Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-03-22
NARROW euAaE RAILROADS.

a.. =
AS the subject of narrow guage railroads
is now attracting considerable attention,
we have compiled some facts about the.
Festeniog railway which will be of inter
est. 80. ssti -. -
This railway is single line of way,
commencing at certain slate quarries in
the district of Festeniog and terminating
at the shipping port of Portmadoe, in
North Wales, England. The length of
main line ID thirteen and a half miles, with
a branch Of one mile. The difference in
elevation, from the sea level to the upper
terminus, is seven hundred feet-being
continuous ascending graduates; the max
imum of which is one in sixty-eight, and
the maximum curvature is about, ia feet
radius, and in length from so to 200 feet.
Nearly the whole line is succession Of
curves, following the contour of the hills.
The line runs through rude, rocky coun-
try-the heaviest filling being so feet, and
cutting q feet. The width of embank-
nents are 10 feet. There are two tunnels,
one of $50 yards through syenite, the most
expensive rock formation to excavate, and
one of 60 yards through slate formation.
Many Of the filings are built through and
through with dry stone masonry, and
others with retaining walls having the in
termediate space filled with soil. - =
The fences are chiefly dry stone masonry
capped in mortar, and the cuIberts are in
dry masonry, faces in mortar. The bridges
are of stone masonry with the exception
Of one over turnpike road which is an
iron-girder bridge. There are also five
other bridges constructed of iron-girders,
for foot passengers and cattle. The guage of
the road is one foot one and half inches
and was originally laid with rails of six
teen pounds to the yard. These afterwards
were replaced by rails weighing thirty
pounds most of which have been in use
for eighteen years.
The timbers used for the track is franz
ing fixed at every joint, which is arranged
by placing two sleepers longitudinally un-
der the cross sleepers spiked together.
The joints of the rails are fastened with
socket fish plates which embrace the web
and lower head of the rail, and connected
together with fish bolts and nuts. The
cant of the outer rail is about three inches
in the maximum curves. The permanent
way is well ballasted, having water tables
at intervals, and drained by side cutters
in the cuttings. The siding at stations are
about four hundred yards long. The
company have seven locomotives, one of
which is equal in power to to four hum
dred and forty tons of a load on q level
at q speed of Is miles an hour. The
usual load of the Faerlie engine, over the
heaviest gradient is 80 tons, exclusive of
the weight of the engine, from IL to 20
nailesan hour. The length. of trains with
this engine are from 800 to 400 yards on
the ascending gradients, mixed with pas
sengers, goods and empty slate cars.
The cylinders of the four wheeled en-
gines are 81 inches and II inch stroke,
with wheel base of feet, and are worked
up 10 $50 pounds pressure. There is much
less wear and tear of the permanent way
and also of the wheel fiangespf the engines
on the Faerlie principle, besides the adj
vantage resulting from uniform grip
upon the rail of all the wheels. The
movement round the curves is easier, and
there is no impact friction of the wheel
iaBges against the outer,rail. The heaviest
engine In use is the Faerlie engine, weigh
ing 1ss tens, four of the smallest weigh
tons, and two others 10 tons in steam.
The diameter of the Bogie wheels of the
first named engine is 2 feet 4 inches, and
those Of the smaller 2 feet. 80 !.
The consumption of fuel is considerably
less, comparing them with an engine on
the broader guage. su
The company have first, second and
third class carriages-elose and open-somc
with longitudinal seats running through
the center Of the ears, with the backs to-
gether, and others with cross seats in the
ordinary manner. They are ten feet long
and six fest wide, and constructed upon
the same plan as street cars, excepting
they are entered on the side, and will car
ry about fifteen passengers. 20 -rFrp
The goods trucks are made similar to
those On standard gauge lines. These car
riages and cars will carry from two to three
tons paying freight, the wheels of which
are eighteen inches in diameter.
During the. year 1869 this line carried
al ,e17 tons of traffic paying weekly i'm
come Of 500.
This line was originally built for horse
tpam-wsy; since 1854 it has been using
steam power. The road has cost up to the
present time $3.50, 600, and upon this capt.
bal they are paying an annual dividend of
LII per cent. s.os... 81.
By carefully reading this description one
win see that this line has been very ex-
pensive in building, and should be no guide
lbr the construction of railway lines in
This country, for it is well known that
roads In this country are built for less than
hose in England. s.e S'tvI
Passengers, it is said, ride with as much