The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-03-12
NARROW.GAUGE RAILROADS.

NARROW.GAUGE RAILROADS..
A Conclusive Argument In Their
FaVOT.-Thc Railroads Of tho FH'
tUrC.
The Committee Of the L. s. House Of
Representative Of Railways and Canals
has for u long time been investigating the
question Of cheap transportation between
the West and the seaboard. A few days
ago this Committee reported tothc House
in favor Of charicring railroad Of three
feet gauge iron Lake Eric tothc Missouri
River, at Council Bluff.
The argument in favor Of the narrow
gauge il especially interesting At this
time, hence We transfer to our columns
the material part Of it, The Committee
state that such aroad will cost about GO
per cent Of the sum that will be required
to build n wi,lc.gaugc road over the same
line.
Leaving this question out Of view, the
committee deem it proper to present Ia
the House some facts and suggestions ~
to the merits OI the nnrrOw-gaugC system
Of railways, now claiming the attention Of
the public, and destined, IA Sc think to
become an important, ii not controlling,
element in tho solution Of the problem Of
transportation.
Tho bill under consideration proposes
the construction Ola railroad Of three feet
gauagc, with one or more tracks, from
Toledo, Ohio, along or near the line Of the
fnrty-hrst parallel oi latitude, to Council
Bluff, III Iowa, and Tor an extension from
TrledO to New York.
COST OF OPERATING.
The fart alluded to in another part Of
this report, that the stnndarl.gaugc road
carries an undue proportion oi dead
weight, il important in this connection.
dead weight rs ton Of living ircight
and the train that carries the largest
amount Of paving or living freight, in
comparison with nUn-paying or dead
weight, il the most profitable train. AC-
Cnrding to the most reliable data to he
obtained, the cost Of operating the New
York Central 4 Hudson River Railroad
in 1871 was about seven mills per ton per
mile, and the cost OF operating the Penn
sylvania Central during the same year
was about eight mills per ton per mile.
The following is believed to h. n reliable
estimate oil the actual cost VI Opcratinga
hnrTOw.gaugc road
Mill
Use oi freight cars per ton Per nlc..".., "..a 4
M1tlVG.powGF." ,u,,,,,rnu.,,,u, !
Bettcrmonts aud contingencies. ,..,".,,.,,, -
lOiai",.'''','.'''',''''' VI
The accuracy Of this estimate il shown
by the fact that the cost Of operating and
maintenance Of our best standard roads
has been asccrtaincd Ia bc e per cent Of
the gross earnings, while the Denver ~
Rio Grandu narrOw-gaugc in 1871 wa
operated in Il new country for 30 per
cent Of it' gross earning. on u very lin
tied bnsiness. Wcmay, therefore safely
assume that the cost OF operating and
maintaining a narrOw.gauge road il only |
about two.iiirds OF the cost OF operating
and maintaining the standard.gauge.
These being the facts in regard to con-
strnction and operation, we COME to the
inquiry Us to the
RELATIVE CAPACITY OF THE TWO ROADS.
Most pcrson4n not familiar with the sub
feet assume that stuniard.guagc road
must necessarily have greater capacity |
for paying business than u road operated
upon narrow gauge, and built, in all re-
spects, aftcra lighter and smaller pattern. |
But experience has shown that the differ
rncc in the capacity oi the two, ii any
there be, il very slight in comparison
with the difference in the cost " their
construction and operation. according
tn the estimate Of the New York State
Engineer, M shown by ha second annual
report, page 1873, u standard gauge loco
motive will carry u load Uf paying tom
mage ON iO.ioot grade, Of 1876 tons, and
the average load VI single ear IL about
ten tonl. 4 gauge engine will
haul abpnt the same amount Of pdping
frciMt bscdme i hdus 40 mUrh hI' h'Ud
fright. For example, the average weight
OF cars upon standard r0nd4 IL ten tons,
and the average load il ten tons, while
the average weight Vi u nlrrow-gnugo car
il four tons, and their average load eight
tons. Hence twenty-five n1frow-gaugc
Cars will carry the same paying load car
rlcd ny twenty standard ears. he lul-
lowing statement il taken from the me.
mortal Of j. X. llornish, EsI, referred
hstnvoj I' y, tn oni,,,nn,iaiIy onc,,, ","
D,'''' . " w ''''''''''"''y "'"'"''
WEIGHT VI TRA'S5 ADM rA1iH' ABILITY
s,,.,,,, ,,,tu ,,,..,.r,, ...,.,., I3N"
7'"' water, '" '''"D'," ''"' ',,"' '"' "a