RA IL WA YS A ND TRA MWA VS. 279 



through the plains to act as feeders to the parent system, will tend 

 materially to reduce the average cost per mile. There are the " un- 

 profitable lines," which last year earned a net £120,219, while the 

 interest upon their capital was £ l-59,4-22. But this bald statement is 

 hardly fair as it stands. The bulk of them fed the main arteries of 

 traffic, and contributed towards the earnings of the "■ profitable " lines ; 

 and there does not exist any railway system where there are not 

 isolated sections of which it may be said that they by themselves earn 

 the interest on their capital. Even the action taken to attract long 

 distance traffic to Sydney and Newcastle has in some instances told 

 against the earnings of some of these branches. For instance, grain 

 and agricultural produce is now carried 500 miles forlGs. 3d. per ton, 

 as against 25s. 8d. in 1888 ; coke is carried the same distance at 23s. Id. 

 per ton, as compared with 4()s. 4d. in 1888; and horses and cattle at 

 186s. 3d. per truck, against 223s. 4d. Such reductions are a great 

 boon to the producer in the interior, and have served their purpose. 



The time will come when the question of the duplication of the 

 trunk lines will have to be seriously considered. Since the Railway 

 Commissioners came into office they have quadrupled the first 8i miles 

 out of Sydney, and inci'eased the d(.)uble lines from 72 to 154.^ miles. 

 But there are still 2,368j miles of single line, and on portiims of the 

 trunk lines the traffic is very heavy. The easing of the gradients and 

 curves, which will permit of much heavier and longer trains being 

 run, will enable them to defer these costly duplications, by permittintr 

 of the carriage of goods in longer trains and at higher speeds; but it 

 is evident that 3^ears hence, as traffic grows, this question will become 

 acute. However, that will mean that the traffic has outgrown the 

 present capacity of the trunk lines, and will consequently mean that 

 the cost will be repaid in increased earning power. 



But the problems presented in working an important system of 

 railways like those of New South Wales are very numerous, and it is 

 impossible to deal with all of them in a short descriptive article. There 

 happily is the trafiic, and a steadily growing traffic. In spite of 

 numerous concessions to producers, that traffic has yielded an addition 

 of £700,032 comparing 1895 with 1885, and £593,060 of those in- 

 creased earnings have been added to the net i-evenue ; and when 

 prosperous seasons return, it is certain that a large power of expan- 

 sion, at present latent, will be developed. 



The Tramways. 



The Sydney and Suburban Tramway lines are likewise under the 

 direction and conti'ol of the Railway Commissioners. They are to a 

 large extent street railways worked by steam motors, and it is remark- 

 able that with so many gradients, such sharp curves, and crowded 

 streets there are so few accidents. Two lines, however, are worked 

 upon the cable system and one by electricity. There is also a short 

 tramway at Newcastle included in the service. In all, there are 61 

 miles in operation, upon which last year 66,352,069 penny fares were 

 collected, the tram mileage being 2,503,1<)1 miles, and the gross 

 earning per tram mile 2s. 3d. A few years back these tramways were 

 not a profitable investment to the govcrmuent, and in 18s8 when 



