The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-11-01

A MARROW GUAGE RAILRoAD.-A cores.
pondent of the Utica Herald, who has been ex-
aiming narrow guage railroad, just opened
for business in Pennsylvania, writes as follows
AS the Central Valley railroad is the first
narrow guage projected in the United State
and has upon its track the first narrow guaoe
locomotive ever turned out from any shop in
this country, and as this new system at the
present time is attracting much attention, Q
brief description of the road its rolling stock
its capacity, ETC., may be of interest to he pub
lic The grading, it may be remarked, with
the bridges and culverts, is completed, aud the
unfinished track is being rapidly put down.
The suage of the road, which is the same as
all projected upon the new plan is three feet.
The bed, which was graded under the immedi-
ate supervision of Mr.. Hurry, who is likewise
the contractor, is piece of work rarely equal
ed, and nowhere surpassed. The ties are five
feet, and placed with about the usual space be-
tween. The rails are Al pounds to the yard,
and OF the best English STEEL When coupled,
as they are with the most approved Fish plates
they are as unyleldlng and secure as continu-
GUS rails. The engine, from Grants works at
Patterson, N. j., when loaded weighs eighteen
tons. The drive wheels are forty eight inches,
with two-inch steel tire. The material through
out is Of the best quality, while in the construc-
ton is displayed the perfection OF art. The
idea entertained by some that in narrow
guage there is not room for tie play of machin-
cry is mistake. The space is ample and to
spare. Inc freight cars are fourteen feet in
length, by six and half feet in width and
height. Weight, $500 pounds; capacity. five
TONS The HAT cars are sixteen feet in length,
The baggage car is twenty six feet long, HEIGHT
and width same as freight cars, with a net ca
pacity of nine TONS
The passenger cars are thirty-four feet in
length, with capacity for thirty-four passen-
gers each. Weight, $4,000 pounds An ordi-
nary passenger from the same works, at Will.
miDgton, Delaware, weighs 40, 900 pounds. is
ffty-fve feet long, with a carrying capacity of
ffty-two persons. The better to comprehend
the advantages or disadvantages of the new
system, compared with the old, let us institute
a simple comparison between the two.
Three passenger cars of the narrow guage,
weight $4,000 pounds, occupy 102 feet of the
track, and will carry 102 passengers. Two or
binary coaches weigh $4,000 pounds, occupy
IOO Ieet, carry l04 passengers. In this one case
we nave 79O pounds car weight for each pas
ssenger; IN the other, All pounds. Other things
3Ieem1ng equal, which, most economical? The
olnerence between the narrow and the ordina-
~ guSge may be further shown in the ratio of
paying 70 non-paying transportation. The
weight OF an ordinary freight car is about ten
tons Of paying freight, or the ratio is one to
one. The capacity of q car weighing two and
malt tons on the narrow guage, which is
iractlon more than the freight cars on the Cen
IRA, valley, is five tons, giving ratio of two
s anu naif to five. If to this we add the fact
t thas large part of the cars are not filed to
sneH maximum capacity, and that many cars
S e,o W pe .aKen from point to point, we will
n u tue oluerence very largely in favor of the
sew sew system. A distinguished engineer we'll
i 10y VI our new system, that 1--WE send a GAL
measure to carry pint"