IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. signifia "A SUIVRE", la symbola ▼ signifia "I^IN". M^aoa, plataa. charts, ate may ba filmad at diffori,«jr;t raduction ratioa. Thoaa too larga to ba antiraly included in ona axpoaura ara filmad baginning in tha uppar laft hand comar, left to right and top to bonom. aa many framaa aa required. The following diagrama illustrate tha method: Lea cartea, planchea, tableaux, etc., peuvant dtre fllmte A des taux de rtMuction diffirents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichA. il aat filmi d partir de Tangle sup^rieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en baa. en prenant la nombre d'Imagea nAceaaairc. Lea diagrammes suivants iiluatrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 S 6 Narrow Gauge Railways IN AMERICA: EMBRACING k SKETCH OF THE RISE, PROGRESS AND SUCCESS OF THE NKVV SYSTEM, AND VALUABLE STATISTICS AS TO GRADES, CURVES, WEIGHT rv RAIL, LOCOMOTIVES, CARS, ETC. ALSO, A DIII^ECTORY OF f^ARROW G/UGE R/JLWAYS /AT NORTH AMERICA. HY HOWARD FLEMING, ILLUSTRATED, LANCASTER, PA. INQUIRER PRINTING AND PUBMSHING COMPANY 1875- Hi t Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1875, By HOWARD FLEMING, In the Office of the Librarian of Cor.gress at \Vashi"gton. i INTRODUCTORY. t 1 Every new innovation has its advocates and adversaries, and tlie narrow ^auge railway has not been exempt in this particu- lar. Notwithstanding that the opposition was intense to the narrow gauge railway of forty years ago, it has now become the broad gauge or standard of to-day, and has assumed in its turn an antagonistic attitude to the narrow gauge railway of the present time. A fiercer contest has been waged during the last decade over the question of gauge, protracted and bloodless though it has been, than many a sanguinary struggle. The wordy warfare has been carried on through pamphlets and the columns of the ncw.'^papcrs, until if gathered together they would almost assume the proportions of the writings of Swedenborcf. Althousjh so much has been written about the narrow gauge railway, no book has been issued to show what has been accomplished and what is still being carried on. The object of the compiler in submitting this brochure to the public and railroad fraternity, is to give results and facts as far as practicable, as the majority of either party have little or no conception of the progress made by this new system that has so recently been placed in practice. In preparing this work the author has indulged in no high conclusions or false deductions, neither does he argue that the present standard gauge railroads should be converted into narrow ones, except in seme instances; but he docs insist that it is more profitable to construct a narrow gauge well, than build a broad gauge badly, and that it is better to have a railway that can cany with equal facility to a market either live stock, agricultural produce, mineral product or general freight, and that can be built for a moderate cost, than to be without any means of ti-ans[)()rtation, or be waitin^,^ until a hioad ^au^rc railway will be able to be .sup[)ni-te(l. It is to be regretted tliat so many of the railways do not furnish an exhibit of their gross earnings and operating expenses, and also refrain from publishing a financial statement, as it is believed that their [jublication does more real good for a rail- way company than resolute silence. It is to be hoped, there- fore, that when a revision of this work takes place, i"gether with engineers from the United .States, Brazil, "and the uttermost parts of the earth," have wended their way to the Welsh hills to behold and investigate and criticise Jiis minature iron road. The novelty was so enduring at first that scarcely a week elapsed without self appointed inquisitors presenting them- selves before the chief engineer and manager of the line, Mr. Spooner, until at last he began to wonder v/hethcr he acted in that capacity or as a showman. It may not be inopportune here to present the following ab- stract from the report for 1873 of the Festlniog Railway, ac- cording to the returns of the British Boaul of Trade: Length of road, single track, 23;^ inch gauge, 14 miles. Capital cost. I'aid up common stock (4% dividend in 1873) $430,930 I'referred slock (5^ di\idend in 1873) 175,000 Loans (bearing 5 2 Third C!as= 120,577 V I I 1,220 17,790 -8,634 5-0,060 TV I 9 The tons of freight carriec*. were : TONS. RKCF.irrS. Minerals 24,8.50 fSo.SfK) (k'nernl Meichamlise iM45 '7.53»79i per mile. If a forty pound rail were used, the cost would be about $[200 per mile more than the above estimate, but where the grades are not steep, or the traffic especially heavy, a thirty pound rail is deemed quite sufficient. Comparing these figures with a standard gauge road running out of Chicago, say tlie Chicago, Burlington ^K-- O^iincy, the first cost of which we believe was about $20,000 per mile, (owing to the accounts being destroyed by the great fire of ! I i- t ^3 October 9, 1 871, the actual sum cannot be stated,) a saving is effected through the adoption of the narrow gauge of about $7,000 per mile. About these proportions may be expected to hold good in any cot ^.try not mountainous. In rough country it reaches 50 per cent., and in mountainous regions it amounts often to a difference between entire practicability and impossibility, as between the two gauges. Mr. T. E. Sickles, writing of the section of the Colorado Central Railway that passes through Clear Creek Canon, says : " On this ly/z miles the creek falls 1,700 feet. The cost of grading a road bed through the cailon for a four feet eight and one-half inch track, was estimated to be $90,000 per mile. The actual cost qf grading a road bed for a three feet track, has not exceeded $20,000 per mile." " This large difference resulting from the fact that the loca- tions of the two lines occupy different ground. On the broad gauge location the mmimum radius of curvature adopted was 955 feet, and on the narrow gauge it is 220 feet. The canon is so tortuous that the broad gauge location would have required in construction numerous tunnels and bridges across the stream, with high embankments, and deep, open rock cut- tings. The adoption , of the narrow gauge admitted of an alignment conforming approximately to the windings of the canon, enabling a graded road bed to be obtained for less than one quarter of the estimated cost of a broad gauge road bed, with the additional advantage that increase of distance secured more favorable grades." Further, the equipment is adapted to the gauge and the re- quirements of traffic. Lighter locomotives and rolling stock being made use of, entails consequently a lighter rail. fifth. — Traffic Capacity. The evidence furnished by ."^everal commissions, establishes beyond question that the four feet eight and a-half inch gauge possesses a capacity far greater than is needed. The Massachusetts Railroad Commissioners, in their fifth annual report, state that " the average number of passengers to each train during the last year was 71, and the average num- .11 14 bcroftons of freight was 64" Taking each "•.';"-»"; ,,i,,ting of four passenger cars, we have an average of . 8 to ea h car, when they are constructed to carry 56. h.ach car we.gh- i,,,; say, 35,000 pounds, an unproductive we.ght capacty of early 000 poinds is transported for each passenger ; and, LcoKling to' the returns, for each ton of fre.ght moved, 2.9 tons of rolling stock is hauled. The traffic capacity of the narrow gauge has eve. been an argun,ent urged against it by its opponents, but before pre- senting facts we offer the foUownig : ■ A narrow gauge passenger car weighing say I 5,000 pounds is constructed to carry 36 passengers. We w,ll pre-.me (or an instant that tl.oy only carry on the average 12 I«^^'^'>SC • bein.^ the same proportion as .8 is to 56: an unproduct, weigin capacity is, therefore, carried of .250 pounds for ea pas^'enge.' ben,g 750 less than than the standard gat,ge,b his is a presumption that rareb' or ever occurs, the cms bung most frequently more than half occupied, so that the dead weiU„,,y «™ge. I h.ve ,„« ;v„h co.meou, a,„ Truly Vours, complete succe.s^. ^^^^^^ Robinson, Jr., '■'"^"'^ Manager Ohl John Robinson's Great World's Exposition. 1 1 'J ( 1 15 We shall refer to the subject of " cars " under that head further on. Sixth. Economy in management. In this respect the nar-" row gauge railway shows a marked advantage ; the cost of operating being about twenty per cent, under that of a stand- ard gauge road. The Denver and Rio Grande Railway reports the ratio of expenres to gross earnings for the year ending December 31st, 1873,50.2 per cent., and for 1874, ap- proximately 56 per cent. The Mineral Range, 55 per cent. The Parker and Karns City, 56.9 per cent. The Toronto and Nipissing, 55.7 per cent. In comparing the wear and tear of the two gauges, the ad- vantage is immensely in favor of the narrow gauge, with its light machinery and rolling stock. The ordinary standard gauge passenger car, weigliing 35,000 pounds empty, ham- mers the rail joints with 4,375 pounds on each wheel, when loaded and hauled over the rails at twenty-five or thirty miles per hour ; the weight of the blow is enormous, and terribly destructive to the superstructure, A first-class narrow gauge pas.senger car weighs 15.000 pounds, empty, and consequently only hammers the rail with 1,875 pounds per wheel. The same truth applies to locomotives. A thirty ton loco- motive, and its loaded tender weighing about seventeen tons, or a total of forty-seven tons, will exert a pressure of nearly six tons on each driving wheel. When driven at a high speed the strain upon the track is terribly destructive. The narrow gauge railway uses locomotives weighing from eight tons up to engines weighing forty-two tons. The weight being distributed over the driving wheels, thereby gaining the necessary adhesion and requisite power, a greater paying load can be hauled, either on a level or up a grade, than on the broad gauge. To exemplify this Mr. Richard B. Osborne, a civil engineer, has prepared the following table, assuming the very largest class of locomotives put on the three feet gauge, with cylinders of fifteen by eighteen, thirty-six inch drivers and thirty tons weif^ht, and witli a tractive power, on a level, equal to 1,460 |6 tons, so as to compare it directly with an enirine of equal power on the standard road. On a Uvel—invr.s weighi of train 1460 torn. Tons. The 3 feot en<;ine with 399 tons of cars will luuil of coal 1064 The 4 feet ^% inch engine with 566 tons of cais will haul of coal 9CX) On a maxinuun grade of 36 4-ro fdd, gross xveight being ^S? tons : Tons. The 3 feet engine with 160 tons of cars will haul of coal 427 The 4 feet 8;-^ inch engine with 225 tons of cars will haul of coal 361 On a maximum grade of 40 feet, gross -veight being 444 tons : Ions The 3 feet engine with 121 tons of cars will 'uaul of coal 323 The 4 feet 8>^ inch engine with 171 tons of cars will haul of coal 273 These trains, it will be seen, correspond in gross zvcight ; the three feet gauge by its less weight of cars transporting about seventeen per cent, more productive load than the standard gauge. On a gradient of So feet per mile, gross weight 2J3 tons ; Tons. The 3 feet engine with 70 tons of cars, will haul of coal 182 The 4 feet Sj/^' inch er-.^ine with 97 tons of cars, will haul of c ).il 155 From the foregoing we learn : First, That an engine of the 3 feet gauge can take a greater number of tons of freight in its cars against the same grade ; and Second. That it will haul the same number of tons of load in its cars up steeper grades than the engines of the 4 feet 8^ inch gauge, with its loaded cars, can at all accomplish. We have shown before that the load of freight on the 4 feet 814 inch, against a 26iu grade is 361 tons, and that this freight load can be increased on the 3 feet gauge to 427 tons against a like grade ; so also can it be stated that the freight load of 361 tons, not being increased on the 3 feet road, it could be taken by the narrow gauge engine over 33 feet grades instead of j6iu feet. A gain in gradient obtained of 25 per cent, by the adoption of the 3 feet gauge. So likewise the freight load of the 4 feet 8 '/^ inch engine on a gradient of 80 feet being 155 tons ; that of a 3 feet would be 182 tons. But giving the 3 feet engine the load only of its r I 17 rival, or 155 tons, it will transport it over grades of 95 feet, or about 20 per cent, greater. It seems then clear that while the steam potvcr o^ \.\\q 3 feet gauge engine is no greater than the other, and keeping the mine paying loads as the wider gauge, the smaller road can overcome gradients from 20 to 25 per cent, greater. Under the caption of " Locomotives " will be found some further remarks on the power of narrow gauge engines. We therefore leave this subject for the present. Seventh — Safety. During the early discussions on the rela- tive merits of the standard and narrow gauge railway, the question as to safety on the narrow gauge was propounded, and it was boldly asserted at the time that it would be extreme- ly hazardous to ride in cars the wheels of which were only three feet apart, and that if they were hauled at a velocity equal to the cars on the ordinary guage, it would be courting certain danger. It was the old argument, in another form, against the first introduction of steam locomotion. That the hypothesis was fallacious is evidenced in the fact that since the first narrow gajige train commenced naming in America, there has been no serious accident entailing loss of life reported. We leave it to our readers to compare this statement with the record of standard gauge railroads. 1 PROGRESS OF NARROW GAUGE RAILWAYS. Although narrow gauge railways in the United States are comparatively new, it being only four years since the ground was broken — in 1871 — for the initial line, the Denver & Rio Grande Railway, yet a large amount of mileage can be shown as completed and under speedy construction, nothwithstand- ing the strong opposition and prejudice against them at their first introduction. That the opposition is declining and thepreju- dice bein5 ii.S,()62 528,249 574.397 ^470.636 i,675.7('0 524 965 3.160,323 . 375.950 1.314,695 _ . 2,000,000 2,J22,342 Greenwood 44'^'.9-4 Aljolished in 1874 Ilutrlano Jefferson j. Lake Larimer Las Animas .... Park Pueblo Saguache 129,656 Summit 123,926 324.932 702,856 ,034,738 2,034,529 172,917 250,998 332,510 905.944 457,932 1,186,482 175.550 795.707 85" ,811 3.784.348 599.308 158,722 Weld. 954,361 2,063,166 Totals...'. $16,015,521. $44,388,804 ci:nsus 1873. 25,000 3.850 5.325 5.500 3.800 3.350 3.100 roruLATioN. COUNTY. CENSUS 1870. Arapahoe 6,829 Benl 592 Boulder i,939 Clear Creek 1,596 Conejos ^.504 Coslilla 1,779 Douglas 1.388 El Paso 987 3.450 Fremont 1,064 3.300 Gilpin 5.490 7.500 (ireenwood 510 600 Huerfano 2,250 3.350 Jefferson 1,390 6,230 Lake S22 875 Larimer 838 3.250 Las Animas 4,276 5'78o Park 447 2,800 Pueblo 2,265 8,950 Saguache 304 2,000 Summit 2s8 1,050 Weld 1,636 5.100 Totals 39,864 104,860 The Secretary of the Utah Western Railway writes : " The promoters of broad gaui;c roads here, as elsewhere, try to retard the narrow gauge as much as possible; but in spite of 21 this the broad gauge has built only about 87 miles since May 17, 1869, while there have been built about 160 miles of narrow gauge since August 23, 1871, with a very good prospect of making a grand union road during the coming summer, to unite most of the narrow gauge roads in Utah." On a previous page the subject of conver^^ing broad gauge lines into narrow gauge railways in certain instances was briefly mentioned. It has been demonstrated that a narrow gauge railway will be remunerative where a broad gauge can- not, owing to its much larger expenditures ; it is therefore not to be wondered at that the Directors of such, being con- vinced of the efficiency and lesser expenditure of the narrow gauge railway, should convert their line into one by altering the gauge and disposing of ti:e rolling stock for other, seeing that if this is not accomplished, their railway must be run at a loss, or else, train service must be discontinued. Or again where certain short lines, built on the standard gauge, connect with trunk lines built on the narrow gauge, and it is expe- dient to overcome break of gauge, and consequent tranship- ment, that such lines be converted into 3 feet ones ; or further, where the surveys being made for a standard gauge the original intention being to construct a line 4 feet S}i inches wide, subsequent consideration on the probable traffic and consequent revenue, induced the construction of a narrow gauge railway. The following railways are mentioned as an example of each proposition : The Chester and Lenoir Narrow Gauge Railway, formerly the Kings Mountain Broad Gauge Railroad. The San Rafael and San Ouentin, leased by the North Paci- fic Coast Narrow Gauge Railway and being converted into one of 3 feet. The Kalamazoo, Lowell and Northern Michigan Railway, organized for standard gauge, and to be constructed of narrow gauge. 22 TOTAL MtLRAHR compl'u. ^ S. "" IT ;? 2 "^ 2 jr^* 2 "*^ :.* 3"*-« =« o "^ '^ o lA, N ^ vo V5 '^ 9 , « t , _ r>> M M MM N .^ - f) r^ N ,- S in d I ^ — - — N o Si a-j -«1 •O 1- "> 'O '■l-OSsCOr-.f O ,0X1 iri K -n ■* eu H M ^ u< n § fi 1 on ON - ri - -t X ") M X CT' "■. PI iO TOT A I. . PKO(H( TCI) MILK A(;il, D - c-i - v„ -I- M r, „ ^ ^ JO ini^ 3N 3 •+ "-, Tf in 5 S N N »< -. ri ». pj U-) 00 "I C - ro C-. 2 1^ _• C :i. 3 '/< u > 3 £ K ■•:; i- 3 ■ -■ . _. i ^^ t- r^ — ' -3 -y. _ 5 C iJ -i! u :r. ^ — t- /- O r: rt u i) ~ iC c ^c3 ^ ^ i^ — rt I— 1 i-i «5 ,^ > > ^ 5J c ^ s ii T 1) ~ i) ii O C s:x « i_ .y .i =^ >— ^ s s ^ «' )l o XT -i I i 83 V5 "i 9 'tX O On — ONOC O O tj- — m « IT) N fi O N u-> "t a> r>- X 0-. r-» f) 00 >D 00 00 p» 00 \0 ? i-? On 1 rr O u^^C « 00 "^ 1*^0 lOO ONO O OOOOO i-^OioOoO ■T'^i' O N ''^O^^iCS^S.^A M »« T^ w N "« N O PI ; IC C r, « 3 > -3 f? Cm, .2 = a :3 " rt c ^^ - u rt rt c! i rt C 2 ;i 'J ~ iz;;?'^ ij p ^ a c < s I J rt 3 U rt o N ■_ r. XI B O rt '5o V C rt ;-r/vJ a. 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Lotus ^^ Iowa I'lastfiii \Vy:ui.loll, Kansas Cil) and N W 9° 1 )env(i and l\io ( liandf '^ l)(MiviT, South I'ark an 1 I'acilic "+ Utali Noiilit'in ^ Utah Wisuin -7 I'alisadc and I'lurcka •> Saiilii till/ ' t'hrsUT and Li-noir 5° Noilh I'aiilK- Co.isl -5° Mcinpliis ISrantli '' Colorado CciiUal "+ Norlli and Soiuli of Coois^ia 43 Ciddcn a-.id Soutli I'la.tif v'anidon, i ;ioim.'sti.i and Ml Kplnaim 9 It is lH-lie\i-d that a lar^-c amount of narrow change mileage will he constructed during 1S75, as the railways in operation ha\e full>- tleinonstrated their ca[)acity in every class of traffic, an 1 have become a living example to the younger organiza- tions. That they have been closely watched and criticized is o\ideiK\'d [)>• the large number of companies tt) which char- ters ha\e been grantetl to build narrow gauge roads within the last t\\'> \eais. (.);! the next page we give a list of the conii)anies in the most forward state, that have been recently heard from; also their total proiected luileage, and their luileage under construction, Mu\ the avldress to which coinuiunications should be sent, pre- ficmg it with the remark that the data here given is as correct as ciicumstances will permit, seeing that there is no Bureau or- iMgam/atiiui created purely for the collection ot such statis- tics, and lo which narrow gauge railwa}'s could report. It is, therctore. not improbable that those lines that are reported as surveyed, mav h.ive their line graded, and those stated as un- der construction ha\e [\ut o\ their line ironed and in operation. i V2 >-. 11 E T *.. C WH tf< 'Si 00 u oi Q t) i c l> ; < 7J u •2S UJtS fii: ro a ■'-. c S'-J V Oh -2 o c< u< o < t/DW H 25 en W a!. Q C < 7J c3 rt "rt* of i^ U-T3 5 O c ii "< ^ 1) o aJ 53 *— ' ^ rt U I "J '■s. -- -^ r 5 • '- o . 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The locomotives for working; narrow i^auge railways neces- sarily conform to the same principles as those for the standard gauge ; when, therefore, the projectors of the initial narrow gauge railway in the United States requested the 13aldwin Lo- comotive Works of Philadelphia to submit designs for pas- senger and freight engines, their drawings did not essentially differ except in dimensions from those made for standard roads. A description of the first passenger engine, constructed in June, i87i,and apth' named " Montezuma," its mission being to run through the territories once owned by that ancient monarch, will not be out of place. ' The ciiij;inc has four ihivers connected and a Iwo-wlieeled truck'. Dianitler of cylinders, g inches. Stroke of ])islon. i6 inches. " •' driving wheels 40 " " " pony wheels 24 " Distance between centre of pony wheels and centre of front drivers 5ft S '^ " Distance lietween driving, wheel centres 6 3 " Total wheel base of engine 11 1 1 fj " Rigid wheel base (distance between driving whcjl centres), 6 3 " Diameter of tender wheels 24 " Distance Ijetween centres of tender wheels " Total wheel base of engine and tender 26 5 '^ " lyCngth of Engine and lender over all ^5 4 " Capacity of tender 500 gals. Weight of tender empty 5>500 l'^"-- " " engine in working order 25,300 '' " " " on drivers 20,500 " " " " on each pair of driver> 10,250 " " " *' on pony wheels 4,800 " Height of smoke-stack above rail (j (j <• Height of cab from footboard to centre of ceiling 6 3 '• Its tractive power, exclusive of the resistance of curves, is as follows : On a level 512 gross tons On a grade of 40 feet to tin- mile 164 •' " On a grade of So feet to the mile (j8 '♦ •« (26) ff H i From these figures should be deducted 17 gross tons, the weight of the engine and tender in working order, to get the total weight of cars and lading that can be drawn on a level or on the grades named. The speed attainable is between 25 and 35 miles per hour. In the course of time defects were apparent in engines for passenger service constructed as above. Locomotives, there- fore, are not now built on that pattern, but made similar to the " Baldwin," a view of which is here given. The dimensions and tractive power are as follows : Cylinders ii inches diameter, 16 inches stroke. ' , , 42 in. diam, Dnvni" wheels ,, , . 24. Truck wheels iS ft \ in. Wheel base total ^ , " " rigid J^ Tender, four wheeled, tank capacity 75° K^ o"'^- .,,,,,., „ 1. 100 " " eiyht wheele 28 ri i M 29 Several sizes of such locomotives, ranging from 1 5 to 20 tons gross weight in working order, are in service ; their speed being from 30 to 40 miles per hour with light trains on a level track or track of easy grades. For freight service engines of what is called the " Mogul " pattern are most used, and have given the best practical results. The cut on page 28 of the " R. H. Rosborough" shows such an engine. This plan of engine has come into use chiefly within the past ten years, and owes its success to the knid of truck with which it is constructed. This truck, called a " pony truck," has a swinging bolster connected to the frame of the truck by pendant links, and can thus move laterally under the engine in passing a curve. The middle pair of driving wheels usually have tires without flanges, and it will thus be seen that there can be little or no " binding" of wheels on a curved track. Engines of this pattern are working on roads having curves of as short radius as 240 feet. The following are the dimensions : Cylinders 13 inches diameter, l6 inches stroke. ^. . , , •je in. diam. Driving wheels -^ 24. " ' Truck wheels ^ Wheel base total '^ ''• 7'"- . • J 12 " " " " rigid '■* -^ Tender, eight wheeled, tank capacity, 1,400 gallons. Weight of engine in working order: On drivers 40.000 fts. On truck ^ " Total weight of engine 46,000 Its tractive power on a level is 965 gross tons. i( i( ^ or 3 feet necessary and - ^^ ^,^„ ^,„„y such gauge, w..h 1- ^;'^'-; ^^^ ;„d buildings in a very l.m.ted curves and woiU about Y . , Worses or mules space. For all k.nds of l"^'''"^;"' J ^e used with - --"^-t:: \tnos o -rng four or ^ve horses :;l t;::: r:«-- than tl. operating e.pense of one of these small engines. locomotives, For further deta, s -— JlT.fJ.ress the Ka.d- :i::trZworS^fPhil^e,phia, whose ma.e of en- g;„es have a celebrity ^^t is world-w.dej^ _^^^^^^^ In response to an mqu.ry, they state m engines Lilt by them in '^H. amou..ed to J^per ^^^^ ^^^ r^ltlt'rXrthel-'eonstructionasmuchaswide gauge. '^^ 1« " ■ '• __ ? '■" " «' '■* 'l* 1 Car, E. J^, I NARROW (iAUGK I'.VSSKNiiHR CARS. i When the question was first discussed of buildinjr Narrow Gauge Railways in the United States, the projectors naturally looked to the enLiineering fraternity of Great Britain for pre- cedents. The result was apparent in the establishment of a measure of favor towards the use of four-wheeled passenger cars, built on the coupe plan, so common on European road.s. Further reflection however decided that it would be impossi- ble to revive a custom that had become so obsolete in America, as the one of confining a small number of passengers in the equivalent of a stage-coach body. In the meantime the Jackson and Sharp Company, of Wil- mington, Delaware, prepared and submitted designs for pass- enger cars, built on the American plan, of placing a long body on .^winging trucks, to the Denver and Rio Grande R.ailvvay, the initial narrow gauge railway in the United States. These were approved and adopted by the managers, and on the opposite page will be seen a side view of the car " Denver," constructed u. 1871, and being the first narrow gauge car built in America. The dimensions are as follows : LL'iij^ih 35 f'-"'-'^- Width 7 " Height lo>'2 " Diam. of wheel 2 Weight 15,000 pounds. Dead wt. per pass 416 " Capacity 3^ pass- Ht. of sill troin giound 27 inches. . The interior arrangement ma> be inferred from the accom- panying cut. The seats are double on one side and single on the other, this arrangement being reversed in the centre of the car, so that each side carries half double and half single seats— an arrangement which secures a perfect balance of weight when the car is full. The single seats are nineteen inches wide, the double seat, thirty-six inches, the aisle seventeen inches. These cars are 3 33 HB ||ii!|!!iiiiiiiiiii'':i:iii';;iiii;i''''^''T''iiSBIiKffB 'i""wiii i iiii i iiii i iir"""""' ''"''' '"""" '"' '" ^N'arrow Graug-e Railrc BUILT BY THE JACKSON & St AVILMINGTON, DELAW lug-e Railroad Car, 1K80N & SHARP COMPANY, xTON, DELA\VARE. 34 finished in the best style ; the wood work, the upholstery, decorations, and the whole arrangement being first-class. The above section shows how the angle of stability diniinisl;es fiom fifty and one-half degrees for the empty car to forty- seven and one-half degrees for one loaded. This excellent result is due to a careful study of the parts, so that the load is carried within the shortest pos- sible distance from the track. Even when exposed to the fierce onset of the Colorado gales, the cars have always proved themselves equal to the emergency. This has not been peculiar to that locality alone, but from all roads throughout the country the same satisfactory record has been received. It was thought among narrow gauge engineers, when the system v i. in its infancy, that in no case should the width of car exceed double the gauge of the road. Even the 7 feet width of body in the Denver and Rio Grande cars was regarded with feelings of apprehension until such time as the practical demonstration of the case i)roved the fallacy of the hypothesis. Since 1871 the width of cars has been .-,. ..dily increased by builders, until at length a width of 8 feet over body has been attained and operated with great success. The height of cars has remained unaltered, and other details the sante. A most impor*: nt advantage has been secured by the change in width, for by this means it is possible to seat four passengers abreast instead of three, and thus increase the car- rying capacity of the car from thirty-six to forty-seven pass- cngers. This improvement especially commends itself to the w:mts of short lines of twenty to forty miles length, and to temperate climates. In tropical climates it is best to keep the r 4- 35 ^' t 4- width at eight feet and lengthen the seats so that three pass- engers will be accommodated abreast. Cars eight feet in width and seating four passengers abreast have an aisle of seventeen and one-fourth inclies wide, and seat rooms of thir- ty-five inches each. As such cars weigh about 16,000 pounds, the dead weight per passenger is only 340 pounds. The saving in dead weight is very marked as compared with that of 722 pounds per passenger, so common on roads having a gauge of 4 feet 8^ inches. Thus far we have described only the mode of seating the passengers in first-class cars in which the seats have reversible backs. In second- and third- class cars it is the custom of some builders to arrange the seats parallel to the walls of the car, the same way as obtains on street railways, and placing at the same time seats in the aisle for twelve passengers. The latter seats are arranged transversely and back to back. Where no saloon is used a car of thirty-five feet in length will seat, by this arrangement, sixty passengers, giving a dead weight of about 266 pounds per passenger. We leave it to others to infer what saving may safely be relied upon un- der such favorable relations be- tween deadweight and effective load. The following illustration is of a car equal to the best sec- ond-class passenger cars, con- structed to carry freight, bag- gage, express, mails and passengers, designed and constructed r, I'll 11 I 36 for the Eureka and Palisade Railway Company, of Nevada, by an establishment at York, Pa. One-third of the length is adapted to carry freight, bag- gage or express matter, and the other two-thirds contain seats for 24 passengers. The body is placed over plain, sub- stantial bolster trucks, and makes a very cheap and useful car. The next cut is of a third-class passenger car running on the Parker and Karns City Railway of Pennsylvania. The length of frame is 22 feet, and width 7;^ feet. The wheels are 24 inches in diameter, and the weight 12,000 pounds. The seats are parallel with the sides of the car and have room for 26 passengers. Cars of this class can be made longer, to carry 30 to 36 passengers with small additional cost. It can scarcely be necessary to enlarge on the comfort and ease enjoyed in the cars of the narrow gauge system, or to point out the close similarity in arrangement of stoves, saloons, sashes,, ventilators, etc., common to the broad and narrow gauge systems. Suffice it to say that the Company who first demon- strated the feas ility of building comfortable passenger cars, has since manufactured most luxurious parlor as well as sleeping cars for roads of three feet gauge. There is, in fact, no limit to the comfort that can be secured with the develop- ment of the system. The same style of body, by means of a suitable partition and doors, can be converted into a combined baggage and smoking car, having a baggage room 13 feet 9 inches in length, and a smoking room with seating capacity for 27 passengers, also a saloon in the same room. . 1 37 on u By a vote taken at the Narrow Gauge Convention held in the City of St. Louis, June 1872, it was decided that as a matter of expediency, the height of the centre of drawheads of cars should be 24 inches above the upper surface of the rails. The wisdom of this carnot be overestimated, for with a three feet gauge there is no possible reason fora difference in height of drawheads on converging lines of road. If the 24 inch wheel is universall}'^ adopted as the standard, both in the case of passenger and freight service, then the narrow gauge sys- tem will have the uniformity of design recently established on the broad gauge. In the former case the height of drawhead would be 24 inches and the diameter of the wheels 24 inches ; in the latter 33 inches height of drawhead and 33 inches standard height of wheel. Such dimensions are in accordance with the laws of most perfect stability for the freight, as well as the passenger cars. The many improvements that have been adopted on the standard gauge, such as the Miller Platform and Coupler, the Westinghouse Air Brake, etc., have also been applied to narrow gauge cars with equal success ; so that in mechanical as well as in artistic adaptability the narrow gauge system is equally pliable with the standard gauge, while in working economy it is vastly its superior. I m m I J. NARROW GAUfxE FREIGHT CARS. The question as to whether narrow gauge freight cars could transport with equal facility the same class of freight as that carried in standard gauge cars, so naturally arose when railways of three feet gauge were projected, that it will not be inopi)ortune to refer in this place to each class of car con- structed, and compare it and its relative capacity with the same class on an ordinary gauge railway. In 18/ 1, the well-known car builders, Messrs. Billmeyer & Smalls, of York, Pa., were requested by the Denver and Rio Grande Railway Company to submit designs and dimen- sions for a 'Flat Car and Box Car, for their three feet % to 7 feet wide with 24 inch wheels, and weighing about 7,500 pounds. UdUire. l^eight 0/ C(ir in pou-uis, Capivcity in pounds. Standard iS.ooo Narrow 6,250 20,000 19,000 Proportion ofticad weight to payint; load. I to I. II I to 3.04 ^@ 38 39 sr-" I The following is a view and description of the first eight wheeled Box Car built by the same builders : Length of frame, 2 3>^ feet. Width, 6 feet. Wheels, 20 inches in diameter, fitted on T,}i inch axles, with steeled iron trucks, and steeled spiral bearing springs encased. Weight of car 8,800 pounds. Capacity, 9 tons. Cars of this class are now being built 25 feet long, 7 feet wide, with 24 inch wheels, and weighing about 10,000 pounds. Gauge. H't-ig/it 0/ car in pounds. Capacity in pounds. Standard 19,000 Narrow 8,800 20,000 17,600 Proportion of dead ivcig/it to paying load. I to 1.05 I to 2 The following is a view and description of an eight-wheeled Coal Car with two drops in centre, designed and constructed by Messrs. Billmeyer & Smalls, for the East Broad Top Rail- way Company Length of frame, 23 >i feet. Width, 6 feet. Wheels, 20 inches in diameter, fitted on 3^8 inch axles with steeled iron trucks, and steeled spiral bearing springs encased. Weight of car, 9,000. Capacity, 10 tons. PI n 40 (niu^e. lyeight of car in pounds. Qipacih' in pounds. Prof>ciytiiin n/dead weight to paying load. 30,000 I lo 1.66 20,000 1 to 2.22 .Standanl 18,000 Narrow 9,000 The following is a view and description of an eight-wheeled Stock Car, designed and constructed by Messrs. Billnieyer & Smalls, for the Costa Rica Railroad. Length of frame. 23 >^ feet. Width, 7 feet. Wheels, 20 inches in diameter, fitted on y/i inch axles with steeled iron trucks, and steeled spiral bearing springs encased. Weight of car, 8,000 pounds. Capacity, 9 to 12 large head of cattle facing the ends of car, or 16 small cattle facing side of car. Weight of car No 0/ catth- Weight 0/ cattle Gross weight of Total v-i'^ht Gauge, in fionnds, per car Stand.ird, i8,O00 14 Narrow, 8, ODD 9 infiounls. loaded cars,' per head. 19,600 37,600 1,28;,. 12,630 20,60D 888. Dea^ miles. The road has since been projected to Fallen Timber, making the total length 19 miles. The road was put under construction in 1872; and in June, 1873, 8y> miles were placed in operation. No additional mileage has since been added. The grade is very heavy, the maximum of 158.4 feet to the mile being continuous for 6->:( miles\ The sharpest curvature is 28° (206 feet radius). There are ten of these curves on the maximum grade, two of which are 600 feet long, turning an angle of 168°. The weight of rail is 35 pounds to the yard. 44 I \t The wci^Mit of engines 15 tons. lujuipincnt — 2 locomotives, 2 pas.scn<;er cars, 78 freight cars of all classes. Operations for year endin'^^ December 31, 1874 — Gross earnings, $42,415.71. Operating expenses, $20,830.70 (49.12 per cent.) Net earnings, $21,585.01., Financial statement — Capital stock authorized, $200,000 ; paid in, $200,000 ; funded debt, 1st mortgage, 7 per cent, bonds, maturing July i, 1893, $200,000; floating debt, $1 5,000. Total liabilities, $415,000. A. L. Massey, President, 1 1 Merchants' Exchange, Phila. J. G. Cassatt, Secretary and Treasurer, Altoona, Pa. Jos. Ramsary, Jr., Superintendent, Antestovvn, Pa. BINGHAM CANON RAILROAD. This Company was oiganized in 1872, to build a narrow gauge railway from the !• * ■'es at Bingham Cation to Sandy Station,, on the Utah Souths ,1 Railway, an estimated di.stance of 22 miles. Work was commenced in' 1873, and 16 miles com- pleted and put in operation between Sandy and the Wina- muck Smelting Works. The following year the line was ex- tended to Bingham Station and the Utah Mining Company's works, 6 miles. The maximum grade is 240 feet to the mile. There is also a grade of 200 feet per mile, continuous for 3 miles, and the average grade is very heavy. The weight of rail is 35 pounds to the yard. The weight of engines 18 tons. Cost of road with equipment per mile, $13,000. Equipment — 3 locomotives, 4 passenger cars, i baggage, 100 freight cars of all classes. Operations for eleven months, ending October 31, 1874 — Gross earnings, $103,247.39. Operating expenses, $40,711.76 (39.43 per cent.) Net earnings, $62,535.63. Financial statement — Capital stock authorized, $300,000 paid in, $45,000; funded debt, $240,000. C. W. Scofield, President, New York City. B. W. Morgan, Vice-President, Pittsburgh, Pa. 45 W. R. Wells, Sec'y. and Treasurer, Salt Lake City, Utah Ter. George Goss, Superintendent, Salt Lake City, Utah Ter. CAIRO AND ST. LOUIS RAILROAD. This Company was organized in 1865, and a charter incor- porating it passed February i6th, authorizing it to construct a railroad between St. Louis and Cairo, a distance of 145 miles. In 1867 the charter was amended, but nothing was done until 1 87 1, when it was resolved to build the line on a three- feet gauge. The surveyed route of the road passes through the fertile counties of St. Clair, Monroe, Randolph, Jack- son, Union and Alexander, touching at the towns of Colum- bia, Waterloo, Red-bud, Sparta, Murphysboro and Jones- boro. It passes through the finest fruit-growmg district of Illinois and by the Chester and Big Muddy coal fields, and. through large tracts of timbered land, much of which is yet to be cultivated. The first ground was broken August 30, 1871, and during 1872 thirty miles were operated. The following year sixty-two miles were constructed, bringing the line to Murphysboro. In 1874 twenty-six miles were built northward from Cairo, leaving a gap of thirty-two miles to be ironed during 1875, and which is now being laid. The maximum grade is 95.48 feet to the mile, and on many parts of the line the gradient is heavy, but it is the intention of the managers to reduce the grades to a maximum of 75 feet per mile. The sharpest curvature is 7° (819 feet radius), and to retain it within this limit, the engineers have in many places incurred great expense in excavation and embankment. Several tunnels occur in the alignment, one being 1000 feet in length. The weight of rail is 40 pounds to the yard. The weight of engines from 10 to 23 tons. Estimated cost of road per mile, including equipment, $20,894. Equipment — 11 locomotives, 7 passenger cars, 3 baggage, mail and express, 403 freight cars of all classes. Operations for year commencing September 16, 1873, and ending June 30, 1874. f ' \:i lit iii 46 Gross earnings, ■$175,023.41. Operating expenses. S138.- 977.25 (79.4 per cent.). Net earnings, $36, 046.16. Financial statement— Capital stock authorized, $5,000,000; paid in, $2,626,000. Funded debt. I'irst mortgage 7 i)er cent, bonds due 1901, $2,500,000; floating debt, $266,805.45 ; total liaJjilities. $5,392,805.45 ; average "amount of stock and debt per mile of road, $35,952,03. S. Staats Taylor, President, Cairo, Illinois. F. Bross, Secretary, Cairo, Illinois. F. E. Canda, General Manager, St. Louis, Illinois. General Office, 304 North Fifth Street, St. Louis, Illinois. CENTRAL VALL1^:Y RAILROAD. This company was incorporated by the Legislature of New York to build a narrow gauge railway between Bainbridge, a station on the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad, and Smith- ville Flats, Chenango county, N. Y., a distance of 12 miles. Construction commenced in 1872, and the line was opened for traffic the following year. It is purposed to extend it to McDonough, 12 miles further. Efforts to obtain statistical information from this road have been without result. Passenger cars were built for it by Messrs. Jackson & Sharp, of Wilmington, and freight cars by Messrs. Bil' leyer & Smalls. of York, Pa. H. S. Crozier, President, Smithville Flats, N. Y. Thomas Hurley, Contractor, Smithville Flats, N. Y. CHESTER AND LENOIR RAILROAD. This company was organized at Newton, N. C, on the loth of July, 1873, to build a narrow gauge railway from Chester. S. C. to Lenoir, N. C, a distance of 105 miles. During that year negotiations were commenced for the purchase or con- solidation of the King's Mountain Railroad, a line of 5 feet gauge, running between Chester and Yorkville 22 miles, with the intention of converting it into a 3-feet gauge, to form part of the Chester and Lenoir Railroad. The negotiations were consummated April 3d, 1874, and the change of gauge and disposal of the broad gauge rolling stock commenced forth- 47 with. On August 31st ihe line was opened, and the first train on the narrow gauge ran through between Chester and York- ville. I'ifty miles that are under construction will be com- pleted ajid opened during 1875. The maximum grade is 100 feet to the mile. The weight of rail is 30 pounds to the yard. The weight of engines 10 tons. Cost per mile, including equipment, $8.ooo- Equipment— 1 locomotivj, 2 passenger cars. 10 freight cars of all classes. A. II. Davega, President, Chester, S. C. Fleming Gardner, Chief Engineer, Chester, S. C. COLORADO CENTRAL RAILROAD. This company was organized in 1 871, under the auspices of the Union Pacific Railway, to build narrow gauge linos from Golden to Central City and Georgetown, a total distance of 49 miles. At uolden connection is made with the Colorado Central, standard gauge railway, which runs to Denver. During 1872 twenty-one miles were operate !, and the fol- lowing year four miles additional. No mileage was completed in 1874. The total line operated on December 31 si was 25 miles. Twenty-four miles are under construction. The maximum grade is 275 feet to the mile, and the aver- age grade heavy. The sharpest curvature 42° (136 feet radius). The weight of rail is 32 pounds to the yard. The weight of engines from 11 to 18 tons each, nearly all being placed over the drivers. Equipment— 6 locomotives, 3 passenger cars, 54 freight cars of all classes. PL M. Teller, President, Central City, Col. J. L.Overton, Superintendent, Central City, Col. CROWN POINT RAILROAD. This Company was organized in 1874 to build a narrow gauge railway from Crown Point, on Lake Champlain, where the furnaces of the Crown Point Iron Company are situated.west- ward thirteen miles to their ore beds. The road was completed 1:1 I l! ! 48 and put in operation during the summer of the same year. The line is controlled and operated by the Crown Point Iron Company. The weight of rail is 45 pounds to the yard. The engines were built at Scranton by the Dickson Manu- facturing Company, and the cars at Crown Point by the Com- pany. Cost of road, including equipment, per mile, ^25,000 cash. No further statistical information could be obtained. The line is reported as being successfully operated. John Hammond, President, Crown Point, N. Y. Thomas Dickson, Treasurer, Scranton, Pa. S. M. Weed, Secretary, Crown Point, N. Y. DENVER AND RIO GRANDE RAILWAY. This company was incorporated October 27, 1870, under the Gei.eral Railroad Law of Colorado, to construct a railroad from D'Mi\ er to El Paso, on the border of Mexico, and thence if suitaMe concessions conld be obtained from the Government of Mexico, to the capital of that Republic, a projected distance of about 1720 miles, of which 850 would be in the United States. General Palmer, the President of the railway, who is well acquainted with the topography of the Rocky Mountain region, and with the proposed line of route, and resources of the country, after studying the narrow gauge lines in P^urope, proposed to build the Denver and Rio Grande Railway on a 2 feet 6 inch gauge. After, however, carefully weighing all the statistics and considering the interests and requirements of the section of territory through which the line would pass, it was finall)' decided to adopt a gauge of three feet, as the one best ada[)ted to the many and diversified wants of Southern Colorado and New Mexico. Work was commenced early in 1 87 1 , and the first spike on a narrow gauge track was driven on iMiday, July 28th. The first narrow gauge train was run over the three miles of track completed, on August i6th, and the first division of 76 miles, from Denver to Colorado Springs, was opened for general traffic on October 27th, 1871. The second i 49 division, from Colorado Springs to South Pueblo, 43 miles, was completed and opened, June 15th, 1872. On the Arkansas Valley branch, 38 miles, from South Pueblo to the coal mines of Fremont county, were completed and put in operation November ist, 1872, and 9 miles from coal mines to Canon City, were constructed and opened for general traffic, July 6th, 1874. Resume: Main line, Denver to South PucIjIo ng miles. Hrancli, Suiilh Pueblo to Cafiun City 47 " Side track , 6 «< Total track mileage, December 31, 1S74 172 miles. The line is graded to Huerfano, 40 miles, which will be ironed during 1875. and also 50 miles further to Trinidad. The maximum grade is 75 feet to the mile, and the average grade 36 feet to the mile. The sharpest curvature is 19° (302.94 feet radius), and the proportion of curvature to tangent as 3 is to 5. The weight of rail is 30 and 35 pounds to the yard. The weight of passenger engines 12 ton^. The weight of freight engines 17 tons. P'quipment — 13 locomotives, 12 passenger cars, 4 baggage, mail and express cars, and 323 freight cars of all classes Miller platforms and Westinghouse brakes are in use on all the passenger trains. Operations for fiscal year ending December 31, x^J^ : Gross earnings, $392,653.89. Operating expenses, $197,124.31 (50.2 per cent.). Net earnings, ,$195,529.58. The net earnings increased for the year 88^^/4 per cent, over 1872. For the year ending December 31, 1874, the gross earnings are approximated £it ;SS376,987, and the operating expenses at 56 per cent, ot the same. P^inancial statement — The capital stock is unlimited, but in no case to be less than the total debt of the company. Ac- cording to the latest returns the capital stock paid in was $3,300,000; Funded debt, first mortgage ; 7 per cent, gold bonds, $3,196,500; floating debt, none. Total liabilities, $6,496,500. B -4 I: 50 Wm J. Palmer, President, Colorado Springs, Col. Robt H. Lamborn, Vice-president. Philadelphia, Pa. William S. Jackson, Secretary and Treasurer, Colorado Sprin'lvania. to build a railway between Mon- trose and Tunkhannock. No action was taken until April 27, 1 87 1, when the first meeting was held and the board of direc- tors elected. It was then resolved that the road should be built on a narrow gauge of three feet, as it would be sufficient for all the business likely to be offered, and could be con- .structed for so much loss than a 4 feet 8'< inch gauge. Surveys were commenced May 15th. 1871, and a favorable line, 28 miles long, located as follows : From the depot of the Pennsylvania and New York Canal and Railroad Com- pan)^ at Tunkhannock to Marcy's Pond, thence along the west bank of the Pond to a summit between the waters of Marcy's Pond and the Meshoppen Creek, crossing the same, it runs in a nearly direct line to the village of Springville, thence by the village of Dimock into the borough of Montrose. Grading was commenced in the summer. The Lehigh Valley Railroad Company agreeing to furnish the rails, ties, spikes and splices necessary for the superstructure as soon as Mt was completed. During 1872, the line was placed in running- order to Spring- ville, 14 miles, and by the end of 1873, to Allenville, 25 miles. The maximum grade is 95 feet to the mile ; the average ascendin-i- grade between Tunkhannock and Montrose being 38 feet to the mile. The sharpest curvature is 18° (320 feet radius). 59 The wci^fht of mil is 40 pouiuls to the yard. The wci^dit of civ^iiic, 15 tons. Cost of road, including; equipment, per mile, $12,844. luiuipment — 2 locomotives, 2 passent:;er cars, 1 hai^^age, mail and express car, 15 freij^ht cars of all classes. Fin; iicial statement, December 31. 1S73— Capital stock authorized, $500,000; subscribed, $278,450; paid in. $248.- 351. Inmded debt, 7 per cent, bonds maturinir 1892, ;>30,vOO ; Floatin<; debt, $43,821.84. Total lial)ilities, $323,072.84. James J. l^)lakslce. President, Mauch Chunk, Pa. Charles L. Hrown, Secretary, Montrose, Pa. NATCHEZ, JACK.SON AND COLUMI')US RAILROAD. This Company was incorporated by the Leijislature of Mis- sissippi, in 1 87 1, to construct a railway from Natchez, via Jackson to Columbus, a distance of about 180 miles. Work was commenced in the latter i:)art of 1872, a ^au^e of 3' 6" bein^^ adopted, and the road located from Natchez northeast 25^4 miles to Fayette, the county seat of Jefferson county — the road bed hchv^ completed for 12 miles out of Natchez. The rails were laid on ten miles durin city of Youngstown. The maximum grade which it was found necessary to main- tain for t\/o miles is 82 feet per mile ; there is also one of 60 feet maintained for three miles. The sharpest curvature is 14° (410 feet radius). The weight of rail is 35 pounds to the yard. The weight of passenger engines 12 tons. The weight of freight engines 18 tons. Average cost per mile, including eciuipment, $ig,ooo. Equipment— 6 locomotives, 4 passenger cars, 2 baggage, mail antl express cars, 73 freight cars of all classes. Financial Statement — According to the latest returns, cap- tal .stock authorized, $2,000,000; paid in, $571,314. ^■^i^. I; i :;? • ';! 64 Paul Wick, President, Youngstown, Ohio. A B. Cornell, Secretary. Youngstown. Ohio. Mason Kv^ns. Assistant Secretary. Youngstown, Ohio. G. R. Crane, Superintendent. Youngstown. Ohio. PARKER AND KARNS CITY RAILROAD. This Company was incorporated June 30th. 1873. under the General Railroad Law of Pennsylvania, to construct a narrow gauge railway from Parker Junction, on the Alleghany Rivei fo Karns City, in Butler county, a distance of 10 miles. The • . n s up he winding valley of Bear Creek, passing through P ro a and the lower oil regions, and is projected beyond Ka n City to Millerstown. The road was placed under con- ^ :ction m 1873. and by the end of the year four n^iles were ia operation. On April 8th, 187., the line between Paiker junction and Karns City was formally opened for traffic. ^ Thl maximum grade is 96 feet to the mile, and the average for the entire line 83 feet to the m,le. The maximum curvature on the mam line is 27 (212 kct radius), on side track 47° (^22 feet radius). The weight of rail is 30 pounds to the yard. The weight of passenger locomotives i6><^ tons. The weight of freight locomotives 18 tons. The cost per mile, including equipment, $26,012.88. Equipment— 4 locomotives, 5 passenger cars. 2 baggage, mail and express, 43 f'-eigl^t cars of all classes. Operations for year ending December 3 ist, 1 874 : DurincT the first three months only four miles were operated, and in tht^ latter part of the year the expenses were exception- ally heavy, so that the following figures should not be taken IS a test of the road : Gross earnings S? 13 1,^89.90 ; operating expenses, $74,997 -Oi c6QP-:rcent). Net earnings $56,692.89. ^ Financial Statement.-Capital stock authorized, $150,000; .aid in. $75,000; funded ^^^'^^' ^-^-^^Sage 7 pe-ent^^ -J- floating debt, $78.44244^ Total liabilities. boi $'->3. V| $2i6,442.44. Saml. D. Karns, President, larker. la. \l 65 F. Parker, Vice-President, Parker, Pa. R. M. Moore, Auditor, Parker, Pa. W. C. Mobley, Superintendent, Parker, Pa. PEACHBOTTOM RAILROAD. This company was incorporated by an Act of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, approved March 24th, 1868. Sup- plements thereto were passed at the sessions of the Legislature in 1 87 1-2, 1872-3, granting additional privileges. During 1872 the line was located as follows : Leaving Oxford on the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad, it pursues a west- ward course through Lancaster county, crossing the Susque- hanna river just opposite Peachbottom, thence northwestward to York, a distance of 60 miles. From York it is proposed to extend the line to the eastern terminus of the East Broad Top Railroad, 85 miles, thus forming a through coal route 145 miles in length, from the great coal field of Broad Top eighty square miles in area to the eastern markets. Some twelve miles were graded in 1872, and during the following year track was laid on eight miles, but was not operated. In 1874, 38 miles were completed and put in operation. Twenty-two miles are now under construction, and will be opened shortly. The maximum grade is 100 feet to the mile. The sharpest curvature 19° (303 fcet radius). The weight of rail is 30 pounds to the yard. The weight of engines 10 to 12 tons, all placed over drivers. p:quipment— 3 locomotives, 3 passenger cars, 18 freight cars of all classes. Operations and financial statement not reported. S. G. Boyd, President, York, Pa. Samuel Dickey, Vice President, Oxford. Pa. Wm. Wallace, Secretary, Hopewell Centre, Pa. PEEKSKILL VALLEY RAILROAD. This railway was built by the Peekskill Iron Company in 1873. from their furnaces, at Peekskill, Westchester county, to a point on the Hudson River Railroad, a distance of five and a-half miles. The gauge of this railway is two feet, and ,' i si ■ ii : 11 II 1 66 it is the narrowest on this continent. The superstructure and equipment is very light. The only statistical data obtained is that the weight of the engine is four tons. Communications should be addressed to the company. PITTSBURG AND CASTLE SHANNON RAILROAD. This company was incorporated under the -General Railroad Law of Pennsylvania, April 4th, 1868, to construct a railway from Pittsburg to Finleyville via Castle Shannon, where are situated the coal mines of the company; the hne has since been projected to Waynesburg, in Greene county 45 ^"»l^s south of Pittsburg. Part of the road was purchased from the Pittsburg Coal Company, who had laid down a track of 3 feet 4 inches, which gauge has been adhered to. During 1872 three miles were placed in operation, and the following year three additional, bringing the line to Castle Shannon. In 1874 four miles were constructed, making total length of track laid, December 31st. lO miles. The entire road is built very sub- stantially in order to sustain a heavy coal traffic. The maximum grade is 80 feet to the mile. The sharpest curvature 45" 5o' (125 ^et radius). The weight of rail is 45 pounds and 60 pounds to the yard The weight of passenger engine, 12 tons. The weight of freight engines, from 9 to 20 tons. Ccst per mile, including equipment, ^40.000. Equipment— 6 locomotives, 6 passenger cars, 3 freight cars, 300 coal cars. Operations for year ending December 31st, 1874: gross earnings, $352,000; operating expenses, $280,000 (79-54 Per cent.); net earnings, $72,000. Fi-ancial Statement— Capital stock authorized, $1,000,000; paid in $541,000, funded debt, first mortgage 6 per cent, bonds, $246,000 ; floating debt, $83,000. Total liabilities, $870,000. M. D. Hays, President, Pittsburg, Pa. Josiah Reamer, Secretary and Treasurer, Pittsburg, Pa. If 1 ■'. ^1 ; 1 i 4 .1: \% 67 RIO GRANDE RAILWAY. This Company's charter is dated August 12th, 1870, but it was not organized till May 22d, 1871, when it was resolved to build a railway from Brownsville on the Rio Grande, oppo- site Matamoras, Mexico, eastward to Point Isabel, m the harbor of Brazos Santiago on the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of 22 miles, with a gauge of 3 feet 6 inches. Work was com- menced in 1872, and eight miles constructed during that year In 1873 fourteen miles were built, completing the road, when it was opened for traffic. The maximum grade is 8 feet to the mile, and the curvature almost nil. , The weight of rail is 36 pounds to the yard. The weight of engines is 14 tons. The Secretary reports that they are doing a very good business. Financial statement not published. Antonio Longaria, PresL , Brownsville, Cameron Co., Texas. Jos. Kleiber, Secretary, Brownsville, Cameron Co., Texas H. N. Zook, Superintendent, Brownsville, Cameron, County, Texas. RIPLEY RAILROAD. This Company was organized in 1871. to build a narrow gauge road from Middletown, a station on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, to Ripley, in Tippah county. Miss., a dis- tance of 26 miles. Grading was commenced and completed by the Company, and the iron and equipment furnished by the Southern Security Company, who own and operate the road ; the line being opened for traffic in the latter part of 1872. The maximum grade is 106 feet to the mile. The weight of rail is 35 po^^ds to the yard. The weight of engines, 12 to 15 tons. Cost of road, including equipment, per mile, $12,500. Equipment-2 locomotives, 2 passenger cars, i baggage, 1 5 freight cars of all descriptions. 1 {il S 11 il 68 Operations and financial statement not published. Communications should be addressed to the Southern Secu- rity Company, Memphis, Tenn. SAN LUIS OBISPO RAILROAD. This Company was organized in 1873 to construct a narrow gauge railway from San Luis Obispo, California, to the steamer landing on the bay at Avila, thence south via Arroya Grande into Santa Maria county, a distance of about 36 miles. Work was commenced in 1874 on the divi ion between San Luis Obispo and Avila, 9 miles, which is believed to be now in operation. No statistical information could be o^tained. David C. Norcross, President, San Luis Obispo, California SANTA CRUZ RAILROAD. This company was organized in 1873 to build a narrow gauge railway from the harbor of Santa Cruz to Watsonville, a station on the Southern Pacific railway, a distance of 25 miles. Grading commenced the same year, but tracklaying was delayed until the end of 1874, when 8 miles were ironed. No statistical information could be obtained. F. A. Hihn, President and Manager, Santa Cruz, California. SUMMIT COUNTY RAILROAD. This Company was organized in 1873 in Salt Lake City, to construct a narrow gauge railway from Echo, a station on the Union Pacific Railway, south-eastward to Coalville, a distance of about 9 miles. W^rk was commenced and the line com- pleted and opened during 1873. A Company has since been incorporated to build a line 35 miles in length, from Coalville westward to Salt Lake City. The maximum grade is 300 feet to the mile. The sharpest curvature not known. The weight of rail is 30 pounds to the yard. No further information obtainable. J. A. Young, President, Salt Lake City, Utah T. Wm. M. Riter, Superintendent, Coalville, Summit Co., Utah T. V I 1 '4 69 TOLEDO AND MAUMEE RAILROAD. This Company was incorporated and certificate filed in the office of the Secretary of State for Ohio, May i6th, 1873. Or- ganization did not take place till September. The line runs between Toledo and Maumee, all in Lucas county, a distance of 8 miles, which was completed and opened for traffic August 12, 1874. The road has since been projected to Van Wert, on the Ohio State line, a distance of 80 miles, part of which is now under construction, there to connect with the 41st parallel narrow gauge railway of Indiana, which is to connect with the Kcithsburg and Eastern, which will connect with the Keithsburg and Council Bluffs Railway. On all these railways some work is being done, and when all are completed a consolidation will be effected, thus forming an air line between the great grain-growing regions of the north-west and the port of Toledo, to be known as the 41st Parallel Railroad. The maximum grade is 15 feet to the mile. The sharpest curvature 30° 58' (185 feet radius). The weight of rail is 25 pounds to the yard. The weight of engine 83^ tons. Cost per mile, including equipment, ^6,875. Equipment— I locomotive, I passenger car, 5 freight cars of all classes. Financial statement— Capital stock authorized, jS 12 5,000 ; subscribed, ^48,000; paid in, ^41,000; Funded debt, none. Wm. J. Wells, President, Toledo, Ohio. Geo. W. Reynolds, Vice-President, Toledo, Ohio. TUSKEGEE RAILROAD. This Company was organized under the laws of Alabama m 1 87 1, to construct a narrow gauge road from Tuskegee to Chehaw, a distance of 6 miles. Work was commenced the same year, and the line completed in November. The maximum grade is 60 feet to the mile. The weight of rail 25 pounds to the yard. The weight of engine 10 tons. 70 I'^if. li^ tm • { 1* :|S ' 1' i ri' 1 '' ; : ^ T' ^ : ■, ■ :|; li. Ill li i\ i'i: |!4 freight cars o f Equipment— I locomotive, i passen-cr car. 3 all classes. G. W. Campbell, Superintendent, Tuskegee, Ala. UT'\H NORTHERN RAILROAD. This Company was organized in the fall of 1 871. to con- struct a narrow gauge railroad from Brigham, a station on the Central Pacific Railway, via Logan to ^^^f;^^^";^^ 61 miles. The line has since been extended from Bnglam southward to Ogden, 25 miles, and northward to a pomt on the Northern Pacific Railway, in Montana, a total projected distance of 450 miles. Work was commenced in 1872, and durmg that yea. -^ miles were constructed and (operated between Brigham and Hampton. In 1873 the line was extended to Hyde Park, 21 miles, and 1 1 miles were laid from Ogden northwarel Durmg 1 874 the line was completed to Brigham, and from Hyde Park to Eranklin, 30 miles, making total line in operation at the end of 1874. 86 miles. The maximum grade is 96 feet to the mile. The weight of rail is 30 pounds to the yard. The weight of engines 13 and 17 tons. _ Equipment-5 locomotives, 4 passenger cars, 42 freight cars of all classes. The line having only been open a short time, its operations are not published. Financial statement not given. Tohn W. Young, President, Salt Lake City, Utah. Moses Thatcher, Secretary and Superintendent, Logan, Utah . Chas. Nibley, G. F. and T. Agent, Logan, Utah. UTAH WESTERN RAILWAY. This company was organized in 1874 to purchase all rights and interests of the Salt Lake, Sevier Valley and loche nar^ row gauge railway, which had twenty miles of its hne graded and bridged, etc. The transfer was consummated m Sep- tember and the line of route laid as follows : , Leaving Salt Lake City, it runs westward to the southern 71 extremity of Great Salt Lake— 20 miles ; thence to Stockton, in Tooele County— 45 mil^^ *> '^"^ f^""'" whence is projected to the Pacific. Track laying was commenced in November, and by the end of the year 18 miles were completed and put in operation. Construction is still going on, the entire line to be open during 1875. The maximum grade is 74 feet to the mile. The curvature is almost nil— the alignment being very direct. The weight of rail is 30 pounds to the yard. The weight of engine 19 tons. Equipment— I locomotive, 2 passenger cars, i8 freight cars of all classes. Financial Statement-Capital Stock, $920,000. Funded debt, $720,000. John W. Young, President, Salt Lake City. U. 1. H. B. Clawson, Vice President. Salt Lake City, U. T. John N. Pike, Secretary, Salt Lake City, IJ. T- H. P. Kimball, Superintendent, Salt Lake City, U. 1 . WALLA WALLA RAILROAD. This Company was organized in 1872, to construct a narrow gauge railway from Walla Walla, Washington Territory east- ward twenty miles to a point on the Oregon state line. Work commenced in 1873, and during that year ten miles were con- structed; the following year ten miles additional, completing the line. , , , 1 cr ^^ No statistical information could be obtained, although efforts were made to secure it. D. S. Baker, President, Walla Walla, W. T. WASATCH AND JORDAN VALLEY RAILROAD. This Company was incorporated in 1873, to construct a narrow gauge railway from Sandy, a station on the L^tah South- ern RaiUvay, to Alta City, in Little Cottonwood Canon, where the " Emma" and other large mines are situated, a distance ot about 16 miles. During 1873. twelve miles were completed and opened between Sandy and Fairfield, and in 1874 it was extended two miles. Id" m .* 'f • t .1 72 The maximum grade is 287 feet to the mile. There is a grade of 250 feet to the mile continuous for 3 miles, and the ruling gradient is heavy. The line is reported as doing a good business. No statisti- cal information or statements returned. Wm. Jennings. President, Salt Lake City. P'rank Fuller, Superintendent, Salt Lake City. WORCESTER AND SHREWSBURY RAILROAD. This Company was organized under the Massachusetts Gen- eral Railroad Law of 1872, and certificate filed April 27, 1873, to construct a narrow gauge road from Washington Square, in the City of Worcesto-, to the westerly shore of Lake Quin- sigamond, near the dividing line between Worcester and Shrewsbury, a distance of about 3 miles, thence to Shrews- bury, the line being built to accommodate pleasure travel. Work was commenced in May, and the road formally opened for public travel on July 31, 1873. The maximum grade is 160 feet to the mile, partly on a 12° curve. The sharpest curvature is 15° 40' (366.8 feet radiu.s). The weight of rail is 35 pounds to the yard. The weight of engine 4 tons. Equipment — i locomotive, 2 passenger cars. Cost of road, including equipment, per mile, ^10,836.96. Financial statement— Capital stock authorized, $40,000; paid in, ;$26,225 ; floating debt, ^2,168. Total liabilities, $28,- 393- E. B. Stoddard, President, Worcester, Mass. Joseph E. Davis, Treasurer, Worcester, Mass. James Draper, Superintendent, " WYANDOTT, KANSAS CITY AND NORTHWESTERN RAILROAD. This Company was organized und(^r the General Railroad Law of Missouri, on the loth day of June, 1872, to construct a narrow gauge railway, from Kansas City, Mo., East through the counties of Jackson, Lafayette, Saline, Howard, Boone, y il'tf 73 Callaway, Montgomery, Warren, St. Charles and St. Louis, to the city of St. Louis, a distance of about 240 miles. The line of route passes through an exceedingly fine agri- cultural region, and contiguous to the road in Lafayette and Saline counties, there are deposits of an excellent (piality of bituminous coal. Surveys were commenced in April, 1873. but no construction on the first division, between Kansas City and Arrowrock (owing to the panic) was commenced until the spring of 1874. On June 15th, the first spike was driven at Independence, Mo., and the first train ran through from Kansas City to Independence, 10 miles, August 3d. The maximum grade is 76 feet to the mile. There is no sharp curvature. The weight of rail is 30 pounds to the yard. The weight of engines, 15 tons. Cost of road, including equipment, per mile, ^18,500. Equipment— 2 locomotives,4 passenger cars,22 freight cars of all classes. Operations. Gross earnings have averaged $1,300, per month. Operating expenses not published. Financial state- ment, withheld. Capital Stock authorized, $2,000,000. F. C. Fames, President, Kansas City, Mo. A. L. Harris, Treasurer, Kansas City, Mo. H. Hale, Superintendent & C. E., Kansas City, Mo. l«lHi I'll tri t ilii If CANADIAN NARROW GAUGF RAILWAYS. From a report of Mr. Edmund Wra^^n', v, vcd in 1871, we make the following extracts: "The narrow gauge railways which have been already con- structed in the Dominion of Canada, and which are also the first upon this continent, are the Toronto Grey and Bruce Railway and the Toronto and Nipissing Railway. For some years prior to 1866, tliere had been scarcely any railway pro- gress in Canada, and owing to the bad repute in which Cana- dian R-^Uways were held as an investment in England, it seemed hopeless to wait until the country was able, of itseli", to find the means to construct railways of the ordinary character and involvii :? the ordinary cost. "Mr. George Laidlaw, of Toronto, who is the pioneer ot narrow gauge railways upon the Continent of America, seeing no way of being able to raise the money necessary for an ordinary railway, advertised in the English newspapers" for some account of how a cheap railway could be constructed, and, at that tiaie, knowing nothing of narrow gauge railways, received answer., among others, from Mr. Carl I ihl the government engineer of Norway, in which country the three feet six inch eiugr is the national gauge; and from bir Charles Fox &*Sons, of London, who had already constructed a railway of three feet six inch gauge in India, and some two hundred miles of similar gauge railway in Queensland, Australia. With that perspicuity for which he is distinguished, Mr. Laidlaw at once saw that this class of road was the one for which he was seeking, and which, while it would afford all the accomodation likely to be needed for many years to come, could be constructed at a minimum cost, consistent with efficiency. He, therefore, immediately opened communica- .;.„. ,„;fK ih^ firm of Sir Charles Fox & Sons, and without have followed going into the details of the various steps whi 74 75 this movement, it may be state.l Ihey obtained, after a hr.rd tTnul I.e,i.lat«,e^vhere tbey ba.l to meet in ..ppos,t,on I tbe railway au.borities of tbe Domuuon, -^'-''rt"' ^^J = construetion of the Toronto Grey and Bruce and oron o and NipisHing Raib.vays, upon a sauge of three feet '" The operations of tl,ese railw.ays were so satisfactory and Jl:,Lns of the eountry the same in 'I;;;'-- ^^^^^^^ "'■""^"■"\""^„t:re;ar:^::tt ; e' nstTeln of nlilway. governments gi anted ciiartcrs lu. tvitli a three feet six inch gauge. On December 3., lB74, the following railways in the British Possess,„ns in North America had narrow gauge facU.uc, .^ Toronto, Grey and IJnico Toronto and Nipissinj^ . . New Brnuswick Riviere dii Loup. Prince Edward's Island, liniit, 195 88 100 91 1 20 195 230 170 200 594 886 T^ • ,Q-t the Toronto & Nipissing, the New Bruns- t"''Ttl e P ; e WW d's Island Railways expect to build ::tan::ircom;:r- 'he remaining unconstructed portion of "t addition to the above mentioned railways, the following of ; feet 6 inch gauge are under eonstruet.on or projected . Bangor & Calais Slioi-c. Great Southern of New Brunswick. Kingston & Pembroke. Lontlon, Huron & Bruce. Credit Valley. Fenelon Falls. TORONTO, GREY AND BRUCE RATI ROAD This Company was '-^P^f/,^^ iJCtrg:^- To- build a narrow S-;|;™ 7;,° ,;;/f„,t rl^Svdenham, on ■O^ s::,r Sttetf' .;; nules, and also a branch from ■■'. :\ y. •hi m m M I 'lilt PI 76 Orangcville to Tceswater, yz miles. Some months elapsed in (xlucating the various counties and townships lying along the route of the railway, so that it was not until September, 1869, that the surveys were made. The following n)onth con- struction commenced. During 1871-2 forty-nine mile.? were put in operation on the main line, between Toronto and Orangcville, and thirty-eight miles on the branch. The follow- ing year 144 miles were operated, and by the end of 1874 the entire line of 195 miles was in working order. The alignment is of particular interest at two points on the T. G. S: B. R., being marked at the crossing of the ITumber River (15 miles from Toronto), and at the ascent of the Cale- don Hills (35 miles from Toronto), by a series of sharp curves, combined with which are heavy grades, deep cuts and high embankments. The maximum grade is 106 feet to tltc mile. The sharpest curvature 12° 25'' (462 feet radius). The weight of rail 40 pounds and 56 pounds to the yard. The engines weigh from 16 to 42 tons. Cost per mile, including equipment, ;$ 16,541. Equipment — 18 locomotives, 12 passenger cars, 3 post office and express, 3 smoking and baggage, 407 freight and other cars of all classes. Operations for fiscal year ending June 30, 1874 — During the first three months of the year the length of line operated was 87 miles ; during the two following months 155^^ miles, and during the remaining seven months 164 ji miles. Ofthis latter length, however, 9 miles (from Mount Forest to Harris- ton) were in an incomplete state, and consequently very little attempt was made <-o obtain traffic over this portion. Gross earnings, ^347,744.10; operating expen.ses,^ 199, 191.- 20 (57-03 per cent.) ; net earnings, $148,552.90. Gross earnings per mile for year 1873-4, • . . $2,416 Gro.ss earnings per mile for year 1 872-3, . . . 2,047 Financial statement from June [869, when work was com- menced to 30th June, 1874.— Capital stock authorized, ^3,000,- 000; paid in, $271,372.09; municipal bonuses, $869,170.50; government bonu.ses, $231,592.00; funded debt, $879,333.70 17 of 8 per cent, bonds, ^321,200.22 of 7 per cent, bonds. Total receipts on capital account, ^2,572,668.51. Per contra, payments on account of road and equipment, ^2,572,668.51. There is also a floating debt of $469,444.43, which is partly offset by ;^ 166,000 bonds unsold. John Gordon, President, Toronto, Canada. Wni. Ramsay, Vice-President, Toronto, Canada. W Sutherland Taylor, Sec'y. and Treas., Toronto, Canada. N. VVeatherston, Genl. Supt., Toronto, Canada. lulmund Wragge, Chief P^ngineer, Toronto, Canada. TOR(3NTO AND NIPISSING RAILROAD. This Company was incorporated by the Canadian Legislature in March, 1868, to construct a railway of 3 feet 6 inch gauge from Toronto to Lake Nipissing, a distance of 230 miles. Work was commenced in 1869, and during the two following years some 40 miles were operated. In 1872 64 miles, and in 1873 88 miles between Toronto and Coboconk, the present terminus, were opened. This was the first narrow gauge rail- way opened for traffic on the continent of America. The maximum grade is 106 feet to the mile. The sharpest curvature 9"^ 30' (Ooo feet radius). The weight of rail is 40 and 56 pounds to the yard. The weight of engines from 16 to 42 tons. Cost per mile, including equipment, $15,293. P^quipment — 12 locomotives, 7 passenger cars, 3 baggage and express, 296 freight cars of all classes, i snow plough. Operations for year ending June 30th, 1874 — Gross earn- ings, $218,207.31 ; operating expenses, $121,273.60 (55.70 per cent.) ; net earnings, $96,933.71. Financial Statement — Capital stock authorized, $3,000,000 ; paid in, $193,350; municipal bonuses, $375,072.59 ; govern- ment bonuses, $104,860 ; funded debt, $672,500, 8 per cent, bonds; floating debt, $290,558.39; total liabilities, $1,636, 330.98. Win. Gooderham, Jr., President, Toronto, Canada. Al;x. T. Pulton, Vice-President, Poronto, Canada. Joseph Gray, Sec'y and Treas., Toronto, Canada. I'Almund VVragge, Chief luigincer, Toronto, Canada. 78 m ji i. NEW BRUNSWICK RAILROAD. This company was incorporated by the New Brunswick Government in 1870, to construct a railway of three feet six inch gauge, from Gibson, opposite Fredericton, on the St. John's River, to Edmunston on the upper St. John River, a distance of 16 [ miles, with a branch to Woodstock, nine miles. The road has since been i)rojected to Riviere du Loup, a station on the Grand Trunk Railway, making a total distance of 260 miles. Work was commenced in 1873, and 53 miles opened for traffic during that year. On 31st December, 1874, 100 miles were in operation between Gibson and Tobique, and it is intended to complete the road during 1875. • The maximum grade is 85 feet to the mile. The sharpest curvature 10°, (573 feet radius.) The weight of rail i.^ 40 pounds to the yard. The weight of engines, built on the Fairlie principle, 27 tons. The cost per mile, including equipment, will probably not exceed ^13,500. Equipment — 4 locomotives, 3 passenger cars, i baggage and express, 40 freight cars of all classes. Operations. — Not reported. Financial Statement. — Capital stock authorized, $3,ooc',ooo. paid in, $650,000; funded debt, first mortgage 6 per cent, bonds, $1,030,000 ; floating debt, $43,000; total liabilities, $1,693,000. Ale.x. Gibson, President, Frederickton, N. B. PRINCE IvDWARD'S ISLAND RAILROAD. This road, of a 3 feet 6 incii gauge, which was built and is operated by the Government, travcnses the whole length of the Island, from Tiguish, in the North, to Georgetown and Souris, in the P^ast, connecting also with vSummerside and Charlotte- town, on the South, a total distance of main line and branches of 200 miles. Work was commenced in 1873, and fifty miles constructed during that year. In 1874 sevent}^ miles were t- 79 built, and the whole line will be completed during the present year. The maximum grade is 60 feet to the mile. The sharpest curvature 9° 30' (600 feet radius). The weight of rail is 40 pounds to the yard. Cost per mile, including equipment, ;^i4,6oo. F. W. Hindeman, Charlottetown, P. E. T. h'A ''0 n m iS'^l M. it BY PRACTICAL MEN. 1 fully liolicvc in this kiiul of roiul for short tvavtil. President Worcester and tihreirtibhry Raihity. . . , ^. ,, t. i n ,< We are iiuu;h t'in:in)i\.—iStiiJcrinlcndeiU Arkaa.'ia.s Vcnlral Railway. The c.\i)ei lenee of thi-; Comiiany m e\eiy .nsiance <;onlirn»s iheir opinion of the ellielency of the Narrow Gauge system, and they think it tully i)roveu that a threeleet gauge is c-aiiable ot doing all the business recpiired ot any ordinary road.— »S'le, and the cose being murli li;ss than hroad gauge we are able to treigntunder the lowaTarilf Laws witha fair profii. - Vict-I're.sidt'iU J)e.s Midnc.sand MianesoK Railway. That IhiM Company was able, noi>viLUslanding a panic which caused the fail- ure of 77 railiuadf, in l"he United .^tat.'s, to meet all lis oljligations laompil^ and surxive llie gale, is a matter worthy t)f eongiatulatiou. itisto ue at Lriimied, cliiefly.to the laca that the route occupied l-, one w hicii possoseil the elemeiiLs lor a good local trade, and that each division was alile to follow the principle of •• i)ay as \ on t;o :" also to tlie lad that tlie jXarmw (Jmiye jiermitled an eeonomy in huildiiig and operating without which we coukIiiol nave avoided the common fate. With s'.' new a luje. !);mI l lie udililiunal interest iiiiou cjipual iind cost of operating recinircd by the standard gauge i)een imiiosed upon u», wecould haruiy have escaped.— i'ct'iic Grande Rnlway.