St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-04-28
For the Californian.
HC0ry Grades for Railroads.

For the CALIFORNIAN.
Hcary Grades for Railroads.
What, talk Of projecting Il vehicle
which was to he propelled by steam alone,
and to whose conveyance property and
human life were to be intrustcd, across
the land at the frightful speed OF twelve
miles an hour? How absurd This
was said 4G years ago, when George
Stephenson encountered public opinion
in forcing his invention Of the locomotive
upon Il ~Aeptical public. How often do
we now hear the samc-how absurd
when there is talk OF building railroad
through Il mountainous country where
GRADES us much rs 800 feet per. mile are
necessary. As Stephenson that time de-
monstratcd the fact that It was possible
to yet locomotive to work on roads
built after that times principlcs-that Is,
with pretty near level gra,cs-so has
the mechanical engineer and locomotive
manufacturer at the present time, de-
monstrated The fact of the possibility TO
build locomotives 10 haul heavy loads On
steep GRADES.
OF the many engineers engaged in rail
road construction, some of them are still
of the opinion that GRADES Of up to 900
feet per mile are impract;cAblc Iy slip
ulatin% inaXimum GRADES they let them
selves be governed by old rilrs and don't
take in consideration the locomotives
capacity. Mecianicai engineering is so
closely connected with civil engineering
that ii is an absolute necessity for prlc-
teal engineer TO know the construction
of the locomotives, principles Of their
motion aud their capacity.
1t is not an unusual thing on many
roads for sleeper GRADES to be uscl in that
direction in which the heaviest traffic is
supposed to 60. This is perfectly right
if the traffic can he regulated in this way;
but il Is Il question If il can be. When
Il railroad Is built. the villages along the
road grow rapidly; the demand for goods
OF all kinds increases, and both travel
and freight traffic will soon assume the
sam" dimensions the other way rs it WAS
supposed it would be in the direction of
the sleeper grades 1t is lying in no
mans power to regulate the traffic SO
that this VIII not happen without work
ing against the interests oil the road The
increased traffic must and will come the
production ii the country will increase;
markets for the products will he at both
ends of the road, and heavy freight trains
will % in both directions, and either
way the locomotives lave to produce the
same power.
The question will then be raised, but
too late, why the engineers had TO use
steep grades one way and not the other?
and if the increased traffic could not have
been foresccn!
In purpose to get Stacker grades, the
road is heightened, and in consequence
capital for the construction of the unncc-
cssary length OF road is wasted besides
the expenses for the maintenance and
running this extra length will forever be
Il heavy draft ON the treasury; and this
will, year by year, increase at the same
rate as track and rolling stock wears out.
1t is not only by saving distance, money
can be saved, but also because bv usin"
sleeper grades than is generally the case,
the expenses by the construction of other
parts Of the road can be considerably
lcSscned by avoiding locating the line
through tcrrcnc where the grading would
be expensive. Locomotives as they now
are being built can run both on steep
grades and Oh sharp curves, and when
capital can be raised for the construction
of Il road through districts where GRADES
from 100 to 200 feet or more per mile are
necessary for the cheapest possible way
to get the road built, there is no more
excuse for excluding such parts of the
from partaking in the convent
encc of railroad communication. The
grade has to be made to suit the surCace
of the country through which the road
has 10 be built, and The locomotives So
rs TO lie adapted TO the road,
and not do rs has bcc2 done. build the
road TO suit the locomotives. The ex-
renScS combined with construction Of
mite railroad, of feet 81 inch guage
may ut average prices he ~ follows:
TRADING. .,,,
-" rlecpers at L. Ct, e,, |
- tons rails ii-hplatc-, Iol,s and
spike, At 80 r,.o
''"s' 30
Bsllistng, g..
Administrations ,,n
Iiai 4llul5
The yearly expenses for maintenance