The morning times., 1895-09-08
RAILROAD WITH WOODEN RAILS.
An Engine Transported Twenty-thre
Miles in Novel Manner.

An Engine Transported Twenty-three
Miles in Novel Manner.
very peculiar ana decidedly economical
railrsad is in course os cosStTgC tor in
south Florida. The company constructing
IL is known as the Avon Park Transporta-
ton Company and the road will be run
from Avon Park, in De Soto county, to
Haines City, in Polk county, about forty
miles due north, says the Cincinnati Post
The capital stock is $4,000, with which
sum the promoters expect TO build and
equip the road. up north" that amou MT
would hardly build a mile OF road. That
it can be mace TO build and equip forty
miles OF track in Florida opens up a new
era in railroad construction.
The credit of originating the new idea
| belongs largely to j. c. Burlcigh, a Con
| necticut Yankee, traHsplanted TO Florida
and now superintendent of the new line
that is being constructed. Last fan Bur
leigh was manager OF a steam 81 wmill in
avon Park. The timber for a mile around
his mill has been cut and hauled to his saw
| by mule power and could no longer be
| furnished profitably by this means. Either
he must move his mill farther out into the
| forest or find some other agent for trans
| porting logs He sent an order to the
Lima locomotive machine works for one
Of their twclve-ton Shay locomotives. 4.
When word came that she was at Bowling
Green, the nearest railway station, twenty
three miles distant, Mr.. Burleigh went to
Bowling Green, with force of twelve men,
a cook, camping outfit and a stock OF four
by SIX and two by six timbers, built an in
Clined plane of trestewOrk flush with the
floor of the box car Oh which the Iocomtiye
lay, and on this laid tramway OF the
four by six rails, which led down TO the
earth and out into the forest. Then he
slowed the Crosby, as the locomotive was
named, round TIL her head pointed to the
east. Got her wheels, which have an
eight-inch tread, upon the trans, and
told her engineer to give her steam. He
did so, and inch by inch she came down the
trestle to solid earth, as gracefully, il not
as quickly, as a ship launches herself from
the ways INTO her natural element. When
she had steamed to the end OF the tramway
the rails behind were takenup and laid dow
in front again, and in this way, over creeks,
through marshes and swamps and the com
parativeiy level surface oftheflat woods, she
made her way in nine days TO the park
There an ovation was accorded her The
citizens assembled to greet her, the bells
rung, the whistle footed, the band played,
speeches were made and great enthusiasm
was displayed. The motor had been moved
so successfully over the wooden tramway
that it suggested to Mr.. Burleigh a similar
device for his logging road. For this he
took eight by four beams and laid them inthe
sand without cross-ties, the ends being joined
by wooden fishplates. Rails and fishplates
were held together by wooden pins eighteen
inches long driven through both into the
ground.
This road has now been in operation sew
eral months without repairs and without ac-
cident, although abouttwenty heavy logging
trains a day run over it; the rails quickly
imbed themselves firmly in the sand, which
packs about them and holds them firmly in
place
When, in January last, the Avon Park
Transportation Company was formed Mr..
Burleigh was excited superintendent Snd
proposed building the new road on the lines
laid down in his logging road, offering to
take any doubling Thomas over the line and
give him ocular demonstration of it's safety
and efficiency. His plan was adopted and
the road is now being built through the
primevaI forest to Haines City, where it
viii connect with the Plant system for
Jacksonville and the north.