THE Western Star AND WALLACE COUNTY GAZETTE, Established 1868. Vincit Amor Patriae. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1897. MAIN LINE FEEDERS.

Western Star, Issue 1292, 27 February 1897, Page 2

THE Western Star AND WALLACE COUNTY GAZETTE, Established 1868. Vincit Amor Patriae. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1897. MAIN LINE FEEDERS.

The Duke of AVestminster has just completed on his Eaton Estate, England, a narrow-guage railway connecting the hall with the Great Western Railway at Balderton, three miles distant, an account of which appeared in a recent issue of the Loudon Times. The total length of line laid is 44- miles, which includes, besides the main line, a branch three-quarters of a mile in length to the estate works near Pulford, together with several shorter branches, to the estate brickyard and other points, 'lffie traffic to be dealt with, consisting chiefly of coal, road metal and building materials, was computed at about 5000 tons per annum. As it was desired that the line should be inconspicuous since it had to cross the park and the throe principal drives, aneras the required capacity was small, it was decided to adopt a guago of only 15in, a lino of this width at Duffield, in Derbyshire, which has been successfully worked for 20 years, having been inspected and approved by the Hon Cecil Parker, the Duke’s agent, The line is laid with steel flat-bot-tomed rails weighing 1(5 Jib per I yard, and, to reduce the repairs to a minimum, these are carried throughout on cast-iron sleepers, oft long, GJ-in wide, weighing 2Slb each, and coated with anti-corro-sive. Steel spring keys secure the rails in jaws cast on the sleepers,

which are spaced at 2ffc Bin centres, and, at tne joints, at Ift 4in> Steel girders on cast-iron foundation plates are used for all the bridge work. Thus no timber whatever is employed in the permanent way, and the depreciation is practically limited to wear of rails. The ballast is red furnace cinder, sin to 6in in depth below the sleepers. The railway is unfenced throughout, and passes from field to field on short open girders with a dy ke excavated below, thus preventing the passage of cattle. Two high roads are crossed on the level, and several brooks by girder bridges, the longest span being 28ft. The line is practically a surface cue, there being few noticeable cuttings and embankments. The cost of earthwork has been £205 per mile. The maximum gradient against the load is one in 70, the highest point in the line is 68Et above the lowest, and the Baton terminus is 51ft above the junction with the Great Western Railway. The curves on the main line are of not less than 300 ft radius, but curves of 60ft radius, and, at a few difficult points, of still less, occur at some of the termini and on the branches. At Eaton a large covered coal store, 80ft long and 33ft wide,has been erected, so arranged that the little waggons run in at a high level and readily discharge their contents. The rolling stock, which is all capable of traversing a minimum curve of 25ft radius, is fitted throughout with self-acting coupler-buffers, and all similar parts are interchangeable. The gross load which the engine—exclusive of its own weight —will haul is 40 tons on the level, and 20 tons up the ruling gradient of 1 in 70, the speed being about ten miles per hour. In an experimental trip, however, a speed of upwards of 20 miles per hour was obtained without undue oscillation. The entire cost of construction has been £1095 per mile, exclusive of sheds. This figure would have been materially less but for the considerable expense attending the extra levelling and turfing required to avoid undue prominence. The cost of rolling stock has been £214 per mile, thus bringing the total outlay to £1309 per mile. With the estimated traffic of 5000 tons per annum over an average distance of 2% miles —equal to a 12,500 ton miles the cost of a carriage is almost prej ciaely Is per ton per mile, materially less than the coat of cart haulage. The unobtrusiveness of so small a line and rolling stock, the relief to the roads, and the convenience of constant connection with the nearest railway are points which are deserving of consideration where the conditions make such an installation possible, and the foregoing is instructive at the present juncture when there is some talk of introducing light railways into this colony. ____