Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-02-11
LETTERS FRom THE PEOPLE.
MORE INQUIRIES ABOUT THE NARROW GAUGE

MORE INQUIRIES ABOUT THE NARROW GAUGE.
To he Editor Of the Commercial:
was pleased to see in your paper, some time
ago, an inquiry into the advantages OF narrow
gauge railroads, and also pleased to see an ans
wer thereto, by Engineer" but as the sub
iect ia only partially explained, and is OF gener-
al interest, beg leave to AJAX Engineer" or
any one having the information, few more
questions.
1st.-Is not the expense OF locating and sur
veying the route, the cost OF building platforms,
station houses for both passenger and freight,
telegraph line, fencing making slopes where
public OF private roads cross, salaries OF ticket
agents, station masters, hagmen and switch-Inen
the same in each kind of road 7
2nd.-As the difference in the amount OF land
taken is small, and the Inconvenience from other
causes the same, will not the land damages vary
but slightly?
Sd. II fourteen feet is the right width for the
road-bed for 9 four feet eight and half inch
track, will eleven feet be too wide for three
feet track? II the average excavations and
entertainments be put at eight feet perpendicu-
lar, what would be the relative amounts OF earth
to be moved. or the relative cost OF this part OF
the work, and il it were desired to change q
narrow to 3 broad gauge road, would 1t not suf-
fee to take slices Of earth two and a half feet
thick from one eide Of the excavations and ap-
ply them to one side of the embankments2 In
rock cuttings would not the relative cost be as
II to 142
4th. Surprising the embankments to have an
average height of eight feet, where culVerte
cross them, what will be the relative length and
consequent cost Of such culverts
9th. Admitting saving OF one third in cross
ties, and one-half in the weight OF rails, will the
| fsh-pates, chairs, spikes and bolts, admit OF a
similar reduction in weight and they ,includ-
| ing the rails, be bought as cheaply per ton as
| the ordinary kinds and as the same number OF
cross-ties have to be laid, the same number OF
l mil And ba
| screwed will not the cost OF putting down the
track be nearly the same with each kind OF road
9Th. Are the piers and abutments for bridges
on ordinary railroads heavier than are needed
| to Withstand the floods that frequently occur.
and IL not, will they have TO be as heavy and
| costly as narrow gauge roads
| 7th. II 1t takes two ordinary cars to carry one
hundred passengers, how many will it take OF
| narrow gauge cars to carry the same number
| What il the relative number OF freight cars
| needed by broad and narrow roads TO carry a
/ given quantity Of freight at the same time, and
| what the relative cost Of passenger and freight
cars sufficient to do the same amount of work
| Will it not require twice as many engines on mar
row as broad roads will the cost OF the former
be as great as the latter willnot the former
| require twice as many engineers and hremen as
/ the latter will not the same number OF brakes
| men be needed on each road, and what will bt
the relative wear OF the road and rolling stock in
conveying given number Of passengers or toni
| Of freight?
sth Did not the p, W. g. b. Railroad star
with small engines and oars, and have they not
| gradually enlarged them 10 more than double the
former size and weight, do they regret the change
(although they have had to use longer crosstles
heavier rails, and 10 strengthen their bridgee)
and is not their experience the same as other old
| roads
9th. II there is an advantage in carrying pas
sengers and freight in small cars could not broat
gauge roads use narrow gauge cars by merel.
widening the trucks and what additional weigh
would this involve Could not engines be con
structed for four feet eight inch track just a
powerful and very little heavier az for a thre
feet track, and would not broad gauge road 81
equipped have great advantage over marrow
gauge road in being able to send their loade'
cars over connecting roads Of the same gauge
INQUIRER.