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54 C. O. BURGE. 
LIGHT RAILWAYS FOR NEW SOUTH WALES. 
By CHARLES OrmsBy BurRGE, M. Inst. C.E. 
Principal Assistant Engineer-in-Charge, Railway Surveys, N.S. W. 
[ Read before the Engineering Section of the Royal Society of N.S. Wales, 
December 21, 1892. ] 
THE question of light railways has been often to the front, not 
only in New South Wales, but in all countries where there is any 
railway construction at all; but it has become more especially 
pressing latterly, when the difficulty of raising loans for public 
works has increased, and the necessity has arisen for opening up 
new districts at the lowest possible first cost. The meaning of 
the term “light railways” has almost as many variations as the 
sorts and conditions of men who do not hesitate to give their 
Opinions on the matter. It seems to some people extraordinary 
why engineers cannot design a railway which shall have light 
rails, steep gradients, light works and light working expenses, 
nearly all of which things are necessarily more or less antagonistic 
to each other. 
People in the country say, why cannot we have a tramway like 
the Sydney ones? all we want is a train of one or two vehicles 
and a small engine, not knowing or apparently caring, as other 
people have to pay, that such an arrangement is just about as 
expensive a one for a country line as could possibly be devised for 
working, giving the maximum of wages with the minimum of loads. 
Nevertheless there are points which it is the purpose of this 
paper to show, in which our railway construction, as hitherto 
carried out, can be considerably cheapened, and made more appro- 
priate to the light traffic in outlying districts for which such lines, 
in the future, must be provided. The author of this communica- 
tion has had to do, either in survey, construction, or maintenance, 
with heavy and light railways of all kinds, from the five feet nine 
