The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-12
PARADOX OF 4 RAILROAD.
1t IL Twenty Miles Long Going Ono Way, Bu
Only sixteen Going Back.


HoNEsDALE. Pa. juno lit is twenty miles
from Honesdale to Carbondale. From Carbon
bale to Honesdale it is sixteen miles. That is
what they will tell the inquiring traveller who
has occasion to take the Delawnre and Hudson
cars at this place to make the trip between the
two towns for the first time. The information
will be puzzling to him.. but 1t will be true.
Another thing will puzzle him still more. The
car he enters is deliberately fitted and furnished.
but is less than half the size of the ordinary
passenger car. 1t moves out from the covered
station on the coal piers a few yards and stops.
If the traveller looks ahead out of the car win
dow he will see the narrow track leading
straight up the side of n high hill. at an angle of
nearly 10 degrees. The top OF the hill Is about
an eighth Of a mile away. There is no loco
motive nywhe to DO seen. Up this
hill the car is hauled by q cable.
Once at the top the car continues on its way
runs by gravity until it reaches the foot OF
another hill, when 1t Is whisked TO the top in the
same manner as the hrst one. In TINS way the
grand summit OF the mountain range that di-
Yides the LackRwGnna from the La~ckawaXen
Valley is surmounted, eight of tho long planes
being assembled before the summit IL reached.
The ride from Fairview Summit on TO Carbon
dale Is over an uninterrupted declining grade.
The road curves abruptly around, projecting
hills; clings. high in tho air, to the sides OF
rocky lodges, and spans deep chasms by airy
trains are frequently run a milo a minute, The
runner. with his hand on the brake, controls the
winu. or bring il to u standBtill at his will.
AT ono point on the down-nlountain trip the
traveller will see a track running parable! with
the ono he ID on, q rod or two to his left, but
perhaps twenty feet below him.
This Is some rival road, " is the first thought
A few seconds later. after IA dash through n
deep, dark rock-cut. he is amazed to find hiR
with the one he saw it from above him on the
hillside. This is the Shepherds Crook, Long
coal trains rounding this crook find thor head
and rear ends 80 near together that one could
easily toss u piece OF coal from II rear car into a
front one.
From Honesdalo to Carbonate is twenty
miles. From Carbondale to HoneGdale 10 six
teen miles. This paradox in, distance is due to
the fact that the railroad follows another course
in coming from Carbondale to Honesdale. and
the way 10 four miles shorter. This railroad.
over the Moosic Mountain, was tho first of any
length TO BIO put in operation in this country. II
was completed in 1929, and was intended wholly
for the transportation Of coal from the Della
ware and Hudson mines at CArbondale to the
head OF the company's canal. at Honesdale, the
canal taking 1t to tidewater at Ronuout. II was
impossible to get the empty coal cars back 10
CaroondSie over the same track. SO there had
to be IA light" track and II loaded " track.
This gravity railroad occupies a unique place
in railroad history, for it was on its original
rails. on Aug. o. 1929. that the first locomotive
tineDt was rum. Tho locomotive WAS intended
to draw the coal cars from the foot OF the last
stretch of road TO the piers. but was too heavy
for the ~;restles, and was abandoned after the
initial trip in this country. but 1t domon-
strated the prRcticability Of steam as a motive
power on railroads more than a month before
on the Liverpool and Manchester Railroad,
from which latter date tho success of locomo-
Otis Avery OF Honcsdale is the last survivor OF
that first locomotive trip. lilo was one of the
Horatio Allen, the engineer who ran II. and al
90 10 still actively engaged nor his profession.