Savannah morning news., 1886-05-22
NARROWING THE GAUGE.
NETTING READX FOR THE BIG
CHANGE on JUNE I.

a
eft,sv SceuYs in the Railroad shops
Travel to stop at Suurise on June
and Not 10 be Resumed Until the
Change of Gauge is made-Prepara-
tons Going on Along the Lines.
The present month has been the bust
est ever seen in the machine shops OF the
.Southern railroads, and next month Will
be even busicr. The gauge Of about 1900
miles of road will be changed on or about
MAY 81 and June 1. Georgia heads the
States that VIII change with 2,4l3 miles.
Tennessee has ]. $50 miles, Alabama sos,
South Carolina 1920, Florida 1850, VIZ
Ginia 9Sl, North Carolina $50, Mississippi
7I6 and Louisiana &l3.
In all OF the shops the men are working
night and day changing the gauge on the
car and locomotive wheels. A NEWS re-
orter went through the yards OF the
igavannah. Florida and Western yester-
day and ha saw acres or car trucks scat
tered around; some waiting for the
wheels to be pressed farther on the axles,
lothers ready 10 30 under the cars. Tne
tactual time of COMPRISING the Wneeis Is
hardly "A minute 10 truck, put
lOtten there is delay in getting Inc trucks
tout from under cars. There are hundreds
of new trucks of the right gauge that are
being used in place OF the ola ones. Both
the savannah. Florida and Western rail-
way and the Central from Savannah to
Atlanta viii change June l. BY that
time the former road expects TO have one
half OF its freight cars changed 10 suit
The standard gauge, 4 feet inches, and
.Three-fiths of its passenger coaches and
locomotives. The road has $50 miles of
track to cn8nge and the Central has over
], 800 miles. Superntendents OF all the
roads have issued instructions to their
men. and every workman knows now just
what he has TO do. The cr0ssties have
been aided already five inches inside OF
the rail to be moved. The right hand rail
lg1ing south is the one which is to be
lmoyed.
Spikes have been set in position three
.inches inside the right hand rail all along
the roads. From Savannah to Jackson
willie the spikes are set on two ties IN
every three. The orders are very specific.
Each man has one thing 20 do. One man
will draw spikes, others will push the
rail over, and others Will drive
the spikes. On Friday and sat
urday OF next week section
men ON some of the roads, if not all, will
draw every other spike from the outside
of the rail TO be changed, stralghten them
and leave them HANDY for use on Monday
and Tuesday. One man on every section
will stay up all Monday night to wake the
foreman when the tram carrying the sig
nal passes. Work will be begun at $3.50
O'Clock or as early as possible Tuesday
mOrning. Five men will be expected to
change two miles of track. The gangs of
men will work towards each other and
the Savannah, Florida and Western eX-
pects to start the 2 O'clock north-bOund
train out of Jacksonville on time and run
1T through here to Savannah by regular
schedule.
Cars and locomotives are being dis
trIbuted along over the road at Waycross,
Gainesville and other points, to pick up
trains on the day OF the change. A num-
Der of cars and locomotives will have to
be changed at intermediate points. The
Central will change on the following dates
Augusta to Millen, May 26, 1886; Griffin
TO CarrOlltOn, May IS, 1886; Barnesville
70 Thomaston, Eatonton to Gordon, Al
bany to Blakely, Fort Valley 10 Perry.
May %, 1886; Macon to Columbus, Fort
Valley to Albany, SmithVille to Mont
gomery, May 81, 1886; Savannah to At
lanta, Eufaula to Clayton, Cuthbert to
Fort Gaines, June l, 1856.
Freight will not be received from the
middle of next week until the change ia
made, except with theunderstandlng that
1t is received subject to delay incident TO
change OF gauge. Intending travellers
will have to watch the special schedules
on May 81 and June closely, as the regu-
ilar schedules Will be given up by most
roads.
The Louisville and Nashville had 5000
freight cars to send to the yards and be
changed when the new gauge was adOp-
ted. The entire cost to that road is put
at $4,000 and the cost OF tle entire
change will exceed $4,000, 600.
Down in Florida, road of &c miles,
with rails five feet apart, has just been
completed and was recently opened. Now
st will have to be changed TO the standard.
On the day Of the change the superinten-
dents will be as busy as they ever we're,
as progress will be reported and direc-
Tions sent constantly.