Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-09-10


They now have charter. which al
lows them TO form company and
build one line Of their road in the city
of Cambridge. When that Is done. II
the railroad commissioners approve
the new road as practical and safe. the
company viii be allowed to build into.
and upon Boston streets, provided the
city government gives permission. The
work they have just begun is the build
ing OF q 2,500-feet section OF their pc
culiar new railroad. also an engine apd
car such as they propose 10 use. The
new railroad is somewhat difficult to
describe without technical knowledge
Of engineering and the use of technical
terms. Its chief characteristic is q
single rail elevated upon a line of posts
at height of fourteen feet from the
ground. 1t is called single, though
perhaps a more correct description
would be two rails placed Que above
the other at a distance of four feet and
connected by series OF braces. The
supports or posts are placed at a dis
tance, of forty-fivc feet aud are almost
exactly like those of the Now York ell
evatcd railroad. except lnat The lower.
end is firmly incascd in concrete and
rests upon q soliti bed uf concrete sew
eral feet under the srnml.
The truck frame 81 The cars is placed
astride the rail like y satitie upon the
back of horse and enca tuck frame
has six wheels. Upon either side two
of these wheels run Upon tine lower
part of the rail. inclinng upward and
outward from the po;it "i contact at
an angle of forty-liyc ,leyr.cs. The
other Two wheels are ep,ac'.d norizontal-
ly under the car ANA lew. " II the top
OF the rail, along ilic s'.,, ol which
they run, one upon G ii.e.' -idc. By
means of hydraulic pr aa. applied
from the engine. i,as;,'e made to
clasp the rail lightly. i,n'i n 1n;s pow
er of traction the iors.,4 ,isl back
ward motion is sccirr. I. .l wheel
has an independent ax.s its own,
and by most in .epnD> .lirivance
under the Car the opn wheels are
always kept at ri@n, with the
rails regardless oil ,ur. s,inc of the
curves may be very sli :. GRADES
may be overcome = of the
traction power.
The truck frame; of II ...,moiive
are like those of the c. 4 4. tue con-
Meeting rods ATTACHES q, l.ogizontal
| wheels upon either side 81 the rail.
The pressure of the wir.i, i'pon the
| rails is such as 10 make Z. .,,ass i'm
| possible for them 10 hiN 80 track.
| 1t would simply droi,aa acy and a
| half and slide along rcSt,i-, upon the
top of the rail, the true. i,;ine serving
as a substantial brace ou.puln sides.
Tho cars are oil novel pattern, cyl
indrical in form and buill ot iron. In
carrying out their plans !or This unique
| railroad, the builders have. D. course,
to guard against horizontal! strain upon
the rail, which surface roads have
nothing to do with, but they are con-
iident the precautions they nave taken
will make accidents almost impossible.
People are very quick to laugh ut the
idea of putting an engine and cars
fourteen feet 1rcm the ground upon a
single rail, but the scheme is certainly
bearing the rigid inspection OF engin-
GERS and other scientific men wonder
fully well, and nobody has yet risen to
prove that the principles upon which
it is based are not sound. = Cor. Mn
,,edpolis Tribune.