The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-02-14

| 2 T~1Har af A.
The Locomotive on Wooden Rails.
Prom the West Va. Monitor.
The following communication, from a
gentleman well knOwnas one Of the most
ingenious and enterprising machine build
ers in the State, derives uusual interest
from the actually Of the important ques-
tion, of which it suggests solution
"The development OF our seemingly i'm
accessible timlicred and mineral lannds. "
Should the plan proposed by the writer
turn out as practical professional judges
esteem it TO be, the enhancement Of pro-
perties hitherto valueless on account OF
their remoteuess from market, will add
millions to the wealth of the State, and
realize fortunes for q large class Of land
holders whose inevitable prospect, hereto
fore, was 10 die in discomfort and poverty.
Editor Of Vest Va. Monitor.
In this great timber and mining region
ofcOurse, there is rapidly arising a need for
short lines Of cheap rail road, with suitable
cars and motive power to thread up the
valleys and through the gorges, connec-
ting them with the great through lines
now made, making, or in Contemplation,
more especially are they demanded by
the lumber interest, Rich mining locali-
ties suchias Volcano, and the eXtraordi-
nary Asphaltum miners near CaIrO, can
afford to build rail roads with iron tack,
but with the lumber men, ever shifting as
the timber is cut from them, such expense
Is not tnbe thought olE; ans as all OF
the timber within wagoning distance OF
the great lines will be soon cut oil by the
fast saw mills OF modern construction,
some nlealls, must he'ahopted to reach the
tmlber 4, 10, or evens20 miles on either
side.
hSome ten years since, the winter Of this
constructed few miles of wooden tram
way, and put on it cars made with the
ilangcs Of the wheels working outside of
tho rails. leaving each axle free to adjust
itselt ut right angles with the rails. This
allowed the ours to run as easily around
any sharp curves rs ON the straight lines; T;
neither did the ilanges press against or
ahrade the sides Of the rails, and It was
found that this change of tho tlange from
tho inside To- the outside. diminished the
tendency Of thewhecls to get of the track,
ny zen lold, In fact, q properly construc-
!eu car wlch flanges outside, can scarcely
ne made toget oil the track, even though
1t De very uneven. '.:a % lsgssin
'lhe success of this line caused the con
struction Of quite number of lines. from
one 10 five miles long on the came nrjnci.
pie, and with similar results in this vicini-
". All of these roads arc onerated bv
horse power, and they have given The
mills using them very marked adyan.
tagc, in business point Of view, over
those without them, These roads cost
from 9 TO $400 per mile, whereas iron
roads cost from 3 TO $4,000 per mile.
The question now arises, cannot steam
DO applied as a propelling power on those
cheap roads. 90 j. T
Saw logs weighing two tons are habit
ually transferred on them, without injury
to the rails, and this on cars Of only
wheels. Locomotives can be made weigh
Ing about $500 lbs. on wheels 1.-TWO dri
vGrs and two pilots on each side) which
will not be so hard on the track as the
cars now used and have about 15 horsI
power, and draw train Of cars at from
to Z miles per hour. This engine woult
cost say 81 500, or less than the horses 4
represents, and would readily ascend