Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-06-25
A CHINESE RAILWAY.
It Is Exceedingly Small but Has Prov.
y Great Success.

luis commonly supposed that there
is not a mile of railroad yet in China,
but this is a mistake. There is one
road complete in all its appointments
and details in daily operation. 1t is
situated about seventy-iive miles east.
northeast from Tientsin and is known
as the "Kai -Ping railway" 1t was
putt to afford an outlet for the output
OF the colliery of the Chinese Engin-
eering u Mining Company, situated
about five miles from the town of Kali
Ping in the province of China. North
China.
In November, 1879. surveying for a
canal system was begun and in October
OF the following year the work of exca-
vstlng Il canal to connect the colliery
with the nearest pointo on the Peh-Tang
RIVER was started. But it was found
hat it would be impossible to bring the
canal nearer than within seven miles of
the co!liery. so the directors told the
government that unless the permission
We're granted to build a line to connect
the colliery with the head of the canal
the company would be forced to stop
work. But not till April, 1881, would
the Government listen to any appeal,
and then permission was given t. put
down Il line from the collicry to the
head of the canal on condition that
only horses or mules should be used as
the motive power, and that it should be
called a tramway.
In the meantime the engineers had
been quietly constructing a locomotive
in the shops out of such odds and ends
as were obtainable, and the use of the
men and materials for this purpose was
kept a secret for fear that it would be-
come known to the Government that
they were building a locomotive"
The locomotive was tested with twenty
pounds OF steam on the oath of March,
1881, and worked well, but on the 9TH of
April all further work IN it was stopped
by order of the managing director,
and on the 9th all the rails on which it
had been run in the yard were pulled
up, and on the 9TH of May the locomo-
tive was shuntcd into q shed, presum-
ably to let her rust out.
work was, however, again begun on
her, and at last, in spite of all obsta-
Giles, an engine subsequently, described
was finallycompleted at small expense,
though in the toughest manner, owing
to want of facilities in the shops, and
was run in the yard Old the centenary
of George Stevenson's birth for the
first time; whence it was not inappro-
priately christened the Crock of
China" The first trial on the main
line was made on the Sth Of November
Of the same year, and since then the
engine has done good service, running
over twelve thousand miles and sup
plying all requirements till locomotives
could be got out from England.
This engine, in all its details, and in
deed most Of the railroad, was planned
and built by Claude w. Kinder, ayoung
English civil engineer, who was at the
time assistant to Mr.. Burnett, chief
engineer of the company. The boiler
is an old portable boiler of English
make. cylinders eight by fifteen and a
half inches, belonged to an old winding
engine from England. Wheels. thirty
inches in diameter. bought as old iron,
are of chilled iron from Whitney &
Son, Philadelphia. Frame, channe
iron from head gear of No. 1 shaft
Axle guards, angle iron, rivcted tt
same. Springsa and all other work madl
at the colliery. Wheel base, eight
feet, four inches (siX wheels, four
couplcd), weight on drivers six tcns,
Oh leading wheels three and q half, side
tanks, end coal bunkers. One motion
pump and one donkey pump. Steven
sons linkmotion. Cost OF reconstruction
about $3.50 for labor and.other than old
material. The railway has Il total fall
OF seventy feet between termini,
maximum gradient, l in 100; sharpest
curve radius 1900 feet, except in yard;
where there are curves of 600 feet
radius. The rails are steel, 30 pounds
to the yard, Vignoles pattern. The line
is single, Shoppers are of native elm,
rough hewcd and laid on an excellent
road bed, well ballastcd with broken
limestone, and the gauge is 4 feet, 81
inches.
On the whole length of the line e
miles) there is one tunnel Of 800 feet,
l arch of 20 feet span, l open top iron
girder bridge, 10 feet span, l iron War
rem girder bridge, 80 feet span, besides
several ~culverts. There is one half
way station at Liu-Ying-Chong. The
imported stock is 2 locomotives, II
inch tank engines, IS inch stroke, 6
wheels coupled, from Stevenson & Co.,
England, 8 third class passenger car
riages, IS ten-ton coal wagons, II
@fve-ton wagons and l break van.
There is also one saloon carriage,
built at the company's works. There
are II crossings on alevel on the seven
miles of line.
The traffic is daily about 600 tons Of
coal, 100 tons of limestone, besides
pottery and sundries, and also about
l60 passengers who pay five cents for
the seven miles.
The tunnel above mentioned takes a
branch line to the %company's quarries.
and all bridges are made for "a double
line of rails. Flag signals are used,
and there is a gatekeeper at each cross
ing. Notwithstanding the fact that
this road is in daily operation, runs
smoothly and is a beautiful model OF
what Il railroad should be for general
traffic, its existence is ignored by the
Government. 1t has never been seen
by any member of the Board of Public
Works. nor, indeed, by any other CON
siderable person connected with the
Goyor, ,,o,+ ,t pnEinu or If thn DrOV-