Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-08-08
A TWO FOOT GAUGE.
UNIQUE AND INTERESTING FEATURES
OF A LITTLE MAINE RAILROAD.


American HALLWAY proi.etor. Are In
-, 80. -, ,,, -,
Extremely Narrow Gauge K"ad--cost'
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ai" 0"e' iN''ei' ""'0n zap '''0 -. ''''''' "''N
osdensburg standard gausel a. hirahi' SIX
teen miles west Of Bridgton ana forty miles
west Of Portland, is representative, and one
of the best representatives, Of it's kind, will
take IL for illustration. The general reader,
as well as railroad men, will readily note its
unique, curious and interesting features.
The road was built in the summer OF lSSa
and the winter Of lSS2-S3. That winter was
notable as one Of the most severe on record,
the mercury for weeks at a time registering
from degs. to - degs below zero, and the
snow being deep, which, with the then high
price of materials, made the expense much
more than IL would cost 10 build the same
ruad at the present time. The exact length
OF the road is l5.9 miles, independent OF
sidingS The cost OF construction wss slos,-
S95; Of equipment, 81, ,4'3; total cost, Slno,'
SIS. The same kind OF steel rails can now be
bought from 30 10 * per cent less, and other
materials are cheaper; so that what then
cost about 81 ,OO per mile TO construct couli
utN ~ A-sHt iRi tf't. Aho VI etfNltf
Cambridge pattern, are 30 feet long, aud
weigh 80 pounds TO the yard. Number OF
ties used per mile. 2,6iO.
There are two engines-built at the Hink-
ley Locomotive works, Boston-each weigh
ing 5000 pounds, with driving wheels ~
inches in dismeter, and their power, con
sidering their small size aud weight, Is simply
surprising, as is shown by the way they con
| quer steep grades with heavy loads, and forcS
their way with plows through deep snow
and huge drifts, by which they are seldom
long detained The two passenger cars (buil
| al the Laconia Car works, New Hampshire
are each 10 10y IL feet. Each seats thirty
passengers-one person 70 a seat, there being
two rows of scats-is finished IN solid ma
hagony, and nicely upholstered Between
the iloorings OF each car mineral wool thre'
inches deep renders them fire proof, prevents
any cold air from passing, and deadens thu
noise. These cars are run with little jar ol
noise on Is inch wheels, are equipped will
the Miller platform and vacuum brakes, arr
elegant, cozy, pleasant, comfortable, in short
are every way satisfactory, and compar'
favorabiy with their more pretentious brett
reii The freight cars, some twenty in mum
Der, are 2S by IL feet, and carry crdinaril.
burden of eight tons, although having I
capacity OF twelve tons. There are also
baggage mail express car, a combination car
three hand and three push cars, and sno'
plow. All the trains are mixed They ord
narily take one hour to accomplish the si1
teen miles OF road, but have been run tha
distance in thirty-six minutes. The amour
OF coal required for the round trip-thirty
two milcs-is 300 pounds. The heaviest grad
Goo feet TO the milo is near Che Hiram tel
minus, and is on half mile 20 deg. curve
There is another curve OF u degs one OF i
one OF IL, one Of II, four OF 10 each, and
considerable number Of less degree.
The Central and South American inspe
, ton parties learned some, 70 them, snrprisir
facts m Their forty minutes ride from Hira
70 brldgton. Ihey learned that the Init
2O,oOO pound locomotive could draw W.
loaded TRAN up grade OF sOO feet 10 u
mile' that 1t could easily round ~ dc
curve That tine seeming recklessness OF
| tempting TO run train on rails only two fe
apart proved thoroughly safe pertormnnc
80 far rs any danger OF tip over was Co
ccTned, on account OF tine nearness OF the ca
: 70 the ground and consequent lowering OF q
center OF gravity and that three essentia
OF safety, speed and comfort were abun
. antly secured Our road was built five yea
! ago, and in all this time not a passenger h
Deen injured NOT an engine nor car owe
turned nor derailed' not smash up OF al
, kind. what better record could be hadf
There are tonr other TWO toot gauge roa.
Ia Maine, tho sandy hlVer, tine Monson, u
Franklin ana MeSahtlc, and another who
name cannot now recall, varying tro
ufteen TO eighteen miles IN length.
Q .ue w. .oS .ts " W oui.S ~ eno Sou'iie
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