Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-08-04

FEsTINIOG, North Wales, May IL
Wales, not to be behind the rest of
the world, boasts it's seven wcnders,
but one of the most wonderful things
which it contains is not included in
the number; | mean the Festiniog
railway.
This little line has attracted visitors
from almost all parts of the inhabita-
ble globe. "Wise men from the East"
-Russian counts, Egyptian beys, An
glo-Indian Engineers, Norwegians,
Prussians, Austrians, French. Span
iards, 1taiians-have been to see and
criticise the miniature iron road, New
World visitors, too. from the States,
the West Indies, the BraZiIs, have
crossed the Atlantic and made their
way to the Welsh hills to Inspect the
"TOm Thumb " railway, a. it has
been called. Scarcely Il week passes
but some authorized commission or
some unauthorized self-appointed in
quisitor puts in an appearance, and
Mr.. SpOOneT, the very courteous engi-
neer and manager of the line, must
sometimes begin to wonder whether
he Is secretary or Snowman.
Having just paid a visit to Festiniog
and had IA full opportunity of eXamin-
ing the line, | have thought that a
brief description of it and few re-
marks upon some points which it
brings up for consideration would not
be unintcreStiDg to your readers.
II the FestiniOg railway were mere
ly a curiosity, | should need to apollo
gize for proposing to trouble you with
anything on the subject, for you have
curioSitiCs of your own in abundance,
both natural and artificial, human and
mechanical. But the FestiniOg rail-
way is more than curiosity; it is
practical
ILLUSTRATION OF A MOST IMPORTANT
PRINCIPLE
in railway construction. 1t is a fact
worth more than thousand theories
Let US then take a trip along the in
teresting little railway and see what il
is and what it does. Arrived at Porte
madoc station, we find the train in
waiting-a train which looks almost
like childs toy, so diminutive is it
compared with what we are accustom-
ed 10 see. One might. nearly sit
astride the engine, and the c2rriageS
look as though push would send
them going. The passenger carriages
are of two kinis in those of the old
est make the seats are arranged length
wise, the passengers sitting back to
back, as in an Irish jaunting-Gar; in
those of more recpEt built the seats
are placed croSswise, as in ordinary
railway carriages, and accommodate
three passengers to each seat, or twelve
to carriage; for summer tourists
there are open carriages, with length
wise seats and awnings Overhad and
for the quarrymen, large numbers of
whom 90 up the line every Monday
morning and return every saturday,
there are low, open cars, without COW
erIngs, which each carry a dozen
workmen. The carriage-floOrs being
raised very little above the ground
level, there is
NO NEED FOR PLATFORMS
at the stations and one step lands us
IL the carriage. Laeving PortemadO",
we pass along a straight and nearly
level emhankment, almost mile i'll
length. which carries the line ever
Traoth Mawr, CT the estuary Df the
BeGdgelaTt river. This being crossed
we Immediately commence our ascent
into the mountain country, the line
from this point rising the whole way
until il reaches its terminus; the gradi-
ents vary from to so, Us to | in 1856
the average gradient being in 81 for
12J miles. We can hardly help credi-
ting tie little engine with a concious
pluck and determination as it manful-
~ climbs these steep inclines, and
draws afterit its long train of carriages
and wagons. The liue runs throgh the
most enchanting and romantic scenery
and at times i'm our upward journey we
look straight down into the beautiful
and fertile valley below, three or -four
hundred feet beneath us. and along ii
to the sparkling sea beyond, while the
rugged rocks rise high on the other
hand, and we gaze up to the mountain
top. On we 90, along our winding
! way, turning and twisting, as the en-
gine, like thing of life, seems to
choose its mountain path with the
incest discrimination. At times tiit
curves round which we sweep are sc
small and follow each other in such
rapid SUGGESTIONS that neither the en-
cine nor the brake van can be seen by
a passenger in the middle of the train,
and the train itself Will be on
/ THREE DIFFERENT CURVES AT ONCE
at other times, the line takes a wide
sweep along the side Of great natu-
raj basis, almost doubling back upon
itself as it setks It's way to higher
ground. The curves, indeed, form
one of the most marvellous features OF
| this little line. The railway is nearly
ap curves; in some cases they are not
more :han Il chains in radius, yet
| trains glide round them with the ut
most ease, clipging to the mountain
and following their outlines with un'
| failing fidelity. Part of the journey
bv the invitation of Mr.. Spooner, We
pcrform on log of timber, some fifty
or sixty feet in length; this affords US
| capital opportunity of judging of the
capabilities of the line, and we are nc
| less surprised than pleased to find thai
we pass over the line as steadily anC
| smoothly as in most first-class carriag
es on ordinary lines. The log is car.
ried on a couple of "bOgie" trucks, ano
Its passage over the sharp curves j:
| absolutely imperceptible. As we ap
proach tie upper end of the railway
! we see. on either hand, severel branch
e running high up into the mountains
to the quarries, from which the slate'
are conveyed to the port below. Oh
all these, the gradients being very
steep, the traffic is worked by gravity
| the loaded trucks coming down to the
quarry termini on the main line anC
drawing the empty trucks up by means
of large windlasses. The return jour
ney down the main line is also per
formed by gravity. Taking our sea
in little open car we make rapiC
descent to fortmadoc, spinning along a
RATE OF THIRTY MILES AN HOUR
without either traction or propulsion
thus serving to show us very forcibly
the gradients with which the engin'
had TO contend on the upward journey
For its whole course the line, as VIII
! have been gathered, runs through