New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-06-30
THE NARROW GAUGE.
PHILADELPHIA, June 20, ISL

The present standard has already in this country be-
..me Of very great importance, and many profess
sonal and amateur engineers have rushed into print
with statistics to show the immense superiority OF
such roads in economy of construction, and actuai
carrying capacity 1t has been reserved for the Denver
and Rio Grande Railway to demonstrate, practically
how such economy is effected, and in what manner
It's proposed and to make their road constructed
On the threefee gauge, efficient in point oil carry
ing capacity as roads of standard gauges as at pres
ent conducted.
While the discussion has proceeded in papers, mag
.zines. and pamphlets, the builders of the Denver
and Rio Grande line have been steadily at work until
NOW the first so miles of the line is graded bridged,
and tied rolling stock completed, and nothing but
the perverse delays in the arrival of the iron hnders
the completion of the road and its opening for
traffic
The construction and capacity of this rolling stock
sene furnish the solution of these two questions of
economy and capacity and the statistics below given
will prove of very great interest TO every one who
knows what railway is
The engines adopted for this gauge are of the
came patterns as the standard engines in the
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad with but slight modifca-
tons and were adopted after a careful comparison
Of those in use on both foreign and home roads.
The passenger engines have four driving-wheels Of
inders sxl6 inches; weight on drivers, with water
in the boilers 1000 pounds total weight, 5000
pounds. four-wheeed tender accompanies it,
weighing 1900 pounds empty.
Freight engines have six drivingwheels, Sc inches
diameter, with one pair leading-wheels; cylinders.
10xl6 inches; weight on drivers, $1,000 pounds, and
a total weight OF 10000 pounds. Tender weighs
1900 pounds empty.
In the construction Of passenger cars, there has
been perhaps too much Difference paid to preudices
in favor of existing patterns to obtain the full BEN
efts Of the narrow-gauge system. These cars have
the following dimensions Length, IS feet; length,
including platforms 20 feet; hight inside to center
Of dome, feet inches; diameter of wheel "a
inches; hight of oor-b beams above rail, q inches;
capacity, IS passengers. These are handsomely
finished in the style of the Pullman car, and give
the same seating-room as the cars of the Pennsyl-
vania Road. They thoroughly ventilated and
comfortable and eight-wheeled, with an arrange
ment Of springs which makes them very easy on
track Their weight is 5000 pounds. FTeight-cars
are made of present patterns but fOuT-wheeled.
They weigh but 1000 pounds, while having a eapa-
city Of 10000 pounds.
this rolling-stOck but is necessary to ready com
prehension of results given below-results based ON
actual comparison Of actual power of engines and
actual weights of rolling stock on the 8 feet and
feet 81 inch gauges respectively ,
We have taken the Pennsylvania Railroad for pur-
poses Of this illustration, because II Is ably man.
aged and near at hand. The standard passenger |
engine in use on that road has weight on drivers OF
s00OOpOunds orjust double the capacity Of the engine
ON the Denver and Rio Grande, but has total weight
including tender of 10000 pounds or 52t tuns.
Their usual local passenger train consists OF;
passenger cars seating 81 passengers each, and -.
weighing each 10000 pounds, OF 20 tuns..-..---. so
baggage car. IA
engine and tender 52t
1ie;
This train will accommodate 2l2 passengers, if full
To carry the same number of passengers on the !
Tuns |
passenger cars, seating each IS passengers, and
each weighing tuns. 4S
engine and ....................... 90 |
Total weight .......................... 70
or less than Oneha the total weight of the train
the standard gauge. Then since the smaller engine
has one-haf the power Of the larger II follows that
Il can readily take its load wherever the larger en-
CINE can 20 and, on the authority OF W. BARD ~
Co, who from their long experience may certainly
he considered trustworthy in such matters, can take
it at speed of SO miles per hour as readily as the other
But follow this out in freight traffic which is the
having traffic of any road, and see the result.
The capacity Of the freight engine on
Three feet gauge is average low grades 4oS tuns
Deduct cost Of engine and tender 2s tuns
Leaving for load. 1924 tuns
Cars weigh tuns to carry 5 tuns, Of this load
then 81 would be cars, or say.'...-.......-lOo tnS
Leaving for paving +reishts go tuns
On standard gauges freight engines having d0u-
BILE the weight on drivers will have double M
Iednct ngine and tender ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 60 tuns
Leaving for load. $50 tuns
Cars weigh 10 tuns and carry 10 tuns, then of
load one-haf will be weight Of cars'......S'5 tnns
Having ,or having freight 1915 tuns
This shows an actual capacity for the narrow
gagged freight engines OF nearly three-touTtAs thaJ
of an engine of more than 2! times its weight.
But we have supposed, In this case, that cars on
both gauges always filled, which, unfortunately,
IS far from beng the case Statistics show t9a1 on
or paying weight annually carried overhese
roads to each tun of paying freight In other words
the average amount of freight carried III each car Is
but One-fourth of its capacity, Allowing that thls
discrepancy may extend to the three-feet gauge
also, which, from the smaller size Of cars, can
scarcely be expected, and this Is the result:
3 feet Gauge
Then in load above tuhs
There viii be weight Of cars. 234 tuns
Leaving weight OF pawn, iT Gag1s 'ui'
In load az above go tuns
Weight OF ON tuDs
Weight OF freight. tuhs
or only tuns more than on the narrow gauge.
This then is the practical result OF the narrow
gauge theory, and from this follow naturally all the
principles of economy in construction and operation,
cheap freghts, large dividends, It's adaptabulty 70
other than mountainous countries, the feasibility OF
doubling the number Of miles OF our railway systems
at no than former outlay the easy development
eff sparsely settled but valuable districts, and all the
long train of advantages which Will accrue TO the
stockholders of such paying roads as well as TO the
people along their routes. s.
s-xs.. ~-------------------
gATER FRONT INSTRUCTIONS - COMMISSIONER
HENRY CHANGES HIS MIND.
At the meeting of the Dock Commissioners
ve.terday Commissioner Wood moved reconsideration