a 
Fi 
‘60 CO. O. BURGE. 
as is done in America generally, even on main lines, travellers 
entering and leaving the train at rail level, and junction arrange- 
ments must be reduced toaminimum. Fencing should generally 
be dispensed with, and where the line cuts through a boundary 
fence separating holdings, a cheap cattle stop or gridiron as used in 
the United States, would sufficiently prevent trespass. On the Cape 
railways, where the author had several years’ experience, fencing 
~-was successfully dispensed with, and in India, a curious instance 
may be quoted, also within the author’s actual experience, in 
which, to use a hibernicism, the worse fence was found to be the 
better, leading to the inference that none at all would be better 
still. The Madras railway, a system of over eight hundred miles, 
was Closely fenced throughout with iron posts and wire, or with 
aloes. Notwithstanding that there was a heavy fine inflicted by 
law on all owners of cattle which trespassed, gates were constantly 
left open, and cattle, attracted by the protected herbage within, 
being unable to get away at the side, on account of the formidable 
fence, were frequently overtaken and killed by trains. On the 
East Indian line, which was very badly fenced by a mere ditch and 
mound, straying cattle, though not generally willing to cross it, 
did so freely when a whistling engine was behind them, so that 
the statistics shewed, that the cattle run over, per train mile, was 
very much less on the badly fenced line. Most of the newer lines 
in India are unfenced. 
And now having enumerated the principal concessions to be 
made by the several interests concerned, it will be pointed out in 
what way cheapness of construction may be arrived at by thus 
lessening the obligations of the constructing engineer. It is 
necessary, in order to do this, to divide the contemplated lines 
roughly into two classes. Firstly, those which pass through as 
heavy country as that which it is possible to locate what may be 
called a light railway at all; for there are districts, and in New 
South Wales especially, through which no conceivable line is 
possible except with heavy earthworks, tunnels and viaducts. 
This class would therefore comprise lines through moderate un- 
