The Portland daily press., 1876-02-25

traffic, bulky and concentrated, realizing an
advantage of 35 per cent. A. narrow gauge
car with 81 ton load, can be hauled as easily
as the broad gauge cars empty.
Mr.. Wadsworth regards the following
points as axioms: The narrow gauge cars
are not too light to stand the rough usage for
any length of time. Small structures are
stronger in proportion to their weight than
larger ones. The cars are not too small to
carry all kinds of freight advantageously,
Cattle and horses are carried with more
comfort, standing lengthwise instead of side
ways, as in the broad gauge cars, and only
nine head Of cattle in each car instead of
fourteen. The three feet gauge is well adapt
ed to passenger travel; as but thirty-six pas.
sengers can be seated in each car better yen-
tilation can be secured. The sleeping cars
are about one-third lighter than the Pullman
cars, and have twenty single berths instead of
the fifteen double berths of the Pullman.
The speed is as great as on other roads in the
"far West" and may be increased if necessa-
ry, while the cars are no more likely to upset,
because the center of gravity runs lower. The
momentum is less, making it easier stopping
in case OF danger, and the conclusion less in
case of collision or being thrown from the
track. An 1S-ton engine with the same
weight of rail, on the narrow gauge, will draw
as much as a 24-ton engine ON the broad
gauge. Mr.. Spooner, who has given the sub
ject much attention, argues that the power
of an engine is decreased by the increase of
the gauge, "because the nearer the opposite
driving wheels approach to the condition of
single wheel, the less the loss from a rigid
wheel base" The length OF train is not in
creased to carry the same amount of tonnage.
Sixteen wide gauge cars, 80 feet each, make
a total of 4S0 feet, and carry-say 100 tons,
while narrow gauge train to carry the same
amount would be made up of 20 cars, each
"a feet long; the shorter cars having the ad.
vantage on the curves.
The cost of transhipment decreases in pro-
portion to the length of the road and amount
of business. With labor at $500 day it
costs the Denver Company 10 cents ton for
coal and Is cents for miscellaneous merchan-
disc. As for the 'break of gauge" Mr. Sey-
mour, successful superintendent, says that
"a road 500 miles long, with gauge that
does not correspond with that of any line
Independent of its own control, with which
it connects, enjoys in this respect an enviable
position" It avoids trouble from loss OF
cars, of returning cars from distant routes.
and extra cost of repairs. A'3 feet gauge
road, with proper equipments could trans
port on an average per annum equal to the
greatest traffic on any road in the United
States. The Festimiog road of Wales, of 2
feet gauge, single track, transports annually
$500 tons of freight per mile, nearly three
times the average Of the roads in the United
States, and is not employed to its full capacity
yet. The Boston, Re we're Beach 6 Lynn
Railroad owing to its peculiar location was
very expensive in construction: an average
cost permile of $26,3OS. Total means applied
to construction, equipment, purchase of
property &C., $304,SS5. This road carried
an average of over 3130 passengers daily, the
first two months; time, from 35 to 40
minutes.
Narrow gauge railroads have received but
brief mention from the ordinary railroad pub
lications-as 'Poor's" and s'Vernon's" Rail-
road Manuals. A little pamphlet by Howard
Fleming, civil engineer of Philadelphia, the
writer has found very interesting and in
structive. He is now engaged in compiling
what will doubtless be the most exhaustive
treatise on the subject.