The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1871-10-05
Narrow Guage Railways.

Lue SlOChlOlutiS VIII lluhlSu6u TIE
means to construct the roads. Ii upon
information based on actual experiment
it is found that q narrow guage road
can be constructed at less than one-hall
the cost of the broad guage aud can be
operated at 10 per cent less expense,
with the capacity to do the same amount
Of business, the question should be set
tied at once and forever in favor OF the
narrow guage. F.
The narrow guage railway isno longer
an experiment. Railways Of this kind
are being successfully yoperated in Wales,
France, Prussia, Norway, Sweden, Rus
sia, South America Australia, Canada
and the United States. "..
The Festinoig road in Wales was the
first narrow guago operated by steam.
1t WAS thirteen and half miles in length,
and has Il gauge OF only twenty-three
and half inches 1t was constructed
in 1882 as a horse tran-way, and al
forwards converted into steam rond.
1t rises seven hundred feet i'll its entire
length, ito whole course running through
IL rocky mountainous country, yet owing
to the short curves, available through
the very narrow gauge, cuts and fills
have been avoided ."...
The amount OF traffic done by this
road is most astonishing, III 1869, 423,-
500 tons Of Xeight were passed over it,
mainly i'll one direction, and l20, 800 pas-
sengers; the dctmt operating expenses,
being only about thirty-one per cent oi
the gross earnings, yielding a dividend on
the capitol stock OF twenty-siX per cent.
Mr.. II. f. Fnlie, Esq, an English
Civil Engineer of great celebrity, after
drawing Il comparison between the broad
and narrow gauge, as applicable to the
English railways, ,ays: "Here then we
have established the fact, so tar as copqr-
Hy g0eS that the nqnU'C gG'ige is superior,
10 the hoad On". The narrow can pro-
duce twenty-five millions (25,OOO000,
net out of IL gross tonnage of fifty mil
lions; (S5O,0O0,0O0;) whilst the broad
guage to produce the same result, il
continued to be worked us it now is,
would require that one hundred and
twenty-five millions (l25,0O0,0OO) tons
Of dead weight should be hauled, and
that at an increased cost i'll the same
proportion of one hundred and twenty
five (125,00O,OOOJ to fifty millions (5O,-
O,OJOC .H I"....
Mr. Farlie was sent for by the Empc-
ror OF Russi,s andin IN interview with
the Russian Minister of Public Works
was asked to give short account OF
the advantages of the narrow guage
railways, Il replied" says he, "that by
the adoption Of that system, railways
could be made ut II cost of One-half the
sum required to construct them on the
broad gunge plan, 50 that it would give
two miles for the sum expended fol
one" That these lines when finished
and equipped, possess u carrying ca
pncity equal to, il NOT greater than that
Of those ON the old system, is certainly
true. In other words, they should be
capable Of carrying as many passengers
and tons of goods i'll twenty-four hours
as the best lines now existing; and this
c.,n be done ut a reduced cost, indepcn-
dently Of the reduced wear and tear OF
the permanent way, and Of the value OF
the increased life of the rails.
We give the following extract from a
recent letter from Mr. Farlic to Mr. H.
3. Wilson, of New York, the well known
capitalist and protector Of railroad en-
terprisos, in which he says:
Il shall be happy to do all can to
assist you i'll promoting cheap and eff
cient railways in America. | note that
on your side the water, anxious us YOU
all are to go ahead, you have your pro-
crastinations, vested interests and pref
uthces to overcome, Just us | have here,
although to very limited extent COM
pared with. this country. Om success,
Ill Russia on the narrow guage is most
complete-345 tons taken up an incline
Of one i'll eighty for five miles is not bad
for light double bogie engines on light
rails; but what is the greatest import,
ancc is that out of the 345 tons, 254
tons are paying freight. This is 2.7e
paying tons for every one ton of dead
weight In your country, according to
what see published, the proportion oi
paying to dead is one to one, so that
whilJ we carry 25l tons in 81 tons oI
wagons, you would require 254 tons oI
wagons at the least to give the same re.
suits. The Farlie engine and light roll
ing stock on q 3 foot guage will per.
form greater duty than any broad
guage gou have-you are at liberty tc
select your best, l don't care which it is
and what is more there will be consid
cradle economy in doing it. And pray
bear in mind that the narrow guagen i,
more capable than the broad-the for
mer OH the Farlie principle. Ihave just
noted your last remarks on capacity o
guagcs. You are not quite correct il
this. A 3 foot guage, if worked on the
Farlie principle, whether single or dou
bic line, has a far greater capacity tha1
foot s. inch, Gfoot, orr lootguages.
In future articles we will attempt tC
show that the narrow guage road IL
what we need to develop the South, ant
that if it had been adopted at the star
we would have had twice the number o
miles of road in operation we now have
and that, as a consequence, the countr.
would have been far better developed il
its mineral and agricultural resources
and that the stock in the roads, instea(
of being worthless. would have afforded