The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-09-05
s3LA For the REelHfR.
Narrow Gauge Railroads.

Narrow Gauge Railroads.
MesSrs. Editors II copy as bearing
on this matter some statements from notes
| published on English Railroads as | saw
them in 1867. Two points are presented,
or illustrated in these notes. Firsf the
diminished weight of the rolling stock on
the English Roads, and second the weight
Of the train or its centre of gravity, being
on those roads placed low down near the
tracksand beticeen their parelIel fnest
BRITISH RAILWAYS.
Leaving Liverpool for Manchester, l,
first came to observe English railways
The rolling stock on. these roads. as COM
pared with that found on American rail.
ways, at first struck me quite unfavora.
bly,. The locomotives without polish,
painted with dull. gray, stone. paint, il.
lustrated the 'contempt for appearances
as to attractiveness in color, or the model
characteristic of English ideas. Cars
with like dark, dipgy color, improved by
coal smoke, and ugly baggage ratings on
top, with some tarpaulin coverings thrown
over the unsightly piles of old trunks and
furniture, make up even the first class
trains. Coal is burned in these ocomo-
tives in furnaces at the rear within the
exterior circle of the tubular boiler, the
heat being conducted through the boiler
by multitude of small tubes terminating
In front, In common air or smoke cham
ber, from which funnel or Aue. about
twelve inches in diameter, with a top
shaped like an inverted bell, rises perpen
dicular, about three feet above the top of
the boiler. Ofcourse they need no spark
arresters, and seem to require less draft
in running their fires than ordinary wood
engines.
These engines are scarcely tyo-thirds
MS high as lpeolnotiye on American roads.
1t seems to be desideratum to place the
weight of the machine and the water of
its boiler, as near the track as can be
done, and still leave the necessary space
for its wheels and machinery The cars
are about twenty-five feet in length, and
do not run on double trucks like ours,
but on two pairs of wheels to each car,
with shaft passing through frame on
which the car body rests. with interven-
ing springs
The roads being 50 nearly straight the
fianges of the wheels will crowd them
along such slight curves as cannot be
avoided like the cars on our street rail
ways. If trucks are sometimes used
they are so contrived that they add very
little to the elevation Of the car above
the track. The wheels are not as large
or so heavy as those used on American
roads, bringing the body of the cars
some eight to ten inches nearer the track.
Each car is divided into three COM
partments or "carriages," each carriage
with two seats across the car, facing each
other-the entrance being on the side,
between the seats. Each seat will ac-
commodate three first class passengers, or
four second OF third class. The f1teriors
Of the first class carriages are luxuriously
upholstered, the seats being. finished as
easy-chairs with side arms, 80 that three
seats occupy the width of the car, and
eighteen sittings will fill an entire car.
The second class cars for carriages. for
first, second, and third class passengers,
| Tor compartments, are sometimes found in
the same carl are furnished with cushion
ed seats and cushions for the back, but
have no divisions into separate seats, 80
that eight passengers can sit quite COM
fortably in each carriage, or twenty.four
in each car when full.
Third class cars have either plain board
seats, ior in some ears, mono at all. In
coming from Grecnock to Glasgow by
rail, | called for second class tickets, and
was given third class tickets which read
'ioiM seats," leaving the inference that
they had third class cars 1qthout seate
The gauge of English Railways is four
feet eight snd one half inches, and while
cars on American roads have Il projection
Of over foot on each side beyond the
track, the English cars project only from
six to eight inches, not measuring the
plank step on each side, extending along
the car outside, on which the guard or
conductor passes the entire length of the
train when necessary, while it is in mo-
tion.
The two circumstances-the weight OF
the engine and cars being located as near
the track as practicable, and the cars moi
projecting over the track, greatly dimin.
ish the danger in fast travelling on English
railways. H'' - - 80