The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1872-02-29
NARROW GAUGE.
Something Mere Of the Experiment
n ColoFado.
From the Cincinnati Commercial.


From the Cincinnati Commercial.
The comparative cheapness of the
construction aud operation Of mar
row gauge railways eemmeads them
70 the people. Il only remains to
show BY experiment that they are
practicable, to induce capitalists to
invest largely in them. For short
lines and roads tributary to main
lines, have proven to be adequate to
all the service demanded Of them.
The experiment of operating a long
line upon three foot guage is in
progress in Colorado. The road
which is being constructed rapidly,
and Of which seventy five miles are
completed, and started from Denver
City, is to skirt the base of the Rocky
Mountains to Santa Fec, and thence
to be continued TO FL PRsO, on the
Mexican border, and finally to be
continued to, and terminate in the
city of Mexico. Thetotal length of
this line will be 1850 miles. The
cost OF construction is hut $4,000
per mile or $4,000 less than that Of
the Kansas Pacific.
Mr.. Samuel Bewles, Of the Spring
Geld Republican, has recently been
over that portion OF the road which
has been completed, and reports
very fayorably concerning it. AS
important results depend upon the
success of the enterprise, we subjOin
a single passenger from his Denver
letter description of the new under
taking
The road and its trains in the first
place look like railway plaything,
in contrast with the broader and
heavier tracks and larger cars of the
accustomed lines; delicate and dain-
ty, they seem almost too faint and
feeble for the hard quick work to
which they are called, and especially
unequal to the great contest which
they have invited. Yet so far sure.
| ly, they are performing their task
with ease, with comfort, celebrity and
with success. The track-bea of the
narrow guage is 6 feet wide, as
against 8; the distance between the
rails 3 feet as against 4 feet 81 inches;
| the ties arc s to 81 feet as against 9;
the rails weigh 80 pounds to the
yard, rs against Sc; the enginee Il
to 16 tons as against % to 30 tons
putting about half the weight on the
drive wheels that the large lOcOmO
tives do; the passenger cars with
wheels carrying 81 passengers, Of
6 tons, as against Is tons, s wheels
and so passengers; and the freight
cars SO far introduced weigh 2 tons
run on 4 wheels, and carry 4 to
| tons of freight, as against cars weing
9 tons on s wheels and capable Of IL
| tons load Where four passenger:
sit in the ordinary car, there are
seated in the narrow ones, two OF
one side, anil one on the other o
the passage way, the car being divi
ded in the middle by door, and the
seats for two and one, respectively
being reversed in the two sections
so rs to balance the carriage. The
cars at first introduced are z fee
wide and l04 feet high from rail K
top. They prove a tri1e more com
pact than is necessary, and not quit'
generous enough in accommodation
for passengers; but this evil is being
remedied in new cars now construct
ing; while sleeping cars and day
drawing room cars can be made fOl
the narrow guage roads, which viii
accommodate still more persons, il
proportion to their size and weight
than the ordinary cars of this char
acter now do" ..,....