NARROW-GAUGE RAILWAYS. 987 
traftic increased so rapidly that it was thought prudent to strengthen 
the proposed light tramway, and make it a strong 2-feet gauge 
railway. 
The country traversed by this line is mountainous and exceed- 
ingly broken. 
The north-east Dundas line, after 4 miles of comparatively easy 
country, commences to ascend, and at 105 miles, after much 
twisting and turning, reaches an altitude of 1,015 feet above 
Zeehan. 
The steepest grade is 1 in 25, in combination with 1} chain 
curves. 
The rolling stock in use on this line has been constructed in 
the colony, excepting the locomotives. The standard locomotive 
used weighs 193 tons, and takes a 50-ton load up a grade of 
1 in 25. 
The goods trucks carry a net load of 10 tons, the weight of 
truck being 2 tons 14 cwt. ; thus we can negotiate grades of 1 in 
25, in combination with 14 chain curves, with a paying load of 
40 tons per train, which, with four daily trains in each direction, 
would make the carrying capacity of the line 100,000 tons per 
annum. 
Briefly, the specialities of this class of railway are: Gauge, 2 
feet; maximum gradient, 1 in 25; minimum radius of curves, 
99 feet; width cleared, 30 feet, to be increased where necessary ; 
cuttings 10 feet wide at base, and embankments 10 feet wide at 
top ; bridges all timber (stringybark and blue gum) ; log culverts 
and timber boxes; ballast, 800 cubic yards per mile, being 4 
inches deep under sleepers ; the sleepers 5 ft. x 8 in. x 4in, 
stringybark and blue-gum ; rails, steel, 46 1b. and 40 lb. to the 
yard. 
The cost of the line, including surveys, construction, and equip- 
ment is approximately £2,000 per mile ; and in justification of its 
adoption I may say that we are constructing and equiping nearly 
20 miles of it at a cost of about £40,000, whereas our ordinary 
3-feet gauge line, through the same country, would probably cost 
£10,000 per mile, or (say) £200,000. 
The interest, at 3 per cent., on these respective amounts shows 
a saving in favour of the 2-feet gauge line of £5,600 per annum, 
which, at compound interest, would, in less than seven years, be 
more than the total cost of the 2-feet gauge railway. 
