The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-08-31
.$IO,72IOO
Rails, 30 lbs. per I'd,


The item of ballast is left out of this
estimate, because, in many cases espe-
cially at the West, this forms no part
of the original cost of construction. A
much greater saving in the amount of
earthwOrk may often be made by the
introduction of curves sharper than
would be admissible in Il first-class
road of the ordinary gauge. The above
estimate is also exclusive Of the bridg-
ing; SO that, all things being consider
ed, if q certain line of road can be
built on the common gauge costs $15.-
600 per mile, we may safely assume
that a road can be built along the
same line, on the three-feet gauge, for
SI1, 600 per mile. Let us consider the
application of these two systems to
line 100 miles long; supposing, for the
time being, that the running crpe71ScS
are the same on either line, and that
the carrying capacity of the lesser road
is equal to the requirements of the
traffic. The cost of construction, ac-
cOrding to our assumed figures, will
be, for the common gauge, 81 500, 600,
and for the three-foOt gauge, 500, 900.
We will assume that the net earnings
of the road of common gauge, after
paying running expenses, interest on
bonds, ETC., are $3.50, 900 per annum, or
dividend of ten per cent. to stock
holders. The road of lesser gauge does
the same work at the same price, and
therefore has the same income; but
the expenses are less by the interest on
the amount saved in construction.
Hence the net earnings, over and
above all expenses, will be Sl70,OOO,
allowing seven per cent. interest on
bonds. This gives a dividend to stock
holders of Is 1S-10O per cent. With
such figures before them, capitalists
and railway directors will hardly fail
to investigate the subject closely. But
this il not all. There will be found
nearly, if not quite, as great proper
tiOnal saving in the running expenses
of the road of thTee-feet gauge. The
distribution of the road and the weight
of rolling.stock is such, that the light
rails of this gauge will last quite as
long. as the heavier ones of the COM
mon gauge; hence repairs to track
will be no more frequent, but much
less expensive. The same may be
said of repairs to rolling-stOck. The
great gain, however, is in the econO-
MIXING Cf engine-pOWer. By the use
of the Fairlie Swivel Truck Engine,
the entire weight of engine and tender
is utilized in producing tractive pow
er. The proportion of the necessary
weight of car to weight of load is much
reduced with the size of the car, and is
still further reduced by the use of
another late invention; 1. G., the coup
/ ling of cars is effected through rods ex-
/ tending from the centre of the car to
1 the ends, thus relieving the frame OF
| the car from the strain of dTaught.
On the ordinary gauge of 4. feet, the
average weight of a common bOx-c3T
is ten tons, and its maximum load the
same. On the other hand, estimates
made by AIr. FaiTlie eforrolling-st to
be used on roads of three. feet gauge
show that bOX-cars weighing one and
half tons are capable of carrying fOul
tons of load. Allowing a margin fol
contingencies, it will be safe to assume,
that, whereas on the cOmmOn-gaugt
roads the proportion of paying load
to dead weight is one to one, on the
three-feet gauge it is two to one. The
consequences of such a fact are obvious
The above statement Of the ratios be
tween paying and dead loads will only
hold in the case of fully loaded cars
but, in the case of partly loaded car
and way traffic, the comparison be
tween the two gauges viii be still more
! favorable to the narrower. Seyera
| objections are made to the narrow
: gauge system. 1t IS said that the com
, fort OF passengers viii sacrificed. Blu
: it IS not hard to foresee, that, al
/ though the height OF cars may b
somewhat decreased, each passenge
I will be allowed more space than at pre-
! sent. Again, it is urged that the mar
! row gauge system can only be apple
I to branch roads, and that the labor an
, expense of the transfer of freight WI
E balance the advantages gained. InN
S however, is not true, as will be seen o
J second thought. On line of road sue
e as we have considered above, it viii b
5 safe TO estimate that the annus
amount of Though freight requirin