Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-07-10

The Wooden Railroad to Pine House.
Mr.. EDITOR: At the especial solieita-
ton of yourself, and at the request of a
few gentlemen of this town, 1 visited the
place on.,the North Eastern Railroad,
I4anc Station where there is Wooden
Railroad running, and from thence into
Clarendon County This road is fifteen
and ono-haitmiles long examined the
road carefully, and conclude that it isfa
good ROAD. And concluded further that
similar road built from our town to
Pine House depot, would answer all the
purposes of transportation to and from
these points.
In neatness. and apparent. durability
the road is far beyond what, expected
to see. As matter of information to us,
who are seeking the most practical, easi
est and cheapest mode to connect our
selves with the C. C. S a. r. R.. at Pine
House, I will present here the.mcchani-
cal structure of both, road and running
stock. ..
The road bed is constructed precisely
as all other railroads are. The whole
structure above the bed is precisely SINH
lar to other Railroads, except in place ol
iron, this road has wooden stringers, 4
by inches, fastened down to the cross
ties by long iron spikes, passing through
. both stringer and cross tie, making the
stringers very steady and firm. These
stringers are five inches upon their face,
and the trucks or wheels Of the running
stock are five inches upon their face. 1t
will be perceived that the friction in run
ning being distributed over wide sur
faces, the injury to the rails will be much
less. The flanges to the wheels are 2!
inches. deep, thereby preventing any
probability of running off. This will; I
hope, suffice as to the mechanical struct-
ure.
In order to form an opinion of the
probable durability of the road; I rode
out from Lanes Station three miles,
where I was put off in order to examine
this portion of the road, which, has been
in operation five months. Trains have
been running daily over this portion for
the last five months, yet most of the
stringers are perfectly smooth. A few
of them have scaled of, a little, but not
enough to make perceptible difference
in the running of the cars. Neither is it
likely that this would be the case in one
year The pieces that have exfoliated a
little are said to be those which happened
to be sawed parallel with the running of
the grain.
J found that no repairs had been made
on this old portion of the road. Neither
was 1t necessary, as there are no fractures
of any Of the timbers. The truth is, I
could find nothing out of place, except
the slight scaling alluded to, and this
can make no perceptible difference for a
great while to come.
believe the road will endure until the
timbers decay, and will be safer than an
iron road as to travel, until this happens;
for the reason that the spikes hold the
stringers more securely than do the
spikes in the iron roads hold the bars:
and that the fanges being so deep (23
inches) it seems impossible for the train
to run off, even if the timbers should be-
half worn out, which is not likely to
happen before they decay.
The rolling stock on the road is COM
mon, but quite effcctual. The engine is
worth o,l.y Sl,SO0, but is sufficient to car
ry seven or eight cars loaded, at the rate
OF Is miles per hour. The proprietors
are now gone to the North for another
engine of greater capacity.
I am assured by several gentlemen Of
that section, that the road is regarded
success, and answers all the purposes OF
first class iron road. The road has cost
about twelve hundred dollars per mile.
We are needing just such a road from
this place to Pine House Depot, and l
am Of opinion that if we 90 to work earn
estly we can build it in four months
have full confidence, not only in its value
to us as people, but in its dividend pay
ing qualities.
NJ. w. ABNEY.
l