an m4 
64 C. O. BURGE. 
by the closer surfacing in the rougher country, cannot be much 
lightened from the present types. The difference between the 
dimensions of an ordinary small timber bridge to carry a heavy, 
and a light engine, could only apply to the beams, and not to the 
generally more expensive substructure, and is so trifling as to be 
practically out of consideration, and in masonry culverts the same 
may be said. Very large bridges are not in question, as they 
would not be encountered in any line contemplated in this paper 
as a light railway. 
The lightening of permanent way should chiefly take the form 
of diminishing the number of the sleepers, and certainly not their 
size or quality. As regards their size, among other items which 
go to make up the cost of a sleeper there are :—l. Choice ofa 
suitable tree to cut down. 2. Hewing into shape. 3. Clearing 
and making tracks to get the sleeper from the forest to the line. 
4. Handling, possibly two or three times, unloading, and laying in 
the road. Nowa great deal of the cost of these are, within limits, 
entirely independent of the size of the sleeper, and if the bearing 
surface of the road can be diminished it is certainly more economical 
to do so by reducing the number, than the size of the sleepers, 
assuming that the safe limit of rail span is not exceeded. 
There are strong economical reasons why quality should be 
maintained. Some people argue that sleepers cut down at random 
from the neighbouring bush, would be so much cheaper in cost 
that this would over-balance the extra cost of the more frequent 
renewals, but thisis not so. An ordinary bush half round sleeper 
would certainly cost half as much as the first-class iron bark one 
which is in use at present, and would not last half the time, so 
that, when the labour of renewal is added, the financial result of 
the supply of the so called cheap sleeper would be eventual loss. 
This has been amply proved by the ascertained life of inferior 
sleepers on the Mudgee, and on the Great Northern Line, north of 
Tamworth, which have had to be taken up after ten years, the first 
class ironbark ordinarily lasting twenty-two to twenty-five years ; 
moreover, the fastenings would not hold so well, and, independently 
