The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1915-08-24
NOVEL RAILROAD
Proposed Road to ROckland One Of
Peculiar Construction.

The first mile of railroad to Rock
land will be under construction with
in two weeks, according to T. S.
Becker, who Is promoting road
from American Falls into the Rock
land valley. The much talked of road
to ROckland has been considered a
myth for several years, and other than
securing right of ways, nothing has
ever been done The Double PIP Con-
structiOn company was organized two
weeks ago to undertake the construc-
ton OF the road and has among it's
stockholders many of the best known
farmers of the Rockland section. NJ
A. Patton, of idaho Falls, patentee of
a new and novel plan of construction,
Is president. Henry d. Moss, of Rock
land Is treasurer and one of the heav-
lest stockholders. The secretary of
the company is an Idaho Falls man
Mr.. Becker has been promoting the
railroad for several months and has
sold stock to the amount of $4,000,
with which to construct the first mile
OF road. The remainder of the stock
will be forthcoming il the road is
practical as represented.
Mr.. Patton has been in American
Falls several times during the spring
and summer in the interest of his road
which, if it is built, will be the first
one of it's kind in the world No road
bed is required and very little grading
or trestle work will be necessary Two
small rails are set on single line
of posts, Sx12, four or eight feet high
and about eight feet apart set in como
creete below the frost line. The cars
are built in pack fashion and carry
h0{W va hN1~ L. n
and on both sides of it. The cars
range in capacity from 80 to 120 tons.
Present plans call for two lumber
cars twenty feet long, one passenger
car and twenty-three freight cars for
grain hauling A gasoline engine will
be used and will have two fractions,
one for the top rails and one for
ground rails, in rounding curves, and
crossing bridges or culverts The
strong claim is made that loaded
train of twenty-three cars will be able
to climb thirty per cent grade The
right of way to Rockland can be pro-
cured with much lighter grade ac-
cording to Mr. Becker so it is expected
that construction problems will be
easy The nature Of the engine and
cars demand special construction and
this is being done in Salt Lake The
total cost OF the road to Rockland in
GLIDING right of way and equipment is
estimated at $4,000. The Double p
Construction company is to build the
road and farmers are to procure the
right-of-way. This estimate is less
than one-sixth as much placed on a
steam road up the valley.
Mr.. Patton, who has devoted several
years of study to this form of road
construction and holds sole patent
rights, predicts that the first mile of
road will be success and that it will
be great drawing card for American
Falls. He has travelled over the great
er part of the United States in the
interest of his patents and his scheme
is known and its development is being
watched by hundreds of doubling
Thomases" and interested business
men and promoters, Mr.. Patton will
be on the ground in week or so to
superintend construction work. At
torney T. S. Becker has gone into the
promoting business and says that his
law library and Office fixtures are for
sale. He is we'll pleased with his
work in the Rockland Valley and al
though he is not predicting uncondi-
tional success for the new road, is sat
isfied that it will prove practicable
and valuable as an investment to the
farmers of Rockland who are hauling
their grain from twenty to forty miles
to market every year.-American Falls
Press.