Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-07-31

tween the Central and Hudson River and the
West Shore as above stated. S7S,000,O0O, or
an annual saving in interest of $54G, 900 dit
ference in length of line, So miles; 1922, 600
saving per annum difference in operating ex
penses between the two roads per annum, about
$4,000, 900. or about onc-third saving a dit
ference between the two lines, the New York
Central and Hudson River, feet s! inches,
and the West Shore, 3-teet gauge, per annum
on the same business, Of 81, 10000, Or diyi-
dened of nearly "a per cent. in favor Of the
new line and narrow gauge. Taking the above
statement, the new line could have surplus
of n per cent. from earnings and savings,
when the old line could only pay expenses and
interest at per cent. on cost. Extend on to
Chicago and to ST. Louis from Buffalo and
you have the same advantage in proportion for
the rest of the distance. The road from Wal
den to Kingston, "a miles, is now nearly COM
pletcd, and part i'll successful operation. In
making my calculations on cost of road, | have
estimated literally for freight accommodations,
which arc included in the $25, 000UO0 to l}uf-
talo.
But to come back to the narrow gauge The
difference in weight of passenger cars is much
greater then in the freight cars, as between
the two gauges. The present passenger cars
weigh about 80 600 pounds empty, hammers
the rail with 1000 pounds on wheel. The
car for three, feet road weighs but LOO per
wheel, or whole car weight, 800 pounds. 4
car that weighs 3, 900 pounds will carry about
on an average forty passengers. The Cur that
weighs 300 pounds will carry thirty passen
gers The dead weight to passenger on the
four feet eight and 4 half inch gauge is 500
pounds. In the three feet gauge, ll5 pounds
to each passenger of dead Weight. Difference
in favor of narrow gauge, OBJ pounds to Il pas
senger. Surprising your passenger weighs,
say on an average with his baggage. :!22j pounds,
the account would stand thus: Wide guage,
for each passenger, ,U2j lbs.; narrow guage,
:;9S lbs., or less than half think the New
| York Central carries ut least from 500 to 900
| lbs. OF dead weight to each passenger. They
carried last year about 100000 Of passengers,
and n! ,n1ri lbs. each passenger and dead
weight, make t, ln0,0uO tons. On Il 3-teet
guagc Tor 4,OOO,OoO passengers, they would
carry | .jI2 Wn tons. This is sufficient to show
The difference between the two gauges Of rail
road. one -l-iect 81 inches, the other fleet
| In estimating the cost of operating the two
roads on the different SIDES Of the river, aud
the different gauges. have estimated that the
| Central Road runs 40 trains per day each way.
making ~ miles distance each train at 81 per
mile, - 800 per day, Multiply this amount
by %ij days, and get the saving per annunl
Of $500. 900 a. above stated.
The Erie Road, its gauge WAS reduced to
feet would become paying road at once; but
can it ever earn divided on its present gauge?
The dead weight eats up all their profits. 1t
is much larger than in a feet - inch--at
least larger The Erie Road carries y ton:
weight for every ton Of paying freight, and
| they carry at least 900 lbs. of,lcad weight to
every passenger or, rs compared to the fleet
gauge to every passenger, they draw Do lbs.
while the eject road draws 39S lbs to every
pas scnger carried being i saving OF more thar
) to |. All Of these estimates are obtained
from reliable data, and have been proved by
| actual experiments and eXperience