SIMPLE TRACK RAILWAY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 322, 4 May 1877, Page 4

SIMPLE TRACK RAILWAY.

It appears that a short railway has already been constructed in Californa for *hm purpose of a " single track or prism oidal nrflway." A« this new system of rail-U-ay making has been fair'y tried and found to answer splendidly in the United St itei, some little description of it, and of the fcv'ult of the test to which it has been be interesting here. The railput* fc.T - fi,,i 3 hed in the United road whiuhhas b t . 0 forms part of States on new Eeil ' of theSonoma V alley PrjsmouUu lifers California, and'its construction w. from that of ordinary railways, in that it consists of but a single line of rails " laid " upon a prism of w.oocl built of bevelled beanls, 27 inches at the base, and 15 iaebea hijh. The car is supported by two wheels, ""with independent revolving Recently a trial trip was made oa the newly-construcied " shingle track railwayin Sonoma Valley, and a San Fumciseo journal describes in the followterme the satisfactory result of it: — " The party took their places on seats oh each side of the cars, the pas- • aeagers being faee to face. The first lm- ' preSiioß suggested was that which, ordinarily fills the bosom of the novice who Im ostdes effort to ride the untYitmi fcteyde. A certain assurance that Ui e -» wixAe ibinv wroald topple over at the ; jmiii mrnt was the general belief of i then Bat the engineer sounded. [ the wh the people &ave their tremuW ch 8 * • train m °ved off ■monfhTir -and soon the pace was considerably an la ® lfced - Wonderful to relate the OMiJlak ** sezxefy perceptible, and tlio ? nawfewe and cars rode tue rinrfe raif as firaai 5 r 38 the 4131113 on th ® broadest of Ee c^ racted woad-gauges. 'j. , the f°" u. ji° ..■» „ .ria jimmber and extent iecama +h & f ™ ®*' beautifully nrMug -the great iincml(. C 'iprismeidal rsystem, K leis the ■liOtar * s *~

pede. To those making their first trip on -the-new_railroad, the ease and comfort—of_ this mode o£ travelling suggested itself most strikingly. With regard to the cost of the " prismoidal railway," it is stated that the construction of. the three and a half miles already finished in the United States, cost only about 4500 dols. per mile, or about one half the cost of a narrow gauge railway through ordinarily difficult country ; and it is also to be noted that the one-rail system is specially adapted to mountainous country, where numerous grades and curves are necessary, and-where the cost of an ordinary raib oad would be enormous.