South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1871-03-03
The Narrow Gauge.

| IhO 1dIIOW gauge.
! More and more attention seems n
drawn to the narrow gauge railroads. ii
deed Mr.. Robert +. Fairle, c. E of En-
land, who has given the subject thoroug
examination, prefers the folt CAV
to the broad gauge on mair .utes. 4
was recently invited 10 st. Petersburg Y
the Gar; and afterwards an Imperial conf
mission from Russia attended conference
/ IN London; as consequence OF these III !
cusSions the Gar has ordered q narro1
gauge road to be built in Russa-we pr{
sumo as an experiment.
The State of Ohio, which il always i
mong the foremost in the march ofimprov(
ment is moving in the matter.
a company has been organized with
capital Of 800, 600 to build line betweo
Piqua and Celina, through Miami, Shelb
Auglaize, and Mercer counties. The pll
is Identical with that Of the Welsh road
The right of way is to be ID instead of n
feet Gas required by our present roads
20 h. iron instead of SO 10 iron will n
used the locomotives will weigh 5 tor
instead of 80, and viii draw from 10 to y
q two and half tons. The passenger cal
will be constructed to carry twenty person
A narrow gauge road is already in sud
cesstul operation in Ohio, between AkroI
and Massillon. 1t is used for Transporting
coal. In Canada an extensive system d
narrow gauge roads is building from ToI
onto, as feeders to the trunk lines centcrin
there. The projectors Of the Buffalo an
Springfield road are also examining II
Canada system with a view to the adoptio
Of the narrow gauge.
Tho cost Of construction of Mario
gauge road Is fcet) lis estimated by VI +
Fairlie to be me haU the cost Of n ( fed.
5! inch gauge In other words two mild
can be built in the place of one Mr. FaiI
lie states that these little( the feet gauge
when finished and equipped, would posses
carrying capacity equal 20, if not create
than that of the broad gauge roads ID
other words they would carry as many pas
sengcrs and tons of goods in tweDty-fouI
hours rs tho best lines now in Eagland
and this would be d)nc at n greatly rel
duced cost, Independently Of the reduce
wear and tear Of tic permanent way and d
the value Of the increased life Of the rail.
This Is illustrated in the following man|
ner: II Is a recognized fact that the prcI
portion OF nor-paying TO paying weight il
passenger trains is rs much rs 20 to
aud in goods traius, exclusive If minerall
as much as 7 to ] This terrible disprd
portion is due partly TO the system pursued
but In far greater degree % the gauge
The dead weight Of trains il in exact pro
portion 10 the gauge on which they run, o
IN other words, the proportion Of nom payin.
to paying weight il increased exactly as th
rails are further apart, because ton of ma
terials disposed on a narrow gauge Is stron
ger, as regards its carrying power than to-
Same weight when spread out over n wide
basis The Fcstiniog railway in Wales
with a gauge Of foot ii y inches, has wa
CONS on it for carrying timber which woigI
Il cwt., and they frequently carry a loa,
Of over three aud half tons at a speed O
twelve miles ar hour In other words
they carry six times their own weight
whilst the best wagons on the ordinar
Eogish roads do not carry as much as twic
their weight
Mr. Fairlio's idea seems 70 be not on /
TO Introduce a system Of lateral roads, wit
very narrow gauges, like the Festiniog a
feeders to the main lines; bat be believe
that the main lines themselves ought to hav
n gauge of three feet instead of four fee
eight and a half inches. The vast revolu
ton which will be effected in our raiIroa
system, It these views are even partially re
allied it would he difficult to compute.
some IF our own people who arc SO niue
exercised with regard to the subject Of rail
road facilities, would tap one Of the matt
lines passing through the State with roa
on the plan Of the narrow gauge Wells
roads, they would get out of The wood
sooner We should like TO sec such roa
attempted from Harrisonburg to Gordons
viilc.-Rjcimond Enquirer.