LIGHT RAILWAYS FOR NEW SOUTH WALES. 239 
necessary to adopt five chain curves, and grades of one in twenty, 
for the sake of economy. In very steep parts a central rack rail 
might be laid and worked by a locomotive on the adhesion and 
pinion principle, as had been successfully tried in Germany and 
South America, where they had grades of one in twelve and a 
half. For the sake of economy, steep grades and sharp curves 
were necessary in very rough country, and in such places the 
standard gauge had greater capabilities than the narrow, because 
apart from grades and curves, the narrowness still further re- 
stricted the train loads. 
Mr. J. Trevor JONES said that the author had been careful 
to give separate consideration to the two heads into which the 
subject divided itself, viz., light lines on a narrow gauge, and 
those on existing gauges. Mr. Higinbotham, who was Engineer- 
in-Chief in Victoria in 1872, unequivocally advocated the retention 
of the five feet three inches gauge, though favourable to the adop- 
tion of light lines, and the whole Department supported his views; 
though there was a general understanding that in isolated country, 
with very steep and tortuous tracks, the narrow gauge might be 
found suitable. The lines, however, then under consideration 
were in no way such as to call for that treatment, being the 
Ballarat and Ararat line over undulating country. The then 
Minister, however, attributed the objections of officials to a re- 
pugnance to leaving beaten tracks, and directed that plans be 
prepared on the three feet six inches gauge. He afterwards 
relented so far as to order that alternative plans, with estimates, 
should be prepared, believing that the results would show a great 
economy of the narrower gauge over the broader. In this he was 
disappointed, and indeed the result rather surprised the Depart- 
ment, as the saving amounted to only about five per cent. There 
was considerable discussion among the public and the press as to 
whether this estimate was not in some way misleading, and the 
arguments which carried most weight in favour of the Department 
were somewhat as follows:—Assuming that rails of the same 
weight were used, no saving could be made by adopting the 
