Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-11-13
4 COG ROAD.
One Of the oldest Railways i'm the
World.


other one travels TO so high a point
HlH feet 4 visit 20 Colorado is not
complete until one has seen the granite
bowlder-held which marks the summit
Of the famous mountain and nowadays
the satisfaction IS not well rounded until
you have ridden over the nine miles Of
coz road. Tho trip il almost rs novel
and exciting as the view over 5000
square miles 81 Colorado from the sum
nit To sit i'm q comm0dlous railway-car
and climb up tortuOus gorscs. over
ridges, between great bow ders up
grades. which often rise one foot IN four
steadily on and upward, 10 see what
had seemed great peaks .ip below and
appear as foothills and then survey thou
sands OF miles of great State. is ID
sensation that comparatively few enjoy
But this curious LITTLE railway. All
travellers who go up % the summit in
this way are favored with am interest
ing souvenir of the trip. a folder. pr0fuse-
ly illu rated and giving a wealth Of
interesting facts 1'he discovery OF the
peak by Major Zebulon NJ Pike-after
whom 10 was named-on November H,
lSJC; the first ascent OF the peak by Major
$. ii. Longs government party
July il, 1885, the history OF the road and
its difficult and peculiar construction, "a
table Of elevatous-an these and more
are TO be found IN this liltie folder Ac-
cording to this little folder the first pro-
lect for building a railroad TO Pike S
Peak summit took form iu 1881. work
was begun and nearly eight miles graIed
FOR a line which was intended 10 reach
the summit By circuitOus route. thirty
miles i'm length. with n maximum grade
Of per cent The roadbed may De seen
20 this day winding around the side of
the mountain south OF Mantou. Fiuan-
Cial difficulties and discouragins opinions
from experts killed the project. The pre-
sent railway was conceived i'm 1855.
one year later grading began, and ON
October %. 1880. the golden spike was
driven. The cost of the construction
was nearly $4,000 The tota length of
the road is So miles. almost a direct
route 10 the top of the peak. and i'm this
distance 10 OycrcOmcS an elevation OF
1Jls feet. or about one and a half miles
The cog depot is by the famous iron
springs al ManitOu. The elevation there
is G6zg feet Without loss OF time or dis
lance. the train 10 the peak starts mp
Embellishments Canyon. and until the sta
ton at the summit is reached there rs no
level The maximum grade climbed is -
per cent; the minimum, per cent, and
the average IS per mt, or eiLS feet to
the mile.
Everybody I'm Kansas city Is familiar
with the Ninth-street incline TO the de-
pot. II is about Il per cent. grade. Think
of a grade nearly twice as steep, and you
have q good Illustration Of what it means
to ride mp the steepest part Of Pixies Peak
over the cog railway.
The original equipment Of the road was
four engines and six coaches; the present
equipment Is the same minus an engine.
the one that was demolished last
August In runaway Each train
consists Of an engine and
coach. The latter has n seating
capacity OF fifty persons, and the seats
are so arranged that passengers always
have a level sitting. The engines are al
ways objects Of great interest
"They look so funny, don't they?' re-
marked the companion OF recent pas
senger up the peak. They make me
think OF donkeys-donkey engines with n
hump i'm their backs. Look how the wa
ter-tank tips. How can they keep water
I'm that thing? And 10 think that that lit
Tie engine Is going TO push us up mile
and a half nearer the stars
The brakeman was n listener TO the
young womans remarks. That engine
isn't big" said he but TIA make
monkey Of a regular locomotive. It'd just
run away with II as easy-35Q-horse-pow-
or. you know"
The young woman didn't know. but her
eyes grew larger. and she gently whis-
pered "Wheww
The engines are Of the 4-cylinder
Vaudain compound pattern. The water
tank IS so placed that on II per cent
grade the water IS on a level. The steam
pressure carried in the boiler is 20
mounds Each engine Is provided with
two double steel cOgwhccls. through
which the power Is applied TO the rack
ladder These cogs are fastened to the
centre Of the forward axle, and extend
ING from their sides are four corrugated
surfaces. upon which the powerful steam
and hand-brakes operate. The steam
cylinders are also fitted with the lie
Chatter water-brake. and are utilized
ON the downward journey as air-compres-
sors 10 regulate the speed OF the train.
The engine pushes the car In ascending
and preccdes fl in descending. thus giving
nerfoct control over the car, which is
supplied with powerful brakes at either
end. 4 brakeman IS always seated on
one platform ready In case or an emer-
ecncv The accident last August wa"
the ffSf 40 the NlFlNiN tl liif i'tt"+ D.t'
Of the driving-rOds of the engine broke.
and the machine was rendered unmanage-
able thereby. The rod cut or the ends
Of heavy ties as though they were pine
sticks. Faster and faster the engine
moved There Is only one place where
fremen and engineers can jump with any
hone Of saving their lives. This place
was Just below where the accident oc-
CURED. and this explains why the men in
control of the engine are living to-day.
The locomotive dashed on down the
mountain jumped the track. and buried
itself I'm n ravine The brakeman on
the coach platform was prompt He APP
plied the plnlon brakes and stopped the
car.
The track and roadbed OF the cog rail-
yov delight all engineers. The roadbed
Is from fifteen 10 twenty feet wide. and
hacked hard. In scores Of places II rests
on solid rock There Is no trestlework.
and the four short bridges are Of iron
and rest on solid masonry. To prevent
any possible moving Of the track. owing
20 it's weight or from the effect Of widely
varying temperature. 1i6 anchors are firm
w Embedded at distances ranging from 20
10 400 feet according to the grade. The
rails are OF ordinary standard gauge.
Their office Is TO carry the weight and
o,,de tho train. al % the pushing force
being exerted on what Is called the rack
ladder I'm the centre OF the track. The
ladder IS formed Of double row OF rack
rails set one and five-eighths inches apart
and with teeth slaggered-that IS one
tooth opposite the opening between two
teeth. thus permitting an equal bearing
at all times The racks are each eighty
inches long. and vary In weight from
twenty-one 10 thlrty-one and one-half
pounds per foot. the heaviest being used
on the steepest grades They were mado
from the highest grade OF Bessemer steel,
and the teeth were cut from solid pieces
by machines made for the purpose.
There must be a tremendous wear and