Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-02-22
A MlLLIONAIHE'3 RAILWAY MODEL.

The Curious Diversion Of tine Owner Of the
Great Cornwall Estate.
From time to time notices have appear
cd of the great wealth of Robert Coleman,
one OF the leading heirs Of the great Corn
wall estates, and the public spirited use
which he is making Of it. He has built at
Lebanon, to the memory of his dead wife,
magnificent Episcopal church. He is
erecting in North Lebanon the finest fur
mace structures in the country, the stone
work being equal to that Of private man
sions. He also cOntemplates the erection
1T an early day of car works and other
manufactures which will vastly improve
the interests OF Lebanon. He will be the
owner Of the new railroad to be built next
summer from Cornwall to q point near
E!izabethtown, this county, and the follow
ing article from the New York Sun indi-
Gates that he is preparing to make the
road masterpiece Of engineering and
equipment
Few of the visitors to the great Corn
wall iron estate, in this county, receive in
vitation to inspect the work room Of the
young millionaire, Robert Coleman. Mr..
Coleman destroyed palace half built
when his young bride died, year ago,
and her cmbalmed body was brought from
Paris to be entOmbcd i'm 4 mausOleum
here, in the shape Of All Episcopal catle-
tlral that cost u quarter of q million.
Since the death Of the young bride the
grief fstricken widower has paid much at
tentiOn to machinery aud engineering.
lie had 4 building erected containing y
single large room, with high ceiling and
frcscOctl walls. A circular roadway. with
double line of steel tracks, extends around
the room. Patent safety switches, elec
trio crossing signals, safety frogs, and the
latest method tor fastening rails are in use
Oil this playhouse railway. The total
length of track is about $50 feet, double
track and two sidings. At one end is a
roundhOuse, with turn tables that work
automatically. Three miniature lOcOnO-
tives are employed. Every piece Of me-
chanism, every rod, bolt, screw, lever,
spring, tire, cock, pipe, and pump are OH
these locomotives. The boiler jackets
rods, and drivers are nickel plated, aid
some Of the bright work is silver plated.
The cabs are of solid walnut, and the
boilers proper and the fire boxes are Of
wrought steel. The tenders are Of copper,
and their water supply is taken by scoops
from watts on the roadway while tho loco
motives are in motion.
The locomotives are about four feet in
length, including the tender, and are
models Of beauty. They are of English
design, so far as high driving wheels are
concerned otherwise, they are advanced
American mechanical ideas, and have
many original appliances Of Mr.. COleman's
invention.
The locomotives are fired up and set in
motion. Around the tracks they 90, while
the millionaire owner watches the move
ments Of the miniature machinery. Hours
are thus passed AL sorts of experiments
are tried high speed and low speed are
compared to determine the comparative
effect of friction.
To develop his railway ideas, Mr.. Cole
man has determined to build and equip 4
road extending from the Cornwall estate
to the Pennsylvania railroad, distance Of
about twenty miles. In all probability
this road Tor its size, will DC one Of the
best equipped in the country. It will carry
the iron from the Cornwall furnaces to
market over shorter route than is now in
Use.