TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 225 



per passenger. The 4 feet 8 inch gauge cars weigh from 28,000 lb. to 33,000 lb., 

 and carry from fifty to seventy passengers, or from 500 lb. to 000 lb. per passenger. 

 The 3-foot gauge cars are 7 feet wide, whicli allows double seats on one side 

 and single seats on the other, with an aisle down the centre. Recently the cars 

 Jiave been increased to 8 feet in width, which allows of four seats abreast, or a total 

 of forty-seven passengers. 



The freight-cars have wheels of 20 inches diameter. The covered freight^car 

 weighs 10,000 lb. as against 17,000 lb. or 18,000 lb. for similar cars on the 

 4 foot 8 inch gauge ; and the narrow-gauge cars carry 8 tons as compared with 

 10 tons carried on the standard gauge. Thus a train of sixteen cars of the stan- 

 dard gauge would load twenty cars on the narrow gauge, and the total weight of the 

 narrow-gauge train would be 200 tons against 290 tons for the standard gauge, 

 i. e. a saving of 30 tons, equivalent to 22 tons of additional freight. 



Thus on the narrow gauge the paying load bears a greater proportion to the dead 

 weight than on the standard gauge. 



But the heavy weight of cars on the standard gauge has been brought about by 

 necessity of strength to resist shocks received in course of traffic. 



The narrow gauge has been hitherto constructed so as to be as light as possible, 

 and the scantlings have been made in proportion to gauge ; but evidence is already 

 given of a desire to increase the weight ; and the weights carried on the cars show 

 that it is probable increased strength, i. e. weight, will have to be resorted to. 



The great width which is coming into use for the cars, e. (/. 8 feet on a base of 

 3 feet, must be unstable ; and I do not think that this mode of increasing the pro- 

 portion of paying weight can stand. But if cars of 8 feet wide are run, but little 

 economy can be claimed for the 3-foot gauge on the ground of diminished width 

 of railway. 



The longer tracks of tlie United-States railways enable all the plant to pass 

 easily round curves, and the use of radial axles also contributes to that end ; and 

 there was at the Exhibition the Miltimow axle, of which a specimen which had run 

 12,000 miles was shown, in which the wheels move on the axle independently of 

 the axle ; this materially diminishes friction on curves. A train with these axles 

 has been running on the 3-foot railway in the Centennial grounds. These ap- 

 pliances enable the standard gauge to be constructed with curves practically as 

 sharp as those on the 3-foot gauge. 



The weight of rails depends on weight of engine : a standard-gauge engine can 

 be made as light as the 3-foot-gauge engine ; but the light engine will not draw 

 heavy weights up the steep inclines necessary for a line which follows the contours 

 of the groimd. In the United States the 3-foot gauge has the conveyance of cars 

 which can be more easily moved at stations than the cumbrous cars of the stan- 

 dard gauge. 



The break of gauge entails a cost for transhipment of from 10c?. a ton where the 

 traffic is regular to Is. Gd. to 2.<. a ton where it is intermittent. The line may be 

 useful as a pioneer line ; but when the traffic becomes large it will have to be con- 

 verted to the standard gauge. A standard-gauge line would answer all purposes, 

 if made with a light rolliurr-stock. 



On an Improved Orain-sieve. By J. H. Geeenhill. 



On Improvements in Railway Applkinces. By 11. R. Harter. 



Dock- and Quay-Walls, Foundations, ^r. By T. S. Hunter, 



In this paper the author described the construction of dock- and qua^'-walls, 

 foundations of bridges, subways or timuels, sewers, and works of a similar nature, 

 and also the means used to facihtate such works. 



In carrying on operations where the sinking of foundations has to be effected in 

 situations where water permeates the sand or soil so as to ilood the works, a dam 



