Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-10
OLDEST STEAM RAILROADS.
First Yet in Existence is Part of South
Carolina and Georgia.

SaAOAAAd anu 0COIk4ds
From the London Answers.
The oldest steam railway which is still
in existence Is the Stockton and Darling
ton, which was first opened in the year
1925 But America can boast the possession
Of an iron way still existing as part of the
South Carolina and Georgia railway, which
was laid two years before, that date, and
which is perhaps the only passenger line
that ever was worked by wind power. 1t
Is recorded that. with a favoring breeze,
thirteen passengers and three tons Of iron
were carried at rate of ten miles an
hour.
In this country you find both the
cheapest and most expensive miles of rail-
way ever constructed The eight-mile line
known as the Wotton tramway, and which
was built to the order of the late Duke of
Buckingham and Chandos, cost only Ell 400
per mile. 1t is of standard gauge. and is
now used as light railway.
The most costly piece Of railway line
In the world is that between the Mansion
House and Aldgate, on the Underground,
London. 1t cost nearly 100000. Be-
statue the record rose to no less than
1000 guineas yard. or about ESQ an
inch.
For cheap travelling the Trans-Siberian
railway holds worlds record. In order
to encourage immigration into Siberia third
class fares are granted from any Russian
station on the line to Tobolsk for q sum
equivalent to four and sixpence. From
Eotolsk on to the very edge of Manchuria
you can travel for shillings. Thus the
emagrant can cover 5000 miles for 13s
3d. This rate, which works out at about
twenty miles per penny, is certainly cheaper
Pueblo and Beulah Valley. Passengers by
this railway are weighed and carried the
whole distance for 3 farthings a pound
The most northern railway line In ex-
istence is the Ofoten, built across the upper
end Of the Scandinavian peninsula by a
British company, to tap the great iron ore
beds which cover 100000 acres. At the
frontier station between Norway and Swe-
den an enormous hall has been built into
which the whole train runs bodily, and
which can be closed protection against
the weather. When crossing the arctic
circle the engine driver makes a point of
blowing the whistle.
What is-or was. before being taken over
by the Great Western-the smallest inde-
pendent railway company in existence was
the Abingdon railway, mile and half
in length, and connecting Abingdon with
Radley. 1t was a-paying concern, and
fetched very good price when sold.
The Manila and Dagupan railway, which
is to be found in the island of Luzon, has
some claim to be considered the most ele-
CANT in existence. Certainly no other line
can boast that all the sleepers are solid
mahogany.
The London and Northwestern, besides
being the richest of British railway COM
panies-in fact, perhaps the richest in the
world-can boast also of owning the largest
engine works in existence. The inclosed
space at Grove Is eighty-five acres, and
a little over thirty acres is under cover.
The Midland has at Derby twenty-sx acres
of covered workshops.
The Midland has various claims to dis
tinction. 1t possesses in the Leckey incline
the steepest gradient upon any main line
in the kingdom This is one in thirty-seven
and a half for distance of more than
two miles. There are few gradients in
British lines exceeding one in sixty. The
Midland has also broken transportation
records by dispatching in one day from
Burton-on-Trent no fewer than ,231 wagons
loaded with beer.
The Great Western holds the British rec
ords for the longest regular nonstop run.
During the summer trains run between
Paddington and Plymouth without stopping.
The distance is 248 miles. The same rail-
way also possesses much the longest tun-
mel in the country. The famous Severn
tunnel, which took more time and money to
construct than almost any other in ex-
istence, Is 1884 yards in length
There is an Australian line which owns
q most odd record. The New South Wales
line between Nyngan and Bourke runs q
distance Of 1876 miles in a automatically
straight line over plain level almost as q
billiard table.