A CHEAP RAILWAY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 178, 27 August 1878, Page 4

A CHEAP RAILWAY.

Mr T. L, Haddan, on eminent English engineer, who was for 6orr.e years chisf engineer to the Ottoman Government, has designed a new form of railway which lie claims to be specially adapted to the requirements of thinly populate.! countries, and as the railway can bo construct! a at remarkably low | rate, it ia peculiarly suitable for ooon- | in;> up undeveloped country. A Homo ! paper furnishes iba following deflorip- ' tion of Mr H.-!d,Wa plnn\ — The ! wooden construction of this railway is simple and ingfniou=?. Instead of requiring fbo ground to bo elaborately prepare.} for the rails, and gradients carefully adjusted, ifc may ba made almost anywhere, uud invokes little outlay. The* eurrin-jes ami engines nre in shapo urn- h !iko a couple of panniers, nntl (ho railway on which thr-y run answers to the donkey'^ back, h beint? a slntflo wcolen rail slon^ tin elevated Borrow pip. (form which may ba stipported on trends or merely en poles euuk v?t II in (ho ground, as desired. In addition io fhia eenire mil, on ■which tha ei>rn«£fs aro hun£, and where t!;o friction if tho running wheels is, thcra h a lower eida rail which juts out on either side, so as to catch a wheel winning on each side of tbo carria^fS below. This lowsr rail, answering to the sides of tho donkey or packhorse, serves to steady the train, and also supply c means of applying i the trccsive gripping power whereby tho trsin cm bo pulled up very Bteep inclines. Tho moJe of construction j necessarily causes all the carriages and j tho engine to ba divided into two equal hakes, and thus cuts down the stowage room, but enough saerca to be left to fifFoid ample accommodation for passengera where they are not likely to be numerous, and (o afford room for a great deal of comparatively heavy trafficWhen erected, this railway presents the appstrance of a strong fonce, it being about six feet above the ground, ami this form of construction makes it an eaay matter to {»et over difficulties in the coufi^urajioa cf the couutry. Where advUmblp, (ha top rail is laid on poßts stuek in thy ground, and should these not be. provable, or should thu soil prc-s-Rt ob t tieieß to th-ir being securely rooted, iho» «res?e!d nviy be usef, or :s dwarf wall 2ft 6io high* may be built of soiiJ masonry. For crossing streams these espetiiepfg are essentially the same, only ihe posts are longer. The nd<-s of a inous{ni:i toay b(3 cro33fd by this r.silwiy with ee?e. and its hi senior claims for H thesa various aivetHa^L-e. in other respects :■ — KapidiJy and low cost of cocsiruciion. Employ n;esf of rnaikeiable materials only, earthwsjiks buing entirely dispensed with ; capacity therefore- of con?truc.!it:g a railway at a fixed factory, »ud ut making it instantly JraiiEport itself. Low working expenses. Poi lability, it be-in? easy to remove the whole nppat'nius from one locality to at;o:her ; hence, n |go, i(s value in aiding the construction of a solid railway of the ordinary kind, and its subsequent transfer into branches for fosdin^ the same. If constructed of wood the railway is estimated to cost £1000 per mile, including roliing.BtocL Where iron is employed instead of wood, the cost ia put down at from £1300 to £1500 per mile. .Ia the conetrucitoD of the line, earthworks are almost euiirely dispensed with, eveo over the most mountainous country. The inventor read a puper on his system before the Royal United Service Institution, Sir Garnet Wolesley presiding. During tbo discussion which followed ilie reading of the paper, the chairman is reported to have said <hat if England had to go to war and to operate inland in a country where thero were no roads, it would be of the greatest importance to have a line from the base to the scene of operations, and Mr Haddan's proposals gave a system which would meet the requirements of an army in that position. A railway that would meet the requirements of on army of 30,000 or 40,000 men, where every articl§ haa to be transported, would be admirably adapted for many districts in New Zealand. According to Mr Haddan's estimate, lines of railway constructed on his plan would bo exceedingly cheap in working. Should the new design prove practicable, it will be a great boon to the people of new countries. At any rate, the subject ia well worth the attention of tbo authorities in tbia part of the world.