The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-10-24
,,,,,IpING A STEEP RAILWAY.
To Ascend the Apparently Vertical Cliffs
of Fixes Peak.
{rrom the Engineering Ncws.)

Since the organizing of the Manitou u
Pixies Peak Railway Company in the fall
of 1882 for the construction of a railway
nine miles long, from Manitou to the Old
Signal Station on Pixies Peak, nearly
| | 900 men have been constantly employed.
| The road il built on the Abt system, and.
as regards grades surmounted. is perhaps
the stccpest and most important Abt line
in the world The exact length is l6,l Is
feet or very nearly eight and threc-fonrihs
miles The altitude of its station at Mani
tou is $500 feet; ut the summit it is H.
300 feet above sea level, the total ascent
being /. 900 feet. or an average OF $40 tect
per nile The maximum grade is - per
cent. over % per cent of the line having Il
grade OF from - to - per cent. The
line is ,olcrablv crooked. even for an adj
hcsion road, and has many sharp curves.
OF straight line there is 2S,3IS feet, and
of curved lS.411 feet, about 30 per cent of
the line being on curves. The sharpcst
curves are l6 degrees, OF which there arc
MANY. The roadbed foundations arc firmly
secured. and further protected and Sus-
tanned bv wide entertainments wherever
practicable. There are four iron bridges.
span. resting on masonry alutmcnts.
At intervals Of POO to GOO or 600 feet,
depending on the grades. anchoragcs are
made by straps fastened to the ties and
carried up grade to cyebOlts set in solid
blocks OF masonry. As the whole track is
tied together not only by the Spiking, but
by the extra iastenngs of the rack rail,
il is thought that these anchoragcs will be
amply sufficient to guard against the
movement of any part down grade. The
rack rails consist Of two rack bars set
side by side in chairs. Each section is
eighty inches long, and the chairs arc
forty inches apart on each second tie, the
rack bars breaking joint according to the
usual Abt practice.
Three locomotives on the Abt system,
each weighing twenty-five tons, have been
bull, for the line. The cab and boiler are
much like those of any other steam en-
ginc. but the intricate machinery under
locomotive. The wheels hearing on the
rails are merely bearing wheels, not
drivers. the plant differing in this respect
from some other Abt engines which work
either Ivy adhesion or rack indticrcntly.
The Pixies Peak line being all on rack
grades, this double provision became SUI
perhuous. The engine is propelled Ivy
three sets Of gearing directly over the
center of the track. On these arc six
pinions with steel teeth. which fit into the
two rack rails running alon" the center of
the track. The propcling power is applied
directly to drum above the two rear
pinions. The front pinions arc moved by
connecting rod running from the second
one The brake apparatus is especially
powerful. On cithcir side Of the pinons
is corrugated surface which a steam
brake presses against with tremendous
force The engine is also fitted with hand
brakes and the lie Chatclcr water brake.
by which the cylinders act MS brakes,
which is so effectively and largely used on
mountain grades One engine will push
two cars weighing 10000 pounds loaded.
The average speed will bc five miles an
hour. The cars are not tilted, but the
seats are 50 arranged rs to give the pas
>engcr II level footing. The engine, i'll
stead Of drawing. pushes the Cars. The
cars can also be let down ill indcpcn-
IDENTIFY of the engine, if necessary.
From its Manitou station, the line runs
up apparently vertical ellis through En-
glcman Canyon until small but beautiful
grass covered parks are reached. About
one and half miles from Maniiou, III
Artist Glen, magnificent views arc OBJ
tanned OF the surroundn" country. inclu-
ding the Garden Of the Gods. and the vast
plains stretching east Sharp grades are
first encountered OF the second mile
from Mantou station All work above
Tic timber line for two and half miles
is largely in cmbankment to avoid Difficult
ties from snow. Below the timber line it
is largely in excavation, rs owing to the
stccpncss of the mountain sides ii was
difficult TO build entertainments.