The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-12-14
AVERY NARROW GAUGE.
Passenger Cars Running Safely or a
d.

Passenger cars running SaIeiy on q
Ten-Ineh Track.
There is something new under the
sun" in railroads. At least l have seen
no description in any New York paper
of what has just been experimentally
completed in Massachusetts,. a perfectly
working, safe-yes, much safer than the
ordinary-road has been produced, and
which viii revolutionize traffic in both
passengers and freight. The cost and the
price of both will come down one-half,
and yet the companies can coin money
where now they cannot pay expenses.
The young gentleman who conceived
this new plan is a practical wood and
iron machinist, and also an engineer. To
show how narrow track may be, and be
practical and safe, with his ewn hands he
constructed a railroad, having but ten
inches width of track, from the eleva~
ted village of Hyde Park down to the
depot He also with his own hands con-
structed the cars to run on the track.
In these he carried in six weeks over
three thousand passengers from the vii
lage down to the depot without the
slightest injury to any one. There were
several short curves On the way, and the
track crossed the highway twice. The
people Of Billerica, wishing q road across
through their town from north Bjllerica,
on the Boston and Lowell railroad, 10
Bedford. a distance of eight and a halt
miles, requested the protector, Mr..
George z. Mansfield, to come and give
the people a lecture on narrow track
railroads. Some said, 1T is q chimericaI
notion; " but Others said, This is OF God
and must prevail" and they gave q
helping hand and secured movement sc
far as to get petition for d charter from
the legislature. The charter was allowed
Then the right of way was secured gratis
the whole distance. Two very able men
gave theSSay only because, as they said
it was only a visionary, crazy-headed
scheme, and would never be accom-.
plished. But Butler went in for one
fifth of the whole stock, which was
$50, 900 Then came the building Of the
road, which was completed by the first
Of September, so that cars passed with
passengers over the entire route that
day, and secured the right of way
There are eleven bridges on the route
one over one hundred feet long. The
rail weighs twenty-five pounds to the
yard, which is quite strong enough
twenty pounds would do. The road i.
well built and equipped; one grade is one
hundred and ffty-fve feet.
The cars ard engines of the road viii a
once attract and fix the attention. They
are well proportional, and make a very
handsome appearance. The engine i
behind the tender and next to the cars
so that when the train moves the ca
next to the engine draws down upon anC
increases the adhesion of the engine t,
the track. Both engines and cars ar,
constructed 80 as to be very near thu
ground, giving great advantages in regarC
to safetS also very little oscillation. TIT
cars have an aisle with one seat on eacl
side, in the same manner as ordinary
cars have two seats, each person having
seat to himself The cars are warmed
with steam, are well ventilated, hav,
closets, er-tank, all the modern I'M
provements, Westinghouse brakes, etc
They weigh but four tons and hall
ordinary cars weighing, on an average
eighteen tons. Hence Mansfield viii
carry sixty persons with cars weighing
nine tons, while ordinary roads mus
draw eighteen tons to carry ffty-sil
persons. The engines are equally ligh
and less costly than on ordinary roads
1t is quite evident that a road eight anC
a half miles long, which cost equipped
81 800 less than 1900, and which car
be run for half the expense upon Ordi
nary roads, must be great and notabl;
achievement. The road cost 81, 500 pei
mile. The train runs about twenty-fiv,
miles an hour. The engines weigh about
eight tons, and draw two passenger anC
two freight cars twice per day each way
at cost of coal only one-fourth that o
ordinary engines.