The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-03-19
GheGtteIIiaettter
The Feeling in Favor Of Local
railroads.

The Feeling III FNV0F u A4ochl
Railroads.
There is now a very decided interest fell
all through this region Of country in
favor Of local railroads. This feeling ia
bound to increase, Those who live twOn'
ty years will sec many local railroads
built in West Va, Western Pennsylvania
and Eastern Ohio. The facilities afford
ed by railroads US means Of lOcOmotion
and transportation arc SO universally
understood and appreciated now by every
farmer and business man that II needs no
argument to convince them that 1t Is
their interest to see every part Of the
country opened up by cheap local roads
There are now projects on foot for build
Ing at least a half dozen roads in this re-
gion. The capital stock Of tho road from
Waynesburg to Washington Is about
subscribed. No doubt II will short
ly be commenced, A lively agita-
tiOn is going on in favor Of
road from Weston to Clarksburg
or Grafton. Meetings are being held in
advocacy Of road from AlcConncllsville
to Bellaire. The same thing is true Of
tho proposed road from WOOdSdOld
to Bellaire, Also in regard to the pro-
posed extension Of the Tuscarawas road
to some point on tho Central Ohio road
or to the Ohio river direct. Also In rO.
gard to the proposed road from tho river,
via Bethany, to Washington, Pa. These
routes ole all good routes for local roads,
and the projected roads are entirely fsasi-
bic. The only question in connection
with them is the question Of cost This
IL the subject now vigorously discussed at
the various meOtlngs constantly going on,
and the more II il discussed the more
popular do the projects alluded to become.
The recent report Of the Committee on
Railroads to the House Of Representa-
tiyes at Washington in favor Of charter.
ing narrow.gauge road from Lake Erie
to the Missouri river, at Council Bluffs,
cannot fail to give m additional impetus
To tho feeling heretofore existing In favor
OF these local roads. Tho arguments in
that report in favor Of tho narrow-gaugG
as compared with the standard track
were very forCiblc, For example, 1t was
shown that the cost Of operating narrow
gauge road was about Al mills per mile
az against mills on the New York Cen
trail, and 8 on tho Pennsylvania road. II
was also shown that narrow.gauge en-
ginc will haul about the same amount Of
paying freight as tho standard engines
because II hauls so much less dead
weight. Forcxamplc, the average weight
Of cars upon standard roads 10 ten tons
and the average load Is ten tons, while
the average weight Of d narrow.gauge cal
Is four tons, and their average load eigh
tons. Hence twenty-five narrow.gaugC
cars will carry the same paying load car
ricd by twenty standard cars. This state
ment Of the committee Is more fully se
forth in the following table Of compari
soma;
Tons
Standard train, lOcOmotivOund tender, fuel and +.
''''''''''''''' y
20 freight carS empty, al 10 tons each .".". 20
% ifeiSht cars paying load, at 10 tons CaCh"" 20
Total weight Of train ln..""......." ".,....,"i ~
This ia allowing % tons beyond the ca
pacity Of the locomotive.
Narow.suago train, locomotive and tender, +.
fuel aud .;.'''''''''''''''"
Is ifeISht cars loaded at TONS CaCh.""........ 20
Total weight Of tTain..".m".". ".."","".. 20
This Is loss than the capacity Of tho 10
comotiyes. On the return trip, WESTWARD
bound and half load, the comparison
would be thus,
Standard train, weight empty 24
Standard tmln, load paying trOiSht...""."".... 10
Total weight".".."",". "". "..",..,"..",." IS
Narov.su,ac tr,in weight, empty ........... 10
NarrOw.guage train, load, paying trelght...".." II
Total EGigl glt.H"..m"","..."E...."' "'","".'' 20
The narrow.gauge train, with payinl
load Of 100 tons, Il 3s tons lighter thai
the standard train empty. This advant
age Is too apparent TO need remarks.
But, In practical railroading, car.ser
vice does not average over three tons Il
The car, and often Il is one or lcSs thai
one ton. On tho standard road this ser
vice Ia always made With a lotion cat
and hence, In many cases, the proportion
is 10 tons Of wagon weight 10 one Of pay
Ing load, but on naTrow.gauge roads thi
service is never over 4 TO /, and may, II
most cases, be 8 or even 2 10 /. This Ia
point Of financial Importance which cat
not be overlooked.
rAssENoER TRAINS.
Standard roads:
Ton
Locomotives, fuel and walet.".."..."..."..".""
express and baggage eAf...a.n.,,..............a
coaches, each 20 "
Weight bt train empty Ii
United States mali, express and baggage e".,"..
$50 paAsangota, ayOtagc ieJ pounds Cach...."a
weight Of ttuln, loaded d..a.................,. a
Nattow.gaugc road;
tOcOmotIve fuel and water
PoJtOtlee
express car
baNgAgu eafi.sU.a"I..,...,,. ,..s,a0.
coaGhtS, each t0nsa"..""..a......",.
w0iGhl Of train, empty
Same loaded "a standard ttalh"""."...."."".."
Weight Of train, loaded. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. II
The narrow gauge train, with the loa
Of a standard train, Ia B2 tons less weigh
lLau Al. .talgiaal Saata a.a.,a. anH In