The permanent way should be made a thoroughly sound job, as it will then cost but little for repairs. Particulars of what is recommended will be found in Sections III. and IV. I am no advocate of portable railways, which may be well enough for hand trains, or even for horse traction, but a locomotive requires a solid and clean road if it is to work to advantage.

It is often possible to carry a narrow gauge railway by the roadside or, as at Eaton, over pasture lands without the necessity of fencing the line in. Fences can be crossed as described in Sections III. and IV., so long as arable land is avoided. Where the route is not wholly the property of the projector of the railway, the requisite way-leave may frequently be leased by paying an annual acknowledgment of from 3d. to 6d. per yard run.

It now remains to show what traffic is required in order that a line of this description may repay the outlay upon it. This may best be effected by drawing a comparison between the cost of locomotive traction on rails and horse traction on roads. The cost of loading and unloading will not be included, as these are the same in both cases. (See also Section IV.)

Taking the minimum distance apart of two points, between which haulage may be supposed to be required, as one mile, the smallest and cheapest gauge as 15 in., and allowing 2,000 yds. to the mile so as to include the necessary sidings, the cost of the line will be as follows:—

2,000 yds. of 16 lbs. steel rails, cast-iron sleepers, ballast, and laying £650
Fence bridges, field crossings, fencing, and other structural works; but exclusive of river bridges, tunnels, or other costly requirements £200
Earthwork, if an approximately surface line ... say £250
One 4½ in. cylinder four-wheeled locomotive £400
12 wagons to hold 1 cube yd., at £12 each £144
Extras ... say £156
Cost of 1 mile of line, equipped complete £1,800

If laid with pitch pine sleepers a reduction of about £100 per mile would be effected, the cost of renewal being correspondingly increased.

The engine would be capable of hauling a gross load, exclusive of its own weight, of 12 tons up a gradient of 1 in 50, which may be taken as a fair ruling gradient for a surface line. This would be equal to an average paying load of about 8 tons; so that, supposing the engine to make one trip per hour, about 60 tons would be moved per day; although, with a double set of wagons and men, 100 tons would easily be handled.

If the engine worked two days a week, or say 100 days per annum, it would have hauled 6,000 tons one mile in the year. A less load hauled on the return journeys need not be taken into account, as this would make no difference in the comparison, such work being practically done without extra cost in both cases.

The cost of the line per annum would be as follows:—

Interest on £1,800 at 4 per cent. £72
Driver and boy, who would keep the rolling stock and line in order £100
Fuel, oil, stores, and sundries, at 5s. per day £25
Renewal of permanent way and rolling stock at 15 years life on £1,200 £80
Cost of moving 6,000 tons one mile £277