The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-04-19
MARROW GAUGE RAILROADS.
Same Practical Facts concerning
Their characteristics

Their ChNrUetchhDsASss
Messrs. Porter, Bell q Co., OF Fits
burgh, Pa, builders oflight locomotives.
bay. issued a circular from which we
quote the following interesting partlcu'
lars concerning narrow gauge railroads :;
Several of considerable lengths are
now projected, and will in all proba-
bility be speedily pushed on to compile
ton. But, while no long roads of mar
row gauge are actually in operation In
the United States, there have been built
during a few years past a large number
of short roads. For a great many OF
these, Smith & Porter furnished loco
motives, and it is to their work we beg
to call YOUR attention. The facts stated
are kindly furnished us by those own
ins and running the locomotives
GAUGE.
The roads which show the best re-
sults are from thirty-six to forty-two
inches gauge. Narrower gauges do
mot diminish the cost Of construction
and equipment to any proportionate
extent, and are, on some accounts, OBJ
iectionable. Were the country through
which the road is to run very billy, and
were the survey to require a great
amount of excavation and rock cutting,
these objections would likely be more
than counterbalanced. Our locomo-
tiyes, however, are built to any gauge.
The rail which commends itself for
real economy Of service is the common
I rail.
Wooden rails are perfectly practical
BILE, and we adapt our, locomotives OF
every class to them with success, but
the loss of power is from three-eights
to one-half at least, and though the
first cost is perhaps less in q we'll
wooded country, distant from rail mills
the cost for repairs is heavier.
Strap rail, OF sufficient weight for ser
vice, are nearly as costly as the T rail,
and are very difficult to keep tied to the
stringer under the continuous wear OF
rolling stock. a.
Light T rails, are now extensively
manufactured in Pittsburgh and Johns,
town, and in many other places.
These locomotives, weighing about
$4,000 pounds, have been running
on a l6 pound rail for many months,
and the rail shows no signs Of more
than ordinary wear. There are loco
motives of $4,000 pounds weight, which
have been running for over two years
on a 81 pound rail. Rails from 10 to IS
or 40 pounds per yard can be bought
for $75 per gross ton, or - cents pei
pound.
In this matter there can be no trou
BILE, as these locomotives are actually
turning on curves Of only 81 feet ra'
dius.
GRADES.
The lighter these can be made, the
greater will be the tractive power Of the
locomotive and the less the strain upon
the road. But the proportionate loss
Of power and increase Of wear is much
less with narrow gauge, than with ordl
nary roads Our six ton engines are
regularly hauling Fl gross tons up a
lbs feet grade on curvature of 10 de.
grees, and 100 tons on level, at a speed
of s miles per hour
Our larger locomotives have proper
tonately greater speed. -,
One of our seven ton engines on a "A
inch gauge is hauling 40 tons up a grade
of 40 feet to. the mile.
A II ton locomotive is hauling on 4
feet 81 inch gauge, % tons up a grade
of 264 feet to mile, which is just one,
half the work of SO ton, six driver
locomotive on the same road. This
showing is the more remarkable as the
road is miles in length, and rises in
the distance 1900 feet, the steepest
grade being 264 feet, and the average
grade being from 200 to 2ll feet.
Our fourteen ton locomotives of
feet s! inches gauge, with proportionatt
power on grades, handle with ease son
tons on a level.
FUEL.
Where actual weight Of fuel has beer
reported to us, from 700 to 1000 pound:
of coal are used per day, on the six and
ten ton locomotives.
In all these statements we have en-
deavored to keep strictly below the av
erage power of these engines on roads
as we have found them, generally built
without great care, aid not in such a
manner as to secure the most effective
work from machinery. The rolling
stock, also, is often of inferior make
and very wasteful Of power from exces
sive friction.