The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-01-21
TOY 70 ROAD PAYS DIVIDENDS
Nlniaturs Engine Has Remained IN
S. Service for Forty-Three Years
+: In Wales. :.


larger than one which might have
been constructed to amuse the chill
dren OF Q royal household, yet 1t has
taken It's place among the most sue
ee9sful lines In Wales. In operation
for over seventy years, it is distinc-
lively profitable and pays satisfactory
dividends. E.$#E a. -.. ~. .s
= The Festiniog is one of the toy rail.
roads OF the world and was the first
Of it's kind ever constructed. 1t was
built In 1893 to facilitate the trans
portatf0n Of slate from the Welsh
quarries to Portmadoc. The long In
1clines then would carry the cars to
their destination by gravity, while
horses would haul back the empties. Z.
g In 1868, after twenty-three years OF
service for tho quarries, c. E. Spoon
O., an engineer, suggested that the
steam engine be introduced and the
railroad RECONSTRUCTED to carry pas
sansefs and freight. The suggestion
was adopted, and In that year It's
period 81 business and finance began,
y The Festiniog railroad is 1879 miles
long. IT, gauge IL ,23A inches. From
;terminus to- terminus It ascends or
descends the incIines along which the
old aravitation equipment once rolled.
On the Journey northward the differ
onoe, In the altitude Of the two term1
nals 10 700 feet, which means a con
slant climb from Portmadoc. In.
many places train OF the usual num-
beraof cars winds around two or three
su1v9 % within III own length.
tn nrst locomotive was called tho
Attle Wonder. and it has won its
tieae,; Tor after almost forty three
'Year1 on the rails It is still III efficient
service. It was built IN. 1862. It's
height is about that 81 the average
m1h. Notwithstanding its size It can
hall q train OF seven passenger cars,
ten box cars, a cAboose and q. hundred
d. more empty slate trucks "a string
measuring more than 1900 feet In
length and weighing 40 tons. 1t
makes the grades without difficulty,
ana on the more favorable stretches
Il can attain speed Of thirty miles
IN hour. - 5,ss , .5..s ., :, :, r Is
The railroad possesses several fea-
lures; of technical interest, for being
= one-track road, 1t is equipped with
passing sidings, spurs and the neces-
sary teiesraphic and signal equip
meati 70 render the operation Of the
road perfectly safe. There Is little
pr 40 danger to passengers, in fact, it
b not known that a collision or de-
failment has ever occurred
The engineer and fireman face what
b practically the only danger on the
road the tunnels When the tunnels
were built little or no clearance was
allowed above the tops Of the cars.
for the possibility Of the steam en-
sine and crew was not then consid-
efe4. When standing on the deck the
beads Of the fireman and engineer ex-
tend above the entrances Of the tun-
nsls. and serious accidents might re
suit II they failed to lower their heads
when running into one Of the passage
wayv. : sSsts:.
Though the passenger cars are
small they furnish comfortable ac-
oommodation for fifty passengers. In
1911 over $1,000 tourists rode on the
Festiniog.. It's success has encouraged
others % construct miniature narrow
gauge railroads. In North Wales the
North Wales Marrow Gauge railroad
10 being operated, but the most IA
nous Of the worlds toy railroads Is
the Otan line IA South Africa. It is
the longest little railroad in the
world, extending 1898 miles from
swapkomund, on the coast Of German
southwsst Africa, to Tsumeb, I'm the
heart Of the wilderness. It's gauge
h two feet. Railroad Mans Maya
.sins. It'd. us