346 



Account of a Railroad, 



[Oct. 



X. — Account of a Railroad laid down in the Vaddavaur District. — ■ 



By 



As the subject of railroads appears to be at present, not altogether 

 devoid of interest, I do myself the pleasure of forwarding you an ac- 

 count of a temporary roadway of this description laid down as a means 

 of facilitating and expediting the transport of material pertaining to 

 the Vaddavaur annicut, lately under course of construction across the 

 river Colleroon. 



A statement of the benefits or disadvantages which may have been 

 derived from this mode of transport, together with a few observations, 

 as to the expediency of employing such, as a general means of carri- 

 age, in the execution of all works of considerable extent throughout the 

 country, may also perhaps not prove unacceptable. As these remarks, 

 however, have been but hurriedly put together, it is hoped that their 

 incomplete nature will be excused. 



In the work in question a railway was not employed as a means of 

 transit throughout its whole extent : in this paper, however, the results 

 which accrued from the tract actually laid down, as well as what would 

 have been produced, had a railroad been the only mode of transport, 

 w ill be taken into consideration. 



The total extent of rail actually laid, was four hundred and twenty- 

 six yards, of this, two hundred and fifty were composed of cast iron, the 

 remainder was made up of pieces of common bar-iron, varying in 

 breadth from two to three and three quarter inches. The method adopt- 

 ed in placing these was their fixture in grooves, cut in portions of 

 palmyrah trees, each portion forming a support for two rails. These 

 supports, with the view of securing a stable foundation, were slightly 

 bedded in the ground ; the distance of one from the other was such as 

 to admit of the extremity of each rail possessing a firm resting place. 

 These extremities it was found unnecessary to join, so far as regarded the 

 cast iron rail, as their weight and shortness secured a common level. 

 With respect to the bar-iron, however, some mode of connection was 

 requisite, as the length of the bar, and its comparative lightness, caused 

 it to rise unequally on the application of heavy weights — the jointure 

 was effected by a simple bolt. This method of laying down the road 

 was found to answer well in every respect ; a result the more satisfac- 

 tory as entailing but a small portion of expenditure. The cost of one 

 palmyrah tree may be reckoned at half a rupee, and this furnished 

 supports for twenty-five feet of railway. This rate of payment will of 

 course vary in different parts of the country, but it can never be very 

 great. 



