The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-07-28
4 WosDERFU1 RAILRo4D FEAT.
|sThe Gauge OF Three Hundred and Forty
Miles Of Track Changed inside OF
Eight Hours.

The Missouri Republican, of Saturday, gives
the following details of the arrangements
made by which $40 miles of the track OF the
Ohio and Mississippi Railroad changed from a
six feet gauge to four feet nine inches; on
Sunday morning last, between daylight and
IL o'clock:
The change of gauge on the Ohio and Mis-.
sissippi Railroad, which,it Is proposed to ef-
feet tomorrow, will be, without exception,
the greatest work of the kind which has eyer
yet been attempted. Preparations on the
largest scale have been made, and nothing mas
been lett undone to facilitate the operation.
The two lines of inner spikes, marking the
inner gauge, have been driven the entire
length Of the road. Tools, spikes and all the
materials required By the workmen tomorrow
have been distributed BY special trains to
every point where they can possibly be need.
ed. Even the places where the outside spikes
are to be driven in have been marked and
prepared beforehand by boring holes In which
to place the point Of the spikes, 30 that 1t Will
only be necessary after shifting the rail- for
one man to place the points of the spikes IN the
holes and man following with heavy ham.
mer will drive them home. The saving OF
time by this simple arrangement is very ma
.terIal. The gauge OF sidings, curves, &c, has
been long since changed, and on many OF
them narrow gauge cars have beeh'piaeed,
ready for use the moment the change OF gauge
Is completed. three shops belonging to the
eompany-one at East ST. Louis, one at VIM
cennes and another at Cochrane-twenty-
eight locomotives have been reduced to Inc
narrow gauge, at an average cost OF $500
each; fifty passenger cars, including baggage,
mail, express, parIor, night and sleeping cars.
at an average cost per car Of $3.50; seven hun:
dred and fifty freight cars Including oil
classes, aud three hundred new box cars, with
outside car platforms, have been contracted
for.
The force of !aborers will be distributed In
gangs of eight men to each mile of road.
There will be no cessation OF work from the
hour of commencing 1t till the change OF
gauge is completed. On Monday morning the
regular mail trains will start from Cincinnati
and St. Louis, and throughout the day the
to their proper places, In order to run all
trains on schedule time on and alter Tuesday
next In addition to the new rolling stock al
ready referred to, the company have purchas-
ed forty new freight engines from the Bal!i.
more locomotive works. They have all been
delivered, and are in good running order.
They have also purchased i've new passenger
cars OF new improved description. There
have yet to be changed from the broad to the
narroW gauge about seven hundred cars, In
cnding all classes, and ffty-fOur locomotives.
One of the most difficult problems to be solved
In the whole operation, has been the dlsposai
of this rolling stock until the completion OF
the change of gauge. It would never answer lsS yer
there we're works established for changing the
gauges, and to collect them at these shops
would be to embarrass the operations Ia
charging the gauge. Vincennes, Seymour,
Cochrane, and the Gravel Pit were at once Sc
lected as the temporary depots tor this broad
gauge stock. The Gravel Pit Is seventeen
e nd Ut nh0Ian
the principal place for storing the broad-gauSe
cars, on account of the facilities it afforded IN
the way of track room. A number OF oroad-
guage wooden tracks have been laid at the
place, and the cars. have been run OIL on them
till they can be reduced to suit the change OF
track.
The extreme breadth of the present gauge
has been the greatest difficulty the company
has had to encounter In changing 1t. In all
previous changes of gauge there has only been
one line of rails to be moved. the other re-
manning In the old position but in this case to
follow such precedent would be- to move one
line Of rails fifteen inches toward the middle
of the track. The effect would be to throw all
the weight of trains TO one side OF bridges,
cattle-guards, culverts trestles, &C., &C., thus
Increasing accidents, while the ineonyenienees
resulting from such change would nave been
extreme. The platforms at all the stations on
one side Of the road would have been render-
ed partially useless, aud IL WOuld nave oeen
necessary either to extend them outward, or
to bring the track to them-entailing heavy
expense, much loss Of time aud great incon-
yenience. Water tanks on the same SIDE OF
the track would also have been rendered un-
serviceable. 1t was, therefore, deemed neces-
sary to move the rails seven and one-hali In;
| ches nearer the middle of the track on each
| side, thus overcoming oil the difficulties re-
ferred to, and giving greater solldity to the
|
five months aso, the officers of the company
were instructed TO make preparations tor
efecting the change the last week of July. 1t
is anticipated that the entire expenditures in
connection with the change yill be about sl,-
100000.