Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-07-24
The Narrow Gauge or Wooden Rail-
road--'Niich Shall We Euild!
AUGUSTA, GA, July l.tth 1873

AUGUSTA, GA, July ltth 1873.
Editor EUgGfeld -idrertiser DEAR
Srn,--In reply to yours of 1lth inst,
received This \. NJ, stating that your
community proposed projecting either a
"Narrow Guage,p or Wooden Railway"
to the Pine House, ard asking my "icws
as TO the most practicable road for your
adoption, will give you very hnrric'l!y
some general comparisons between these
two cheap systems Of Roads, and which,
to suit your case, arc only questions OF
cost for Construction and Durability.
The practicability of "Narrow Gauge"
Railways has long since been established
beyond all doubt, by the "crc,y day
,vorkings" of these Roads in Russia,
England, Canada, and the States of New
York, Connecticut, California, Texas,
Alabama, sc. Forargument, compari-
sons, and statistics, I refer you to my
Pamphlet on Narrow Gauge, which
enclose.) A Marrow Gauge Road of
feet inch gauge (Which is the gauge 1
advocate for general traffic, and wherein
you gain cheapness of construction and
equipment, without the loss of capacity
with rail weighing thirty (G0) pounds
to the yard and a maximum grade Of
ninety (9O) feet TO tho mile, can be built
through your section Of country for
about Fifty-Five Hundred Dollars (S5,-
5OO) per mile, and give youa Road, which
to tlo more work, would last longer Than
any seven ~ miles on the G. c. Il \. r.
r., or any other broad road in the coun-
try. and COST lessto maintain Grr ten j!0)
years ihnn evrn, ,a,Wooden Railway?
Should ynu deerminet to bril'la Wood
ell Road. your policy would he 10 adopt
a feet Ginch gauge, which costs somnch
less to build, equip, and operate, '!!:n
tho Broad Road, and as there is no adj
vantage III your conforming to The .:a'i=c
Of c. G.. .t \. Il. r., when yr'n ear
wheels or the wooden rails have tr lave
n G inch t,ce, while theirs have nn!y Il
~ incil face, and if they cnn.d ri" "n
your wooden track at all, wou!.i sopn
cut it into shrcds.
So i'll comparing the cost and workings
of an Iron and Wooden Road for .Your
route, will make the gauge tic same.
To build 81 Woodrn Roa'l of 3 feet 6
inch raurc. with rail X ), and Il maxi
mum grade of ninety t9Oj feet 10 Ike
mile, through your section Of country
would cost about Twenty Fight Hun
dred Dollars (2,SOO) per mile. The ac-
ton of the sui on these woolem rails
causing them to crack and warp. the
impossibility Of keeping the shrinking
timber tightly keyed, and the "aHiii'%
with which they wear after once COM
mencing to scale, renders the expense
and perpleXities OF Keeping the r"a'l up
to lively business, too great to be r"l;a-
ble, or remunerative In fact. the hlsto-
ry of all Wooden Roads, OF my linow!-
edge, has proven either their tota, fail
ure, or conversion to Iron Road*. In
the coal mining districts, where these
wooden rails were largely used, it las
been found necessary to substitute Iron,
and on the Tacoi Wooden Railway Of
Florida, running from Tacoi to st. All
gustine, where the best pine tim 5rr III
the world is most abundant, the Cnmpa-
ny has been forced to adopt Iron Rails.
Respectfully,
w. nEARING.