The Hickman courier., 1877-12-14
VERY MARROW GAUGE.

Passenger Cars Running Safely ON a
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 will revolutionize traffic in both
passengers and freight. The cost and the
price of both viii come down one-half,
and yet the companies can coin msney
where row 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 railroad. having but ten
inches width of a track, from the elevs-
ted village of Hyde Park down to the
depot. He also with his own hands cen
structed the cars to run on the track.
In these he carried in six weeks over
three thousand passengers from the viii
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 a road acres-
through their town from north Billerica,
on the Boston and Lowell railroad, to
Bedford, a distance of eight and a bali
miles, requested the protector, Mr..
George f. Mansfield, to come and give
the people a lecture on narrow track
railroads Some said, " 1t is a chimerical
notion; " but Others said, @ This Is OF God
and must prevail" and they gave g
helping hand and secured a movement &C
far as to get Z petition for a charter from
Then the rigit of way was secured gratis
the whole distance. Two very able mer
gave the way only because, as they said
it was only q visionary, crazy-headed
scheme, and would never be accom-
plished. But Butler went in for one
fifth of the whole stock, which was
$4,000. Then came the building of the
road, which was completed by the first
of September, 50 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 tht
yard, which is quite strong enough
twenty pounds would do. The road j
we'll built and equipped; one grade is ont
hundred and ffty-fve feet.
The cars ard engines Of the road will a
once attract and fix the attention. They
are well proportioned, and make a yer!
handsome appearance. The engine i
behind the tender aud next to the cars
80 that when the train moves the ca
next to the engine draws down upon an'
increases the adhesion of the engine t,
the track. Both engines and cars az
constructed 50 az 10 be very near tn
ground, giving great advantages in regar,
TO safety, alsq very little oscillation. Th
cars have sn aisle with one seat on eacl
side, in the game manner rs ordinar.
cars have two seats, each person having
seat to himself The cars are wsrme'
with steam, are well ventilated, hav
closets, water-tank, all the modern IN
provements, Westinghouse brakes, etc
They weigh but four tons and a hall
/ ordinary cars weighing, on an average
eighteen tons. Hence Mansfield vii
carry sixty persons with cars weighin
nine tons, while ordinary roads mus
draw eighteen tons to carry ffty-si.
persons The engines are equally ligh
and less costly shan on ordinary roads
1t is quite evident that road eight ant
a half miles long, which cost equippe,
81 800 less than $4,000, and which cal
be run for half the expense upon ordi
nary roads, must be a great and notabl
achievement. The road cost s., 800 pc
mile. The train runs about twenty-five
miles an hour. The engines weigh abou
eight tons, and draw two passenger anC
two freight cars twice per day each way
at cost of coal only one-fourth that 0
ordinary engines.