the average Of the circumstances under
which railways are built, "tho cost will be
found to vary nearly ms the gauge" lie
asserts that English railways have been
built IN fragrant violation Of these principles,
aud illustrates his argument in favor of
narrower gauges BY an analysis of the bust
ncss of the London and Northwestern Rail
way, the good manu. cement Of which is uni
versaly admitted" He shows that 4" if the
gauge Of this road wcrc feet instead Of 4
feet 81 inches, its goods traffic could
be hauled at half the present cost,
with half the present motive power, and
In such way "a to reduce the present ton.
mage by one half, and to remove the necessity
for the heavy expense that is now being in.
CURED In the construction of third line Of
rails" The goods train on this road is esti-
mated at ten million tons per nnnum, re.
quiring seventy million tons Of train weight
90 haul it 4; but in order to avoid ell risk Of
txaggeration, Mr.. FArnrIE estimates the
dead weight at forty million tons, and the
whole gross weight hauled by the engines
at fly million tons, at an average speed of
twenty five miles an hour. The average
distance travcrsed by each ton Is about thirty.
eight miles, at an average cost Of I'D. per
ton. The cars employed average four tons
In weight, and carry one ton for every mile
run.
The speed in each case M to forty miles
per hour is assumed as be.aG equal. The
rars for line OF three feet gauge weigh each
one ton, and carry maximum load of
three tons. Surprising that the same mum.
Der Of cars and trains were run on the mar.
row IA on the broad GAUGE, it follows that
ibo rnorage ono ton of merchandise now
carried could easily DO taken in a car weigh
Ing one ~ instead of four tons, and that
the gros load passing over the line for one
year would be only twenty million tons in.
r.cad of fifty million, while the same amount
Of paying load would DO carried in either
rase. The haulAge cost being the same
whether the tons hauled consist Of paying
or non paying loads, it follows that the ex-
10 90. Of hat
II now IT, This does not include the enor.
nous saving in wear and tear which would
arise from hauling twenty million tons in
stead Of fifty million. From the foregoing
tho fact is established that the 3 feet gauge
'can produce twenty-five millions net out Of
, gross tonnage OF fifty millions while the
feet 81 inch gauge, to produce the came
result, would have TO haul one hundred and
twenty FIVE millions, and at cost increased
In tho same proportion"
II Mr.. FAIRLIEs conclusions are correct
and they seem TO be, they are of great i'm
portance not only to this country, hut to
South America, Asia, and Australia--in fact,
10 all countries not fully supplied with rail
ways. He claims that these Indispensable
ndjuncts Of commerce md intcrcommunics.
zion, instead of costing 100000 per mile, ms
they have in England, India, aud the British
colonies generally, "cNn he made cheaply
and Mt the same time thoroughly efficient
and those who aver to the contrary are, in
fact, enemies TO progress and to civilization.
There is no country too poor TO have rail.
ways sufficient for its requirements, and rail
ways furnish the cheapest possible mode OF
transportation when they arc not borne
down by the results Of that incompetence and
extravaganza which We so often see asso