Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-12-27
RAILS TO PIXIES PEAK.

years ago for the purpose of transport
ing tourists and otherS to the pinnacle
III Pixies Peak, where an opportunity is
afforded for beholding scenery of sur
passing grandeur and magnitude. It is,
according to the Chicago Tribune, tho
most novel railways in the world, and
renders almost insignificant, by com
parison, the famous cogway up Mount
Washington and the incline railway up
tho Rigi in Switzerland.
Its exact length is 46.158 feet, or nino
miles. The altitude of its initial sta
ton at Manitou is 6,60O feet; at tho
summit it is IA, 200 feet above the level
Of the sea, the total ascent being $500
feet, or an average Of $40 foet per milo.
The maximum grade is 25 per cent,
over % per cent. of tho line having a
grade Of 22X to % per cent. The limo is
pretty crooked. even for an adhesion
road, and has many sharp curves, though
not moro than some other roads Of a
similar nature. OF straight line there
are 2S,S7S feet, and Of curved 1S, ATT feet,
about 80 per cent. Of the line being on
corners. The sharpest curves arc 10 de-
grees, of which there are quito u num-
her. The culverts are Of stone and the
foundations are firmly secured and
furthor protected and sustained by
wide embankments. The rails are
laid on red spruce and oak tics, S-inch
face, inches deep, o feot~ lang, laid 40
inches centers. At intervals of 200 to
800 or 700 feet, dependent upon the
grades, anohorages are made by straps
fastened to tho ties and carried upgrade
to oye-bolts set in blocks of masonry.
AS the whole track is consolidated, not
only by the ordinary spiking, but by the
extra fastcnings of the track-raiI, it is
believed that these nnchorages viii be
amply sufficient to guard against tho
movement Of any part down grade. The
track-rails are forty pounds por yard
rlIree and q half inches high. between
those in the center of the track are
placed two cog-rails made Of the finest
coca steel. A special chair has been
manufactured for those rails at Abt's
great foundry in Germany.
On the Mount Washington road and
on that up the Rigi the middle rail is
constructed upon the principle Of lad
der. This is cumbersome, provocative
Of great noise, and only allows a speed
of two and thrce>fOurths miles an hour.
The speed attainable on the Pixies
Peak road ia seventeen miles an hour,
hut tho maximum roto will not be over
eight miles and the average not moro
than five miles. One cog-rail would be
amply sufficient to do all tho work, but
two arc inserted to insure safety. The
cogs arc SO fitted that the variation of q
iiftieth part Of all inch in one Of them
would cause the whole rail to be re-
jpctnd. .... IT,.
Tho engines, three in number, each
80 weighing twenty-five TONS wcro built by
tho Baldwin Company, of Philadelphia.
and arc Of the latest and most improved
puttoru. There arc three wheels on
each side Of tho engines which act as
guards and to sustain weight. There
arc three driving cog-wheels, two OF
which arc in constant use, and tho third
ID reserved for engineers. The propell-
Ing power is applied directly to drum
above the two rear drivers. Tho front
drivers are moved by wallling-bcam
running from the second driver. The
brake apparatus Is especially strongly
built. On either side of tho cog-wheels
Is a corrugated surface which tho heavy
rSeam break operates with tremendous
force. Tho engines arc aIso fitted with
hand brakes, and an additional dcvicc
tthc 10 Chatclicr hralc( by which the
cylinders act as brakes. Tho tank holds
TO) gallons of water and is filled -four
times in each round trip. Ono engine
will push two cars weighing $4,000
pounds loaded.
From Manitou Station, near tho up,
per iron springs, the line runs up Engle.
man Canon and follows this gulch tc
tao hcadwaters Of Ruston. creek. This
stream is = typical mountain brook, with
clear, sparkling waters that come down
Tho mountain side broken into number
tHss little cascades and foauing rapids
Thcro arc two pretty falls in Rustor
creek. called respectively tho Shelter
and tho Mlnnehaha. a succession Of
small bat beautiful parks is reached
About two miles from Mlnnitnn. at "a rt