Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1874-02-05
Marrow Gauge Railways

though quietly at work during
the past two or three years, with
ipractical results which will sur
prise those who have not close
ly observed the progress making
in this new and important move
ment. The narrow gauge in the
United States is chiefly associ-
ated in the popular view with
the Denver and Rio Grande
road. which has been regarded
as an experiment, and ON which
the new gauge has been practi-
cally tested with the most salts
factory results. In fact, howev-
Ter there are at this time in the
| different States and Territories
no less than thirty-eight differ
|ent naTOW-gauge roads either
completed or in the COURSE Of
construction, and all of them in
actual operation, having an ag-
| Igregate Of 9S9 miles OF track
Ialready laid, and which, if fin
ishod according to the plans on
which they have been begun,
viii give an aggregate Of 1851
miles of naTOW-gauge road.
In the january number Of the
4merjcaa Manufacturers Jour
: nat we find mass OF interest
ing statistics on. this subject,
showing more clearly than any
thing which has hitherto APP
peared in the progress of the
fnarrOW-gauge system, especial
|. ly in the South and the far West.
or the thirty-eight roads re-
.feTed TO above the longest is
the Denver and Rio Grande,
which has 129 miles Of compile
ted track, and is to be extended
to a total length of8I0 miles; the
Cairo and St. Louis road, which
lis to be $50 miles in length, IA
of the track being already laid;
the Utah Northern road of 160
miles, with 20 miles completed;
and the Kansas Centralroad, $50
miles long, 90 miles Of which
have been completed. Besides
the roads in the United States,
there are in the British possess
siOn5 Of North America five mar
roW-gauge railways having an
aggregate Of 4J6 miles of COM
pIeted road, and which when fin
i>hed wiIImakc an aggregate of
Sii miles.
In addition to the roads par
TALLY or wholly built which are
in actual operation in the Uni
ted States, there are a large num-
Der Of others already in con-
struction. The Mdnutacturer8'
Journal gives the namesof twen-
ty-two Of these which are to be
from 10 to $50 miles in length,
eight Of them being over POO
miles in length. 1t also gives
the names Of thirty other COM
panies organized to build mar
v3W-gauge roads.
50 far as reports have been
made concerning the practical
working OF the nalrow-gauge
system, Its results have been
highly encouraging. The Den
YER ana Rio Grdade road for the
first ten months Of 1873 showed
net traffic earnings amounting
to nearly - per cent. Of the
gross receipts. The Toronto,
Grey and Bruce road in Canada |
for the year ending June 80, |
1873, reports net traffic earnings
OF 81 per cent, and the Toronto /
and Nipissing for the same year
Of 49, per cent. or the gross.-
The Arkansas Central road for
its short line Of Ga miles compile.
ted, showed net earnings a: tie
rate Of $4,000 per mile per
year. We do not know what this
road cost, but the first division Of
the Denver and Rio Grande road
cost onIy$l3,5OO per mile. with
its equipment, while the Canada
roads are said to have averaged
$4,000 per mile.
The great argument urged in
favor OF The narrow-gauge system
is the saving made in dispensing
with unnecessary dead weight in
the cars--weight which it costs
Just as much to move as If It was
paying freight. The argument is
very simple. Practical expert
ence has shown that ten of the
narrow gauge cars carry as much
freight as eight broad gauge cars,
while one narrow-gauge car, load
ed with five aud "a half ions of
freight, weighs no more than
broad-gauge car empty. But there
is also a very great saving in the
cost OF construction and equip |
ment Of narrow gauge roads over