The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-05-18
Narrow Gauge Railroads.

The subject of narrow gauge railroads
OF late years has attracted much atten-
ton in this country. In the mining re-
gions of this State some experience has
already been had on the narrow gauge.
Grades and curves have been attained
which few years ago were deemed
wholly impracticable. During the pres
ent session of the legislature a number
of charters has been granted, and a
strong necessity already exists for a
liberal system of general legislation on
the subject. While the rapidly advanc-
ing power of railroad monopolies has
caused the deepest dependency in the
minds of some, others, who are accustom-
ed to look at the bright side of the pic
ture, witness the organization of mighty
elements for successful resistance.
Among these elements is an enlightened
public sentiment, which while subduing
unjust prejudice against railway corpo-
rations, at the same time is convincing
their owners and operators of the neces-
sity of pursuing just and liberal policy
towards the public.
Another mighty agency in the work
of reform will be the narrow gauge.
sist in the redemption of the people
from the oppression of monopoly. Sci
ence is introducing great competitor
into into the railroad field, which will
compel selfshness to abandon the con-
hict. The whole railroad policy of the
country will be revolutionized. Begin
ming with the vertebrB, trunk roads
will be reduced to the narrow gauge,
and then competition will dissolve the
power of monopoly. Marrow gauge
roads will penetrate regions of country
hitherto deemed inaccessible, and by
their cheapness will be multiplied with
marvellous rapidity. The pernicious
policy of comforting vast grants of lands
upon railway companies will be neutral
lied by new system which, expanding
year by year, will fill the West with a
teeming population. The next genera
tion will not witness, in all probability,
the power of the great railway kings of
the present. The Vanderbilts and Jay
Goulds will not transmit their sceptres.
But this consummation must be assisted
by enlightened and liberal legislation.
We have before us very able report
OF joint committee of the Massachu-
sets Legislature on the subject of mar
row gauge, which shows that the period
of doubt and experiment has already
been passed. The first of these expert
ments was a tram road in the Festiniog
Valley, in Wales. Its gauge was one
foot eleven and a-half inches. 1t had
curves of 1872 feet radius, and grades of
10 feet to the mile. The engineer, Mr..
Spooner, whose name deserves commem-
oration, determined to apply the locomo-
tive to this line. The rail used weighed
80 pounds to the yard, and the engines
weighed seven tons. The passenger cars
were 10 feet long and five feet wide, and
capable OF seating twelve passengers.
To- day trains over 1000 feet long run
over this little road at a speed of Is or
20 miles an hour, with as much safety
as upon any in England, and at cost
below that of roads much more favora-
bly, constituted of the ordinary gauge
The freight cars on this road carry three
tons. In one year its tonnage amount
ed to 1862 tons, and its passenger
business in the same year amounted to
6,S07 passengers per mile.
Another railway of about eight miles
in length has been made in Wales with
a gauge of two feet six inches. 1t has
nearly uniform grade of about 20 feet
rise to the mile. Two light engines
have worked the traffic of this road for
more than five years with three passen-
ger as we'll as freight trains running
each way daily. Each engine carries
three cars with 10 to 90 passengers and
twenty slate cars.
In Germany there is small line con-
Meeting with the Cologne and Geissen
railway which has gauge of feet
I inches, curves of l24 feet radius and
planes of seventy feet rise to the mile.
The rails vary from % to 26 pounds to
the yard. The engines weigh 12R tons
and haul SO cars each loaded with 5
tons. The cost of the line per mile in
Guiding rolling stock, has been about
$4,000.
In 1864, Mr.. Phil, an engineer in Nor
way, constructed the Thondgham rail-
way upon gauge of feet 6 inches
Their country was too sparse in popula-
ton, too poor in resources and too rug
ged in its topography to justify the
building of road OF the ordinary gauge.
The engines were about u tons weight,
and the other rolling stock in proportion.
Mixed trains of passenger and freight
cars were connected, and in six years of
operation the road has proved perfect
success. Passengers receive every neces.
sary accommodation, and are transported
as safely and as speedily as upon any of
the older roads having similar business.
Other narrow gauge roads have been
built and are now being built in Russia,
Norway, Australia and South America.
The Unaio Valenciana railroad is 10
miles long, has grades of 169 feet rise to
the mile, and curves of 255 feet radius.
1t has been some time in successful oper-
alton. 1t has a 40 pound rail, and its
engines weigh 10 to Is tons. Its passen-
ger cars afford comfortable accommodation
for 80 persons. Mixed trains traverse
this road at speed of Is to 20 miles per
hour, and passenger trains at 80 miles
per hour with as much safety as upon
frst-class roads of ordinary gauge.
These are all short lines connecting
with trunk roads, but they demonstrate
the complete success of the experiment.
In Colorado the Denver and Rio
Grande railroad is about to be COM
menced. 1t is destined to extend from
Denver City, along the Rocky Mountain
plateau, to Ell Paso, distance of $50
miles. The gauge adopted is two feet
nine inches, and the estimated cost per
mile is $4,000. In Australia $50 miles
are built, and 25O more are projected OF
the narrow gauge.
The report from which these state
ments are taken, contains much other
valuable information on the subject OF