Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers Volume 7 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1878 Excerpt: ...including the iron rails for the western side of the main line, was carried over; and much freight, especially coffee, and many passengers were daily transported upon it; and no accident ever occurred. The locomotives w: ere built by Baldwin A-Co., of Philadelphia. They were Moguls, and weighed 42 tons each. They tinned the curves easily, and usually took over a baggage car, an eight-wheeled American passenger car, and four or five large four-wheeled freight cars. They were limited to a slow rate of running, about five to six miles an hour; though they could have run somewhat faster, had it been desirable; but absolute safety was deemed an essential element in the management of a great and novel work among a people who were yet unaccustomed to railroads; many of whom persisted in declaring that they "would never ride under the Sierra through the Big Tunnel " It may as well be stated that although a chartered company intervened between the contractors who were building the railway and the Government of Brazil, the government itself was the real party. The government guaranty of seven per cent, per annum interest, made the stock worth several per cent, above the par of gold in the British market, and it was well understood that on the completion of the railway the government would take possession and run it, which it did. The Emperor, "Dom Pedro Segunda," whose name the railway bears, was not ene of that class who entertained any apprehension abont riding through the Big Tunnel; although at that period he had not visited Europe. Recently the people of the United States and of the principal countries of Europe have had opportunities of seeing what manner of man the Emperor of Brazil is--intelligent and studious, vet full of energy and life, ...