Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-02-03
WHOLE NO. 17l6.
A One Rail Track.

LEAN DIN - w. tS0f = - a. :
to your notice new sys'em o
railroad track and locomotives. whict
is working very successfully i
Europe, and especially 10 France
where it originates. | speak OF the
"One Rail"track aud the Iooom otives
working on it, both invented and
built by Jean LamsJat, who has
selected me as his agent in the United
States.
The track is formed of a line OF
light rails, from 2 to 80 pounds Il
yard, spiked to the centre of light
ties, tw o foot long. Parallel to the
rail, and on each side of it, are two
bands of macadam, one foot wide
or two lines of longitudinal planks
from six inches to one foot wide, laid
on the ground with ballast. 1t is
considerable cheaper than narrow
guage track. | will contract to
build it 81, 600 per mile cheaper than
the other, the rails weighing the
same per yard. 1t is q much better
track also, because il allows the
trains to run through very sharp
curves, even of ten feet radius, as
easily as on straight line, and be-
cause the resistance of the wagons
is only four fifths Of what it IS on the
narrow-guage track with two rails,
as was found by experiments with
the Dynamometer, and also because
it allows the locomotives driving on
the macadam or timber to have three
times as much adhesiEe power as the
ordinary locomotives; allows them
to use at all times the whole OF their
tractivo power and to haul at equal
weight of engine considerably more
than the others, especially 7here
these new engines are furnished with
steel cog wheels, an improvement
which allows them to draw very
heavy loads, at small speed, IN all
kinds of weather, and to draw more
than narrow gauge engine OF double
weight could do They are built
with or without cng-wheels, and each
type is far superior 10 power TO the
driving wheels have rilus from eight
inches TO one foot wide aud SUR
rounded by a band OF India rubber,
The locomotives and cars have two
centre wheels one in front, one be-
hind, which are double Hanged and
run on the centre rail, guiding the
train and supporting the whole
weight of the cars, which are also
furnished with two side wheels, one
each side, merely to maintain the
equilibrium and touching hardly the
macadam or wood The driving
wheels drive on macadam or timber
This system is endorsed by the Gov
eminent Chief Engineers in France,
aud the inventor has the concession
of several hundred miles of cheap
railroads to be built through the
country, for feeding the main lines,
and also the sconcession of the
transportation for fifty years on the
Canal de Burgogne' He puts bis
track on the tow-path and with a
small locomotive weighing four tons
hauls, at three miles an hour, boat
containing three hundred tons of
cargo This system is much prefer
able to the screw steamer for towing,
because there is no loss Of power
due to the "slip' Of the screw, which
is considerable and 40 per cent on
an average. A tank locomotive of
this system weighing 8.3 tons will
b AuI, at four miles an hour, 600 tons
of cargo and will furnish only sixty
horse power, while screw steamer
would take eighty-four horse power.
| will contract for the transportation,
at cheaper terms than it is now, on
any canal in the United States where
| can only see that the traffic is large
enough to pay more than expenses.
| am also agent for the Improvement
Of Mr. Henry Handyside, which can
be applied to any locomotive in
existence and allows it to drive at
speed OF six miles an hour and up a
gradient of 528 feet per mile the
same load which it can haul on level.
| want to form a company for the
Introduction Of these systems aud
respectfully sohci. your concurre1ce
IN a matter of go much Importance
for cheap transportation. The system
should be tried first in mining dis
tricts and on canals, 1t will give the
most satisfactory results as it does
now in several European States.
CHAs j. QUETH, Civil Eng'r.