Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-09-02
.flN.r2l 90
u .ff. DtT..r ,,- vl
S14jl70
l,tt.

Inc item Vi DIIlttSl 10 ltiL Gll VI lulo
estimate, because, III 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 ny the
introduction Of curves sharper than
would be admissible in Il tirst-class
road Of the ordinary gauge. The above
estimate is also exclusive Of the briig-
ing; so that, all things being consider
ed, If certain line of road can be
built OIL the common gauge costs 9lo.-
900 per mile, we may safely assume
that road can be built along the
same line, on the three-leet gauge, for
Sll, 900 per mile, Let us consider the
application Of these two systems to a
line 100 miles long; supposlng, for the
time being, that the running expenses
are the same on either line, and that
the carrying capacity of the lesserroad
is equal to the requirements OF the
traffic. The cost Of construction, ac-
c0rding to our assumed figures, will
be, for the common gauge, 81 ,5OO,OOO,
and for the three-foOt gauge, SlOO,OOO.
We will assume that the net earnings
of the road of common gauge, after
paying running expenses, Interest on
bonds, ETC., are Sl5O,00 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 10y the inteTeston
the amount saved in construction.
Hence the net earnings, over and
above all expenses, will be SlI6,OOO,
allowing seven per cent. interest on
bonds. This gives a dividend to stock
holders of l6 lS-lOO per cent. With
such figures before them, capitalists
and railway directors will hardly fail
to investigate the subject closely, But
this is not ALL There will be found
nearly, if not quite, rs great q propor-
tional saving in the running expenses
of the road of three-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'
mizing Of 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 mucE
reduced with the size OF the car, and /;
still further reduced by the use o
another late invention /. C., the coup
! ling of cars is effected through rods ex
tending from the centre of the car t
the ends, thus relieving the frame 0
the car from the strain of draught
On the ordinary gauge of 4. feet, tn,
average weight of common boX-ca
is ten tons, and its aldIiD'ltnl load tn
same. On the other hand, estimate
: madeby Mr.. Fairlie forrolling-slock t,
be used on roads of three feet gaub
show that boX.cars weighing one am
: q half tons are Capable of carryingiOu
r tons of load. Allowing margin 70
; contingencies, il will be safe to assume
that. whereas on the c0mmon-gaug
roads the proportion Of paying Ioa
, to dead weight is one to one, on tn
. three-feet gauge it is two to one. III
, consequences Of such fact are obvious
: The above statement Of the ratios be
, tween paying and dead loads will onl
! hold i'm the case of fully loaded cars
but, in the case of partly loaded cal
: and way traffic, the comparison bt
tween the two gauges will be stlll MOI
5 favorable to The narrower. Sever;
/ objections are made TO the narrow
+ saugc system. IL is said that the CON
{ IorL of passengers will sacrificed, Isl
@ il is not hard to lorcsce, that, a
i though the height OF cars may !
somewhat decreased, each passeng'
will bc allowcdmoge space than al pr
=, sent. Again, it is urged that Tie ma
v row.g gauge system can only be appll(
: TO branch roads, and that The labor al
o expense of the transfer Of freight ".
l. balance the advantages gained, Thl
: however, is not true, rs will be seen
y second thought. On .liuc Of road sIlt
C as we have considered above, ii will
s safe to estimate that the annu
amount of through freight requiril