224 REPORT— 1876. 



would be possible to construct a field-railway at the speed at wbich an anuy of 

 100,000 men could marcli. 



Besides the Royal Engineer Committee, a considerable number of civil and 

 military engineers, both English and foreign, were present at the experiments. 



In the course of the trials and subsequently improTenieuts have been made in 

 the form, materials, and details of the structure, by which the canying powers and 

 the efficiency of the railway have been considerably increased. 



An ordinary transport ship accompanying an expedition would carry the materials 

 and rolling-stock for 12 miles of field-railway, and the ' Great Eastern ' steam-ship 

 would carry from 70 to 80 miles. 



The cost of the mile of railway at Aldershot, with sidings, stations, and rolling- 

 stock was £.3500, and a similar railway of 2 feet 6 inches or 3 feet gauge, to be 

 worked by engines of ten tons weight, and waggons canying loads of six tons each, 

 could be made for about £-5000 per mile, the cost of erecting included. 



Although a railway made on the system above described could not be expected 

 to carry the same amount of traffic as oue 4 feet 85 inches gauge, made in the 

 ordinary way, it would be quite capable of performing the whole of the transport 

 service for a large army in the field in a more efficient manner than it could be 

 done by horses, at a much less cost to the country, and, in the opinion of military 

 authorities, the value of such an improved method of transport in war-time could 

 scarcely be overestimated. A difficulty, and perhaps the priucipal one remaining 

 to be overcome, in practically carrying out this or any similar improved form of 

 field-railway, is the necessity of incurring the expense in peace time of making pro- 

 vision for a future war ; and no Administration would willingly assume the respon- 

 sibility of such increased expenditure unless it were approved and required by the 

 public opinion of the country. It is therefore desirable that publicity should be 

 given to the experiments already carried out by the Government at Aldershot, 

 and that the subject of the best method for the rapid construction of field-railways 

 in war-time should be fully and freely discussed. 



Railiuays on Three-foot Gaiu/e in the United States. 

 By Capt. Douglas Galton, C.B., F.B.S. 



Tn recent years a considerable development of these lines has taken place. The 

 railway in the United States is the pioneer road ; it must be made as cheaply as 

 possible at first, and improved as population increases. 



There are at present 7973 miles projected and 2700 completed. The Denver 

 and Rio Grande is intended to be 1700 miles long, of which 210 miles are com- 

 pleted. The estimate of cost of a narrow-gauge line in a prairie country is given 

 by the promoters at £1900 per mile for line and £7-58 per mile for rolling-stock. 



1 ascertained that the cost of the Montrose railway (28 miles long) was £2300 per 

 mile, with two locomotives, two passenger-cars, one baggage-car, and thirteen 

 freight-cars. This is a purely agricultural line, running up into a country up a high 

 elevation, and with small traffic. The Parker and Karns City railway cost £5500 

 a mile ; but it is only 10 miles long at present, and has an equipment of four loco- 

 motives, five passenger-cars, forty-six freight-cars, and a viaduct 400 feet long and 

 74 feet high. This line is for opening out an oil district. 



The curves on the lines are in some places 120 feet radius, and some gradients 

 are as much as 1 in 40. 



The rolling-stock is as follows: — Engines for passenger traffic have a rigid 

 wheel-base of 6 feet 6 inches, with four driving-wheels (coupled) of from 3 feet to 

 3 feet 4 inches diameter ; the weight on each driving-wheel from 2 tons 4 cwt. to 



2 tons 8 cwt. ; total weight of engine from 24,000 lb. to 32,500 lb. 

 Freight-engines have six wheels coupled, and the wheels are from 33 inches dia- 

 meter in some patterns to 40 inches diameter in others, and the weight on each 

 driving-wheel is from I4 to 2 tons ; the total weight of these engines is 20,000 lb. 

 to .38,000 lb. 



In the cars, the wheels are 24 inches diameter ; they weigh from 15,000 lb. to 

 17,000 lb., and carry thirty-six passengers ; they weigh from 410 lb. to 470 lb. 



