Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-05-30


steam railroads, but for street railways
/ as well. as the following facts, when
have been carefully ascertained, Will
show.
the whole tendency Of modern street
railway construction is in the dlrec-
rion of what is known as standard
gauge. Wider gauges are obsolete
and many cities Will not permit them,
under any consideration. Wheeling
should be up with the times in this,
as well as in other matters, and mem
beers of Council should not insist upon
an adherence TO anything simply De-
cause il was once the fashion.
The following Official report OF En-
gineer Gilmore Browne can be relied
upon as setting forth the exact facts
To the Wheeling & Elm Grove Rail-
road Company.
Gentlemen:-In reply to your re-
Quest 10 furnish you with data concern
inc the use of the IT" rail and standard
a feet Sl2 inches gauge track by
street railway companies in this coun-
Try operating in cities having paved
streets. would say that l have had pre-
pared a circular letter embodylng the
following four questions, which was
sent 90 some of the more prominent ana
best equipped railways in the country
The questions asked were:
First-What is the length OF your
railway?
Second-What is the gauge of your
track?
Third-What rail do you use IT" or
girder?
Fourth-If your track is 4 feet S1a
inch gauge. is it satisfactory 10 the
citizens of your city?
Fifth-If you use a 'T' rail, have
the citizens generally made any OBJ
lection TO it?
The answers received were as follows:
Canton & Massillon Street Railway
Company-Length Of track, seventeen
miles: gauge four feet; mostly ct rail.
Citizens do not object TO 'T' rail.
(Sigued) T. R. CATLIN.
Superintendent.
Springfield Consolidated Railway
Company. Springfield nl.-Twenty
miles of track; four feet eight and
half inch gauge. We use "T' rail.
Think il satisfactory to everybody, as
we hear no objection to its use.
(Sigaed) c. K.MINARY,
Manager.
Springfield Street Railway Company.
Springfield, Mass.-Sixty miles of
track; four feet eight and a half inch
gauge: use both It" and girder.
Gauge perfectly satisfactory to all citi-
zens No objection to IT" rail by
citizens They think it the best.
(Signed) A. E. SMITH,
Treasurer and Manager.
Fort Wayne Consolidated Railway
Company-Thirty-o miles; four feet
eight and a half inches. We use sixty
pound IT" rails. Our gauge, four feet
eight and a half inches, is satisfactory
TO all of the citizens Of our city.
JH- PASS & NJ. S. ROBINSON.
Receivers.
The Akron. Bedford & Cleveland
: Railroad Company-Twenty-six miles;
four feet eight and half inche gauge;
use both e. and girder rail.
Anything but standard gauge would
of course be out of the question.
(Signed) F. S. BARTON,
Secretary.
Terra Haute Electric Railway Com
pauv-Twenty miles; four feet eight
and a half inch gauge; sixty and sew
enty-two pound "T'' rail.
There should be no objection TO your
using ct" rail- as it gives you a
stronger. rail and the jar Of the cars
breaks or cracks the street less than
any other kind of rail you could use.
There will not be the slightest objec-
ton after one trial by the city to letting
YOU use his method Of construction en-
tirely 9uuI
(Signed RUSSELL B. HARRISON,
Presiden.
Niddletown-Gashen Traction Com
panv. NiddletOwn. y. Thirteen
miles. four feet eight and a half inch
gauge: 90 pound "T' rail. The fact
that our gauge is four feet eight and
half inches has not been objected TO
bv our citizens The Ct rail has been
generally approved by the citizens OF
Niddletown. The IT, rail and gauge
was adopted by the Railroad Commit
tee of tn Common Council after a
thorough investigation and hearing be-
fore them.
(Signed) o. G. URBAN
Supt.
New Haven Street Railway Com
pany. New Haven. Conn.-Thirty
miles: four feet eight and a half inch
gauge. We use IT" rail altogether.
The IT" rail is entirely satisfactory
10 citizens and no objection is offered
TO il. l would state in addition TO
YOUR questions. which l answered
above. that there are three railway
companies here. having between so and
90 miles of track. ! believe AT the pres
enr time there is not a foot of girder rail
in the city. There were formerly a
few miles Of girder rail- but it has all
been taken out and IT, rail has been
laid in place of it. The fact is, our city
government would not allow anything
else TO be laid but II" rail.
(Signed) G. a. W. DODGE,
Secretary.
Twin City Rapid Transit Company,
controlling the street railway systems
of Minneapolis and ST. Paul-Two hun
dred and twenty-five miles of line; four
feet eight and a half inch gauge.
All new construction work is being
put in with the "T'' rail. this rail having
the approval of the engineers of both
St Paul and Minneapolis We have
never heard any criticism either as re-