The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1878-02-01

paying load, either on u level or up
grade, than the broad gauge road.
This is exemplifed by Mr.. Richard b.
Osborne, civil engineer, in the follow
ing calculation of the relative power Of
the narrow and standard gauge loco
motives, the weight of engine being
thirty tons and the largest class OF loco
motives generally used by three feet
gauge roads and having a tractive
power of / AGO tons ON a level, SO as to
compare it with an engine of equal
weight and power on the standard
gauge roads:
The gross weight of train AGO tons,
the s feet engine with 800 tons cars will
| haul freight 1,O64 tons; the feet 81
| inch engine with 566 tons cars will
haul freight 800 tons.
On II grade of 26.4 feet per mile, gross
| weight of train 5S7 tons, the feet en-
CINE with 100 tons cars will haul
freight 427 tons; the 4 feet 81 inch en-
CINE with 226 tons cars will haul
| freight 36l tons.
On a grade of 40 feet per mile, gross
| weight of train 444 tons, the 5 feet en-
CINE with III tons cars will haul freight
1923 tons; the 4 feet 81 inch engine
| with III tons cars will haul freight
273 tons.
On grade of 80 feet per mile, gross
weight of train 252 tons, the 3 feet en-
CINE with 10 tons cars will haul freight
1872 tons; the feet 81 inch engine
| with 81 tons cars will haul freight
155 tons.
These trains, it will be seen, cores
pond in their gross weights; the three
feet gauge having much lighter cars
transports about II per cent more pro-
ductive load than the standard gauge,
showing conclusively that the three
| feet gauge engine can carry a greater
over the same grade, and will haul the
same load over sleeper grades than the
standard gauge engine.
The cost OF the construction of rail-
road is nearly as the width of its gauge;
| in very rough countries the narrow
gauge will be greatly less than the
proportion to its width, while i'll level
ground the proportion will be more,
| but taking the average country the
cost will be found to vary as the gauge.
| That is, every inch added to the width
| of the road beyond what is necessary
| for the requirements Of traffic, adds to
the cost of construction, the dead weight
OF train to be carried, and the tariffs,
thereby injuring the usefulness of the
road.
row gauge are much less than the
standard gauge roads; and after the
completion of these lines they are
much more durable, requiring far less
ex Expenditures for repairs, owing to the
fact that the rolling stock is much light
er, making wear and tear on the two
gauges decidedly in favor of the mar
row. AS stated above, the weight OF the
standard gauge passenger coach is 3d.
600 pounds, mounted upon eight
wheels, each wheel therefore hammer
ing the joints of the rails with 1. blow
equal 1875 pounds, and when hauled
over the road at he rate of 25 or 80
miles per hour is terribly destructive
to the superstructure of the road. A
narrow gauge first class passenger coach
weighs $4,000 pounds, and consequently
! only hammers the rails with II force
equal to 1915 pounds per wheel.
1t has been practically demonstrated
since 1870 by the completion and sue
| cessful operation of many roads of the
three feet gauge, that they are the best
roads for nearly all sections of the
United States and especially for the
South, and for those sections that can
not afford to construct the feet 81 inch
gauge and even if these sections could
afford to incur the original cost of these
iLucS, IL WOulS4 NC WdSLSAul
yance, us road Of much less gauge
would be amply sufficient for all practi-
cal purposes.
am fully convinced of the practical
bility of the proposed limo of road from
Monroe to Little Rock Ark, by way of
Bastrop, and that the line can be built
and put in operation by the LIST day
| of next December as far as the town of
Bastrop, by the people OF Monroe and
| Bastrop; and after the road has once
been opened for traffic over the first Is
miles of its line it will pay a handsome
| dividend, and will be fully able to take
care of itself so far as its extension
| northward is concerned.
This road would have the adva ntage
of tapping fine agricultural and stock
| raising country already thickly settled
and in a prosperous and fiourishing
condition, thereby insuring to the road
a good paying trade from the very day
| on which it is opened for traffic.
With the hope that I have not tres
passed too much ON your time and
space, and the assurance that your read
ers will hear further from me on this
subject, I am, Yours truly,
l.. N. POLK. Civil Engineer.
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