Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-04-17
Narrow Gauge Railways.


The eapability Of subdivision Of traffic is
one OF the most important advantages which
the narrow gauge offers. 1t involves the
leading principle iu railway economy, but il
is an economy which has been shown, and
borne out by the weight of all the evidence
given before the Royal Railway Commission,
to be impossible on the broad gauge. Yet il
must be remembered, and this is point not
understood by some Of the strongest advo.
Gates of the narrow gauge, that such lines do
not show their full effectiveness, unless they
are provided with suitable locomotive power.
If line is made in all respects miniature
copy Of a broad gauge road, with miniature
engines and rolling stock, and on which n
large traffic is expected to be done its utility
aud working capacity under such circumstan.
ces will not show the economy in operating
Of which the narrow gauge Is capable. II
we look at the capacity Of the engines on
Norwegian aud other narrow gauge lines. se
fad this fact worth noting, that the proper
ton Of working expenses to receipts is.
creases as The poieer Of The eagiHs ipersaifl
To sum up then the requirements nsses
sary for making narrow gauge raIlsay fef
iectly efficient, We must have light ro' iHr
stock aud powerful engines capable of hsu..
ing heavy loads; and under such circumsiau.
ces, the following fact will be established
| that the maroon gauge has a greater capacity
far traffic than The broai gauge II now ~.
mains to point out briefly the circumstance.
that have led to the recommendation Of To-,
three foot gauge, as the proper width for gen.
eral introduction. Experience has shown
that three feet six inches can be made high
" economical and efficient width, bat it does
not by any means follow that it is The most
servieeable or efficient, any more than it fol-
, lows that the accidental four feet eight and
one half inch gauge was all that could be de-
sired. Ga the contrary, as knowledge anC
experience increases, we are enabled TO ap
proach more and more nearly to that happy
mean. on either side Of which is error
While on the one hand there is every neces
sity for obtaining such gauge as will AFFORD
good aud useful width Of carriages, on th,
other it is necessary to avoid such narrow
limits as would necessitate too great overhanl
on each side Of the rails. The three fee
gauge appears to comply with all the neces
sary conditions better than any other, and i
being generally adopted as the standard fo
barrow gauge lines. The all important mat
tiers are to place upon the rails thorough,
efficient stock that shall possess q maximum
Of capacity aud a minimum of weight, an,
to supply motive power under the mos
economical circumstances and it appears t
he easier to accomplish these objects upon
three feet gauge than upon any other |
has been found that an ample floor area cat
be obtained with less dead weight than cal
be secured by any other gauge; on wide
gauge the dead weight increases, and on
narrower one the capacity dmiuishes.
The great and perhaps the most importan
point to be understood and the point upo
which rests the economy of the three fee
gauge,-is the great saving in working e1
penscs. Every ton of dead weight saved eoe
toward securing the prosperity of the line
and if we can obtain the ample platform
which the three feet gauge gives, with 81
much saving in weight, there is nothing lief
to be desired. The economy in cost of con
struction though most important in man!
localities, is subordinate to the greater an,
constant economy in daily use, and this subse
quent economy is not variable it is Away
the same where narrow gauge railways au'
their equipments are worked, as everything
should be worked, with view to progress
and development