TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION J. 469 



ner. The length of the line is thirty-four miles, rising to a 

 summit of 1,950ft. from sea-level at Puerto Cabello. The first 

 nine miles from the port are practically level ; the valley con- 

 tinues to rise, and the grade for the next seven miles is about 

 1 in 100 ; the ground then rises sharply, necessitating grades 

 of 1 in 29 for three miles ; reduced again to 1 in 43^ for about 

 two miles ; rising finally on the incline from this point to the 

 summit on a grade of 1 in 12^ ; afterwards falling on an easy 

 grade for the next nine miles into the city of Valencia. The 

 results have been most satisfactory, the line proving equal to 

 the heaviest traffic, notwithstanding that the Abt incline has a 

 grade of 1 in 12-|- for two miles. The company's stock and 

 debentures are in good repute on the London market, and 

 traffic is improving year by year. But for the existence of the 

 Abt system of incline-railways Valencia would probably be 

 to-day without railway-communication. 



The Hartz Mountain railway was the first line constructed 

 upon the x\bt system, and connects the town of Blankenburg 

 with the town of Taane, in the Hartz Mountains, a distance of 

 nineteen miles. The line has a rise of 1,495ft. outward from 

 Blankenburg, giving an aggregate rise on the round trip of 

 2,130-6ft. The ruling gradient on the rack sections is 6 per. 

 cent., or 1 in 16-67 ; and on the adhesion 2"5 per cent., or 1 in 

 40. The minimum radius of curve on the rack is 820ft., and 

 on the adhesion line 590ft. The locomotives employed have 

 an average service- v,'eight of 51-2 tons ; and they take a train- 

 load of 118-1 tons, exclusive of their own weight, at seven miles 

 an hour, up 1 in 16-67, but at times work trains weighing 135 

 tons. The racks on these steep sections show no wear, and the 

 maintenance does not cost any more than the ordinary line. 

 The wear of the pinions is very slight, a flank adjustment being 

 necessary once in twelve months ; and the life of the pinion is 

 estimated to be about ten years. Upon the Hartz railway 

 there are eleven separate rack sections ; so that every train 

 passes twenty-two entrance-tongues in one journey. 



The traffic on the Hartz railway in 1888, according to the 

 last returns in possession of the author, Vv^as as follows : — 



Passengers . . . . . . 58,550 Increase from 1887 . . 5,050 



Goods (tons) . . . . 146,250 „ „ . . 26,250 



Mileage .. .. .. 57,256 Decrease „ .. 1,652 



Average weight per train (tons) 105 Increase „ . . 8 



Maximum „ „ (tons) 135 „ „ . . 15 



The maximum load consisted of nine loaded waggons, the 

 gross weight of which was 15 tons each. The total number 

 were fitted with three friction-brakes. The heavy traffic on 

 this line consists principally of ironstone for the smelting- 

 furnaces at Blankenburg. The working-expenses for 1888 

 were, — 



