The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-03-28
Railroads of Different Gauges
Their ComparatiYe Advantages.

There are IN the United states many
different gauges of railroads. Some roads
have a gauge of six feet, some of five,
some of four feet eight and half inches,
some of three feet six, and some of three
feet. A very large portion of the roads
in the Northern States have q gauge of
four eight and a half, while those in the
Southern States have gauge of five feet.
The St Louis June Convention, comPris~
ed of representative men from all parts
of the United States, agreed upon a stand
ard gauge of three feet for all cheap rail-
ways hereafter to be built 1t cannot be
denied that all of these roads have some
advantages. The road with a gauge of
six feet can be run faster, and have more
magnificent palace coaches than roads
having a gauge of four and one-half. So
also a road with a gauge of four eight
and one half can be run faster and have
more magnificent palace coaches than
road having a gauge of only three feet.
This is owing to the fact that the driving
wheels on the former are 50 much larger
and the coaches so much more elevated
above the track. This very speed, how
ever, Is acquired at enormous expense, at
! great wear and tear Of machinery and
rails, and at the great peril of human life
Still, with these facts before them,
many prefer rapid travelling at any and
all hazards.
Another advantage which the roads
having a gauge of five feet or four eight
and half have at this time is owing
to the fact that most of the railroads IN
the United States have a similar gauge,
and therefore they can make connections
without breaking bulk. These are the
main advantages of broad gauge railroads
1t has been proved that they cannot carry
any more freight, nor any more passen-
gers, with any more ease or comfort, than
any road having a gauge of only three
feet, but they can carry then faster. The
enormous cost of our present railroads
forces their managers to charge most ex-
h0rbitant prices upon transportation OF
local freights and passengers, thereby in
ficting most serious damage upon the
producing classes, and retarding the
growth of the country.
The whole country from north to South,
from East to West, IL crying with a voice
of thunder for a redress OF these evils,
1t is heard in commercial conventions, in
agricultural congresses, and in the Halls
of the United States Congress.
! The people demand relief, and must
have it If the present railroad compa'
MES cannot reduce their charges on ac'
count of the great expense of running
; their roads, they must adopt a cheaper
J and better system.
, 1t will not do to ignore the wants o.
the people by stOlid Indifference, or t
destroy other enterprises, looking to thu
relief of the people, by affected ridicule
or what 10 worse, by money combina
ton, controlled by large railroad corpora
tons. The day of ridicule is passed
ignorance and prejudice must soon sigt
way before the light of truth and expert
e ence. We have no antipathy against thu
present railroad companies. We wist
them the utmost pecuniary success, bu
we do desire change in the system, ant
; a reduction in their local rates. b.
: combining the broad and narrow gaug
, system; the broad for for the thrOug
pas sengers and freight, and the narrOl
to all local freight and passerge bust
}, ness great relief would be afforded TO tn
5 country, and the railroad companie
;, would be much benefited pecuRiarily
This plan was suggested by the 81
{ Louis Railroad Convention, composed G
o some Of the wisest and most practice
} civil engineers and railroad men of tn
United States. This is a fruitful subjec
: and one in which the whole country
. deeply interested, therefore will agai
= attract our attention.-JOuTRGt Of Con
b | RGerce