Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-03-07
ENTERPRISES WORTHY OF AZ
TENTION.
Narrow Gauge Railroad Between
TulBahoma and Lynchburg.

Marrow Gauge Railroad Between
TuIIahoma and Lynchburg.
The question of building railroad be-
tween Tullahoma, on the Nashville and
Chattanooga Railroad, to Lynchburg, in
Lincoln county, is being agitated, and al
ready a considerable sum of money has
been subscribed for the purpose Of push
ing forward the enterprise to success.
The portion of country through which
it is proposed this road shall be con-
structed, and which it is intended to ben
eft, is one of the richest sections in our
State, Astounding in grain aud other pro
ducts. the distance between Tullshoma
aud Lynchburg, we, believe, is about
thirteen milee, and it is proposed to con-
struct narrow gauge railroad between
the points, the leading men engaged in the
enterprise believing that it will answer
the purpose of freight and passenger ac-
combinations, besides costing much less
in its construction.
We received a communication from
Lynchburg several days ago, asking for
information concerning the narrow gauge
roads. 1t is estimated that the common
American gauge, which is four feet eight
inches and a half, can be constructed at
the rate of $685. per mile, and we
have seen it stated that roads whose
gauges range from two to three and a half
feet, can be constructed, equipped and
| operated at one-third the sum required
for the same purpose by wide gauge
lines; and as tributaries to trunk lines,
and for opening up new countries, are
fully as useful as the broader roads. l. D.
Dibble, a gentleman apparently IA
miliar With these narrow gauge
lines, in an address on the sub
| ject some time since, in advocacy
of the same, called attention to the
fact that they have lighter locomotives,
smaller cars, narrower wheels, lighter
ties, cheaper rails, sleeper grades, and
sharper curves, and in connection with
these peculiarities are saving in the cost
of excavation, in the material used in
bridges and culveTts, in the value of the
iron, in the amount of dead weight per
passenger or per hundred weight of
freight carried in each train, in the
length of the line, and in nearly every
other item of expenditure.
1t is also claimed that railways of this
class have been and are practically sue
cessfal. There are two now in use In
upper Michigan, one of which is eight
miles in length. In Wales, a railway
with q gauge of bat one foot eleven and
half inches, which was incorporated in
1882, has some gradients of one foot in
sixty feet. has reversed curves of such q
character that trains sometimes run uron
three Of them at time, and so shorj hist
the locomotive and last car of the ir,in
are often parallel, runs at as high rate OF
speed as 35 miles an hour, and pays al
annual dividend of 80 per cent. on its
original capital. Similar roads now exist
in Norway and in Canada, and one is
about being constructed in Pennsylvania
from Allentown to Harrisburg, which
will have guage of three feet six inches,
and, it is estimated, will proftably trans
port freight at the rate of one cent per ton
per mile.
Some of the leading merchants of Tulla-
homa and Lynchburg, who have for
years past, purchased literally in this
market aud who are much interested in
the railroad connection referred to, pro-
pose in their next visit to bring their
subscription book with them to see how
much stock can be procured among our
WI oil 9ssle jObbers. We hope they may
be successful in their efforts, and in a
very short time have their projected road
in operation, with plenty of business.