Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-08-01
Narrov-0aure Railroads.

The Narrow-Guage Railroad Convention
which recently met in st. Louis appointed
a committee to prepare a report upon the
peculiar merits and advantages of the mar
row-gauge system. This committee con
sisted OF practical railroad men. its Chair
man being Mr.. W. ii. Greenwood. manager
of the new Denver and Rio Grande Mar
row-Gange Railroad. Its report has lust
been published. containing one Of the
strongest arguments in favor of the new
system yet offered TO the public.
The committee begin by recommending
the three-feet gauge as the standard for all
narrow-guage roads which have not spec
ial reasons for adopting less gauge. be-
feying that by this means, before many
yeats, the three-feet roads will have
through connections north. south, east and
west. with better system of Interchange
of cars than there Is now on the existing
roads. They then proceeded to examine
the comparative cost of the old aud new
systems: our means of constructing the
broad gauge As compared with the narrow
gauge; the comparative cost OF operating
the two gauges the practicabiIty OF CON
structing narrow-gauge locomotives of suf-
fticient power and speed to answer the
general requirements. and OF making the
passenger coaches safe, con Portable, and
popular. All of these subjects are dis
cussed In apparently candid manner. the
conclusion arrived at being justified by
statistics. The result is that the committee
prove at least that the narrow gauge NAV
be introduced to great advantage In parts
of the country which at present have
neither the means TO build broad ga.ge
roads nor the traffic 10 support them.
The committee say, In regard 10 the first
cost Of construction. that in every rough.
mountainous countries, where il i not
necessary to run fast trains. the cost OF "A
three-feet gauge road will not he over one
iifth that OF such roads rs the Pennsy VI
vsnia or Baltimore and ohio. In the
broken, rolling country which the most OF
our roads traverse. the narrow gauge will
cost about one-half much as the exist
ing roads have cost while over slightly
undulating prairie or plain country the
COS. of construction OF a first-cla-s narrow
gauge passenger road, with the equipment
suitable FOR large freight a well as pas
srngcr business, will not exceed three
iiilhs of what a broad gauge would cost.
with what l. now called iirst-class equip
ment and road bed.
But the saving Ia the first cost OF the
roads and equipments j. but onr OF the
economical advantage. claimed for The
narrow guagc. The locomotives and ears
being much lighter than on the broad
guage. the wear and tear are far less The
saving to be made by the reduction OF dead
weight To be hauled Is enormous on the
narrow guagr. a. l. shown by the fact that
the East India narrow gauge cotton car.
weighing 5000 pounds. carries 10. $40 lbs j..
of cotton or paying freight, while the
southern broad-gaugc soN ear, carrying
only 5000 pounds OF cotton. weighs Is
so pounds In the first case the car car
rie- nearly three aud a half times It, own
weight; IN the other the car does not car
~ H. own weight in freight bs $500 lb>.
This may BE- considered an extreme ease
and an unfair illustration: but a great al
vantage In this regard l. shown by the
narrow guagc under all circumstances. III
For instance. on the Denver and Rio
Grandc road cattle ear weighing 5000
pounds will carry nine animals weighing
la.G0o pounds. An ordinary hroad-gau-r
ear weigh, y 600 pounds, and will carry
fourteen cattle weighing 1900 pounds.
making dead weight Of 81 pound, per
head greater than GA the narrow gauge
In train OF twenty ears containing mine
head OF cattle each the difference IN favor
OF the narrow-gaugc ID the matter 81 dead
weight would be- 2.iG0 pounds.
La regard To a reduction In the cost 81
transportation by the use Of the narrow
gauge III. committee estimate THAT hy the
saving In Interest account. In the cost Of
operating the roads aud ia getting rid OF
the necessity Of hauling cnormou. dead
weight, nArrow-gaugc road, eau transport
freight at rates one-lhird les than roads Of
the ordinary gauge can afford % carry ID.
IL y. \. >aR.