The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-08-24
NOW A STANDARD GAUGE.

The Baltimore and Lehigh railway
is now standard gauge. After num-
berless delays on account of the manu-
facturers of steel rails, and disappoint-
ments from the Locomotive works,
the officials were enabled to run the
first through train from Baltimore to
Delta yesterday. Some of our more
enterprising contemporaries have
been starting the trains running so
often in each edition of their papers,
that the people had become somewhat
tired of the constant rumors, so that
when the first train actually arrived in
Bel Air there was very few on hand
to greet it. The shrek of tie whistle,
now that the road has become a
standard gauge is not SO deafening as
formerly, and when engine number
two pulled into town there was
scarcely dozen persons on the plat
form.
Captain A. w. Dilworth and en-
gineer w. L. Guyton, the two oldest
men in point of service on the road
had the honor Of being the first crew
to run over the new tracks. The
train consisted Of two passenger
coaches, baggage car and tender. The
engine which weighs sixty tons, pass
ed over the trestles as nicely and
easily as if they had been especially
constructed for this heavy service
and. in point of fact, they have been
so nearly rebuilt since the broad
gauging has been going on, that they
are nearly all now practically new,
and what are not, have been material
ly strengthened to bear the increased
strain. The ten passengers who came
up said that the coaches rode very
much easier than the old ones and
while the trip was taken at a slower
speed than usual, they all expressed
themselves as delighted with the
change. or course for a short time
the officials will be extremely cautious
and consequently trains will be run at
a low rate of speed but when the bed
becomes adapted to the changed con-
ditions the old schedule will undoubt-
eddy be improved upon very material
ly.
We congratulate the officials of the
road for their enterprise in making
this entire change without inson-
yeniencing passenger travel except
part of one day. 1t was big under
taking and when we consider that all
of this extra work was under the per-
sonal supervision Of Mr.. w. A. Moore,
the general manager, in addition to
his other regular duties, no one will
hesitate to give him the unstinted
praise he deserves.
In making the great change upon
the Baltimore and Lehigh it has been
necessary for the Company to pur-
chase considerable new equipment.
Thus far it has bought five large TO-
wheel standard gauge locomotives,
which were specially build for it by
the Richmond Locomotive Works,
eight passenger coaches, two combi-
nation cars, three mail and baggage
cars and one through baggage car,
besides standard gauge switching
engine. A large number Of standard
freight cars have also been added to
the equipment. The cost Of the change
is about 100000.
The adoption Of the standard gauge
by the Baltimore and Lehigh Rail-
road will result in considerable econ
omy of operation. Owing to the form
er difference OF gauge between it and
other lines the necessity of transfer
ring through freight to and from mar
row gauge and standard cars at each
end of the road will now be avoided.