New-York tribune., 1879-01-01
ERIE7S NARROW GUAGE.
THE LAYING OF THE THIRD RAIL.

THE LAYING OF THE THIRD RAIL.
ADVANTAGES OF THE NEW GCAGE-THE MONT
CLAIR RAILROADS NEW TERMINUs-IMPoRTANT
REDUCTION ~ RATES TO SUBURBAN TOWNS.
In April last the Erie Railway was re-
organized, and under the nagement familiar
name was changed 10 New-YOrk. Lake Erie and
Western Railroad. But the new management made
other changes besides that OF name. The most iu-
pOrtan OF these has been the change OF the guage Of the
road which has been accomplished by the laying OF
third rail- This work begun in 1876. when the
alteration made the Buffalo. and part OF the
susquehanua Division, that narrow Cuage cars OF
the Lchigh Valley Line were run from Philadelphia
through to Buffalo on the Eric Road from Waycr!y.
Last the laying Of the third rail WAS continued
10 Binghamton, connection being there made with
Albany by the susquehanDa Railroad. The work was
completed last week, when the additional ran was
finally laid 20 jersey City, and yesterday tie first train
passed over it Port Jrvs the end Of the Eastern
Division. Hereafter 1t will he In constant use.
Octave Chanute, assistant superintendent OF the ral
road, yesterday the following account Of the adop
tiOn OF the old guage, and its change: When Stephen
built the frat railroad the guage adopted was five
feet between the centres OF the rails The rails were
then U-shaD ped; they had trough in the centre about
thrce inches in width, for the wheel TO run in But this
form abandon Cd because the DIRT collected In
IT, and the edge Tshaped rail adopted III order
TO atapt this TO the rOnG stock then In use IL was
found necessary to measure the cuaSe on the inside OF
Onenalf inches, which, thus became the standard guage
Tile mtnageis Of the Great Western Railway Of England
believed that power could De gained by having
broad base to the boiler aid that greater security would
he insured by broader So they adopted seven
and the sxee or broad guagc, was chosen But these
principles have since been proved to he faacous no
advantage has gained by the width. and tie
cost Of rolling. took has been much increased"
"Wha Will DC the advantage to the road OF the new
The great saving Will he in running freight through
without breaking bulk lime and money viii be saved
|
come line. We have saved the unloading OF
through cars by changing trucks Buffalo hut nis
time The way II has been done is this Two cars one
on nroadgu trucks aud The other narrow, were
side by side. BY hOsting machines the cars we're
raised aud the trucks changed cor went on West by
the na1rowgu &c ach and The other ran 10 TINS Guy Oh
the broGdguage By tne nrw regulations ears OF both
guagcs may be run on the same train. We nave pten
donG that on the port "hs oi thc foid areauy oNlueu
with n rec rails. No dit ulty Is found as we use
patent coupler nch direct draft between the
wo widths Much care Is necessary dt me s"IcheH'
however. and extra caution cnjOned upon all en-
| plJye5. To simplify matters as much as possible We
Try 10 keep AL cars Of tine same width together
" Has lhe company pI,eh"scd any ne" ioiiihsstocH
owe nave ordered thirty engines, which are be
ing made IN PIterson and 5000 new freight cars The
present rnng-stock III not bc altered but viii be
placed fast OUT by that OF narrower guaGe 1t
would only cost aoUut hlf Il million to change all tIe
cars than three times that amount would De
necessary aier the locomotives new boilers would
BE- required. No change has been made in connections
with other lines. IL IL quito proDabie that some a.
raHgem"Dt may be made Win other lines, such az me
Midland. which meets at MddleOwn, but so tar the
only change has been with the Montcalr and Green
| wood lake Road. OF this roads stock We bought q
large its sale and the third rail VIII per-
running OF their 10 depot In Jersey
CITY. The trains Of that road have been running 10 the
depot the Pcnnsy lyanla Central but tomorrow Tue
change will bc made and hereafter all passenger ana
freight trains the road Will 10 and from our de-
pot only ri notice 10 that effect has Just been
printed All b IS for that line will be transacted at
our offices" -
john ~ Abbott, general passenger agent, asked II
the completion or the new guage would make any
change in the running uf passenger trains: Our OOid
guagc passenger and sleeping cOachcs, he said give
s an advantage other lines In the comfort OF
spngcrs We have quite reputation III this respect be-
tween here and b. fdlO, and We expect TO keep H.
Through trains OF lrOad-guIgc cars Will be continued
over line I'd our DrOdd-guage connection, tie
Atlantic and GrcaJ Western Railroad Rocncster,
Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Cleveland ana Cincinnati To
points which we DON'T reach by brOad-guage we shall
run uarrOw-guag. hstO Chicago ~. Louis and De-
tro The fast St Ions express. leaving here at p
will made o! through.
We had fifty built for in the Ccncn-
NAL wear, md placed broad trucks; these can
change the narrOwguage II we wish OF cOul
Up shu build broad guggc coaches, although
they are plea to ride In from their rOomness and
run more steadily from tneir broader base"
The Eric hallway II stu continues TO be called,
despite its name, Las Just made an Important re-
ducton In its cOmmutaOn rates Tor short terms 10 sa-
are urabe to pay time the price OF Communication
books for six months year. and purchase those
foronc month, nave reduced the price OF the latter
about 10 per aud Ia those who purchase tickets
for ten consecutive months give the two remaining
mOnh hs Of the year free lhe lowest rate OF cOmmua-
tlon any place outside Of this city Is So month TO
Wark or S72 for those blylng Tickets by the
month Erie has reduced l:s rate To Rutherford
Park the first station ont from Jersey CITY ana about
the ame distance from this ciy as Newark, TO ~ u
| mouth or go a year. To stations beyond the rrduc-
iou proporo The change goes into enect with
! the new year.