216 REPORT — 1870. 



to be about 38 miles ; so that as each ton of the total -weight hauled ruus 38 miles, 

 and the entire length of line worked is 1432 miles, it follows that there must be 

 on an averap-e 37 merchandize trains distributed over the total Icnutli. This 

 number, divided into tlie total number of trains per day of 24 hours, pives an 

 average of over 17 trains per day running- on each mile of the line. Having 

 reached this conclusion, it becomes possible to see ho-w it "would affect the question 

 if the gauge of the line -were 3 ft. instead of 4 ft. 8^ in. In the first place, the 

 same or a greater speed could be maintained, say, up to 35 or 40 miles an hour. 

 On the 4-ft. 8i-in. gauge the proportion of paying to non-paying has been taken at 

 1 to 4, although it has proved largely in excess of this. The -waggons employed 

 average 4 tons in -weight, so that on this reckoning each -waggon carries 1 ton for 

 every mile it runs. The waggons for a line of 3-tt. gauge weigh each 1 ton, and 

 carry a maximum load of 3 tons. Supposing that the same number of waggons 

 and trains were run on the narrow gauge as on the broad, it follows that the 

 average one ton of merchandize now taken coukl easily be taken in a waggon 

 weighing 1 ton instead of 4 tons, and that the gross load passing over the line for 

 one year would be only 25,000,000 of tons instead of 50,000,000, while the same 

 amount of paying weight would be carried in either cnse ; that is, the small waggons, 

 which are capable of carrying three times the weight of goods now actually carried 

 in a 4-ton waggon, would only have to carry one-third of that quantity, and would 

 produce the same paying load as the heavier waggons ; and as the haulage is pre- 

 cisely the same whether the tons hauled consist of paying or non-paying load, it 

 follows that tliis expense would be reduced to two-iifths of what it now is. If 

 the same number of trains were to run per day, the weight of each would bo 

 reduced from 250 tons to 102 tons; or if the same gross weight of train was em- 

 ployed, the number of trains per day would be reduced from 639 to 250. If there 

 should be sufficient traffic to load the narrow-gauo-e waggons in such a way as to 

 require the same number and weight of trains that are no-«' worked, the result 

 would be that, without increasing by one penny the cost of haulage and the per- 

 manent way expens?s, the 3-ft. gauge would carry a paying of 25 millions of tons 

 as against the 10 millions now carried. Here, then, we have established the fact, 

 that, so far as capacity goes, the narrow gauge is superior to the broad one; the 

 former can produce 25 millions net out of a gross tonnage of 50 millions, while 

 the latter, to produce the same result, if continued to be woi'ked as it no-w is, 

 would require that 125 million tons should be hauled, and that at an increased 

 cost in the same proportion of 125 millions to 50 millions. The rest of the paper 

 was devoted to an application of these iigures to Ihe question of the best gauge 

 for Indian and Colonial railways, and to the argument that such railways might 

 be made cheaply and efficiently on a 3-ft. gauge, so as to chaige a reasonable tarilF 

 and to ajlbrd a satisfactory^ return. 



On the Apijlicafion of the Centre-Bail System to a Raihuay in Brcizll and to 

 other Mountain Lines ; a. so on ihe Advantages of Narrow- Gatiye liuilways. 

 By J. B. Fell, C.E. 



The author said that since the opening of the Mont-Cenis Railway in June 18C8, 

 other mountain lines on the centre-rail system have been under consideration in 

 different parts of the world. One of tliese lines now being constructed is in Brazil ; 

 it commences at the terminus of tlie Canta-Gallo Railway, crosses the Scrra at an 

 elevation of 3000 feet above the Canta-CTallo line, and terminates at the town of 

 Novo Friburgo, a distance of 20 miles. In some of its principal features this rail- 

 way resembles the summit line of the 3Iont-Cenis, the gradients for the passage of 

 the Serra, over a distance of ten miles, being principally from 1 in 20 to 1 in 12, 

 and the curves by which the line -winds round the spurs or counter forts of the 

 mountain being, for a considerable portion of it, from 40 to 100 metres radius. 

 The narrow gauge of 1-10 metre has also been adopted. In other features, how- 

 ever, tliere is an important difference between these two centre-rail lines. The 

 concession for the Mont-Cenis was but teinporary, terminating at the completion 

 of the great tunnel, and the rfiilway is laid on the existing public road, whereas 



