Philadelphia & Columbia ani Allegheny Portage
rail-roads. Report of the select committee
appointed on the 18th February last, to inquire into
and report a system of management of the Philadelphia
& Columbia, and Allegheny Portage rail-roads...
Harrisburg, Pa., 1833. p. 8".
»rp
REPORT
OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE APPOINTED ON THE ISxH
FEBRUARY LAST, TO INQUIRE INTO AND REPORT
A SYSTEM OF MANAGEMENT OT THE
Philadelphia and Coliimhia»
AND
AL,i.EGHENY POÎSTAI^E
RAlL-FiOABS.
Hf/ tllr. tfl'iJulloh.
READ IN IHE HOUSE OF RETRESENfATIVES^
MAuuii ¿5, 1833.
IlARillSBURG:
PlllNTKD BY HKNHY WELSH.
1833.
REPORT, &c.
The select committee, appointed on the 18th of February last
to inquire into and report a system for the management of the P1Ú-
ladelphia and Columliia, and Allegheny Portage rail-roads, &c.,
report:
That having given the subject the best consideration in their
power, and obtained such information from the canal commission¬
ers, and Mr. Moncure Robinson, an engineer of great experience
in rail-roads, and high professional talent and skill, as the limited
period for inquiry would admit, they have come to the following
conclusions, viz:
1st, That with a view to either the public interest or conve¬
nience,'or to the interests of the commonwealth, the preservation
of the roads, or the facilities of transportation upon them, it
would be highly inexpedient to make them public highways.
2d, That there ought to be but one mode of transportation en
the Philadelphia and Columbia road, and the committee are well
satisfied that the best, cheapest and speediest plan is by locomo¬
tive engines and cars. The committee would state, as an addi¬
tional inducement to the adoption of this plan now, that they are
informed by the canal commissioners that the road can be finished,
with a single view to transportation by locomotives, at an expense
of g85,000 less than for horse power.
3d, That it will be necessary to have the whole road and the
transportation on it under one system of regulations, and therefore
the whole must be managed by an officer or officers appointed by
the state, or
4th, That it should be leased to an individual or company for
a term of years, on such terms as to transportation, management,
repairs, &c. and for such rent or division of profits, or compensa¬
tion to the commonwealth, as may be deemed reasonable by the
canal commissioners and the Governor. The committee are clearly
of opinion that the last plan would be the best, if proper terms can
be had. It is probable that, for the few first years, it may be dif¬
ficult to estimate the product of the road, and therefore the com¬
mittee have limited the first lease to five years, at the expiration
of which time the Pennsylvania canals will be in operation, and
the course of trade settled, so that the amount fairly demandable
for the use of the roads could be more justly ascertained. At that
period, it is probable, that leasing the roads for longer terms will
be found most advantageous. In support of their opinion on this
subject the committee would remark, that on this plan it would be
3
unnecessary for the commonwealth to become the purchaser and
owner of a large number of locomotive engines, cars, and their
appurtenances, at a very large expense; and that also for the com¬
monwealth to become a common carrier, and employ the necessary
officers and agents to conduct the concern, the committee think
would be unwise and probably very unprofitable. It will however
be proper that the commonwealth should erect and own all the
buildings and permanent establishments, such as warehouses,
stations, 4"c. which may be necessary at the terminations or along
the lines of the roads.
The committee beg leave to report a bill making provision for
carrying into efiect the foregoing suggestions. In regard to the
Allegheny Portage rail-road, it is supposed that locomotives may
be most advantageously used on the long levels, but that on the
short ones horse power may be most expedient, and therefore in
the bill discretionary power is given to the canal commissioners on
that road.
The subject, referred to the committee, was considered with
great care and much attention by their estimable chairman, ('Mr.
Keating, j who had undertaken to make a detailed report of all the
facts, and information received by the committee, which operated
to produce the results at which they arrived, but his indisposition,
which they all sincerely regret, has disappointed their expectations
and wishes, and rendered it necessary that a report should he
made, altho' very limited and impeifcct, and tliaC tlie measure,
deemed very essential to the interests of the commonwealth, should
be adopted without delay.
The committee submit with this report the communication re¬
ceived from Mr. M. Robinson, on the subject referred to them,
which will supply most of the facts and reasoning on which .their
conclusions are founded.
William II. Keating, Esq.
Chairman of the Select Committee.
SIR—I have received your letter of yesterday, and with pleal-
sure present the following reply to the questions proposed by the
committee.
The first inquiry is, "on roads of the length and undulating
character of the Philadelphia and Columbia rail road, or connect¬
ing two lines of canal like the Allegheny Portage rail road, what
are the relative advantages of transpurtation by horse power, or
by locomotive engines?"
When the profile ot a rail road is undulating, unless its grades,
or ascents and descents are very short, the uselul efiect of a horse
is inalerially impaired. In other words, although in descents the
lorce exerted by him may he but trifling, he cannot in consequence
draw a propoi tionably large load on ascents. With locomotive
power, the diminution in uselul effect is by no means in a corres
ponding ratio, and provided the graduation oí a rail road ha not
4
at anj point too steep to admit of an engine urging on its load by
the adhesion of its wheels, a large proportion of what would be
its useful effect on a level may be had. The engine on ascents
travelling at a slower rate under an increased stress; on levels or
on descents exerting any disposable force in attaining a higher
speed.
When a line of rail road is not only undulating, but a long one,
the superiority of locomotive power becomes more decided. The
loss of time and waste of steam in starting and stopping, becomes
relatively of less moment, and the saving in time by the superior
velocity which locomotives enable us to attain, becomes more
important. In the case of the Columbia and Philadelphia rail
road, for example, four days would probably be required, with
horse power, for the transportation of merchandise and produce
between Columbia and Philadelphia. With locomotive power, the
trips may be made with entire ease and safety, in six hours, inclu¬
ding stoppages. Supposing the cost of transportation to be the
same with either power, a large accommodation would be afforded
to the public, in the greatly increased speed of transportation.
Persons coming to Columbia with their produce, would have it in
their power to travel with it to Philadelphia and to attend per¬
sonally to its disposition, without any sacrifice of time; and to the
community generally facilities, in intercourse and travel, and in
the transportation of the mail, would be afforded, which can scarce¬
ly be appreciated until they have been realixed.
There is no peculiar reason for using locomotive power on rail
roads connecting lines of canal, except that the trade on such
lines is, from many causes, more irregular and uncertain than on
continuous rail roads, and that the use of locomotive power so far
as the profile of the rail road may justify its introduction, ena¬
bles us to provide an extra power to meet any exigencies of the
trade; without incurring any farther expense, when the engines
may be unemployed, than the interest on their cost.
The next inquiry of the committee is, •• would it, in your opin¬
ion, be practicable, by a rigid enforcement of by-laws and regu¬
lations, to make either of those roads, (connected, as they are,
with the lines of canals) valuable as a public highway to the
state, and to the districts of country which they are intended to
accommodate."
In reply, I would observe, that I do not think it can often
be advisable to make any rail road, however short, a public high¬
way; because a company possessing an exclusive privilege of
transportation, and bound to transport whatever may be ottered
it, may accommodate any given amount of trade, with a smaller
disbursement for power, whether that power be locomotives or
horses, anda smaller investment in cars and carriages, than would
be required to ensure the same amount of accommodation to the
public, if transportation be effected by common carriers or indivi¬
duals. A few considerations will suffice to make this apparent.
5
Suppose the business of transportation placed in the hands of a
companj, the whole amount of trade on a rail-road ascertained, and
the maximum transportation, required in a given period, known. A
sufficient amount of power, and an adequate number of cars and
carriages may be procured, and no more. The necessary shops
being erected, aud skilful workmen provided for repairs, these
last are effected economically, promptly and properly. Presu¬
ming the capital invested to be diminished, and the power era-
ployed, the number of persons occupied, and the expenditure in¬
curred for repairs to be lessened, the cost of transportation may
obviously be reduced; and a company, although bound to transport,
without the least delay, every thing which may be offered it on a
rail-road, may afford to do so at a lower rate than individuals pos¬
sibly can.
If, however, locomotive power be looked to on the Philadelphia
and Columbia rail-road, (and the reasons in its favor appear, from
what has been said, to be decisive) it seems to follow, necessarily,
that the rail-road cannot be a public highway. Setting aside the
difficulties, and, I might add, the impracticability ol adopting such
a police, and enforcing such by-laws and regulations as would in
that case be necessary—other considerations lead to the conclusion
that, even were it practicable, there would be no advantage in
transportation by locomotives on a public highway.
To make use of locomitives on a line of rail road, it is necessa¬
ry that an adequate number of engines should be provided, to
guard against danger of delay from accidents or other causes; that
warehouses, depots, engine sheds, and water stations should be
erected; that there should be shops with competent workmen, at
different points on the line of rail road, to effect repairs without
delay, and to keep the engines, cars, and other vehicles used on
it in the most perfect order. It is evident that no individual
would be willing to make the permanent disbursements necessa¬
ry to effect transportation advantageously with this description of
of a power, on a rail road entirely open; that if attempted at all,
it would necessarily be also a charge to the producer or owner,
which would not be necessary under such a system as would af¬
ford to an individual or a company, a guarantee of a regular and
permanent business, correspondent to the outlay which would be
necessary to accommodate it effectually.
Different, but not less forcible reasons, make it, in my opinion,
very unadvisable to leave it to private competition to provide the
means of transportation on the Allegheny Portage. These reasons
are given in some detail in a report which I had the honor to make
to the board of canal commissioners in December, 1829, and to
which I beg leave to refer the committee. It is true, that on the
portage, the same advantage can scarcely be expecteil from the use
of locomotive power, as on the Philadelphia and Columbia rail¬
road; but on the other hand, if the views taken in that report be
correct, a large diminution may be made in the amount of station-
6
arj and locomotive power, and in the number of horses, wliich
would be requisite, and an accommodation be given to an irregular
trade, which could not be effected by leaving it open to the prin¬
ciple ot private competition.
A view was taken in the report referred to, which it may be
proper to express in more detail, this is, "that should transporta¬
tion on the proposed rail-roads be effected by agents or responsible
lessees of the commonwealth, the objections which have been
made to the Pennsylvania line of communication as presenting in
its portage dangers of delay and uncertainty, may be in a great
measure avoided."
Should the rail-roads in question be public highways, it is not
believed that any competition would insure an adequate amount
of power, and a sufficient number of cars for transportation to
avoid delay during those seasons of the year when the trade on the
canals would be most active; and if it were otherwise, as there
could be no obligation on any particular carrier to transport what
might be offered him, it would be necessary for an owner sending
produce or merchandize by the canal, to accompany it or to en¬
gage the services of an agent on whom he could depend, at the
point of transhipment, to lorward it. It would be otherwise under
either ot the arrangements which have been suggested; it would
be only necessary in either case to consign it to the care of the
transporting agent at Columbia, or at either of the points of ter¬
mination of the Allegheny Portage,, as the.case might be, and the
articles consigned would, as a matter of course, be forwarded
without delay or risk, to the proper address.
The perfect facility and certainty which may be given to the
largest business under the arrangement proposed, may be judged
of from the accommodation affbrded by the Manchester and Liver¬
pool rail-road. On that rail-road a trade and travel, so far unex¬
ampled, and certainly beyond what may be anticipated for many
years on any line of rail road in this country, are accommodated
daily without the least delay, interruption or embarrassment, on
two tracks of rails, and the line (to use the expression of the board
of directors,) appears ordinarily "almost a desert." Indeed, un¬
der proper regulations, there appears to be no limit to the business
which a double track of rail-road, under proper regulations, can
accommodate, in this respect the most capacious canal cannot
compare with it, because the capability of this last is necessarily
limited by the number of boats vrhich can be passed through its
lock of greatest lift in a given time. It is not however hazarding
too much to say, that, with trade very inconsiderable in comparison
with the present trade oí the Manchester and Liverpool rail-road,
the mcst serious embarrassments might be anticipated on a rail¬
road, 00 which transportation should be effected by individuals.
The third inquiry of the committee is "would you recommend
that the commonwealth by its officers should become the trans¬
porter, or tliat the improvements should be leased lor a term of
7
years to a company that should be bound to transport at certain
specified rates of toll and transportation?
I should think the latter plan the more advisable. I can enter¬
tain no doubt that, after a very short period,an estimate, sufficiently
accurate of the amount of trade on each of the two rail-roads,
might be made, to admit of an arrangement between the common¬
wealth and a transporting company, which would be fair and
equitable; and if certain rates of toll and transportation were
fixed on by the proper authority, that proposals would be made
by a sufficient number of responsible individuals, or associations,
for the privilege of transportation, to insure a fair compensation
to the commonwealth for the use of its rail-roads, and the most
complete accommodation to the public. It would be desirable
that as much time as possible should be afforded to responsible
individuals or associations, who might be disposed to submit pro¬
posals, to make the necessary inquiry and investigations, and to
enable the agents of the commonwealth to act advisedly in any
arrangement which might be entered into. No delay in the use
of the rail-roads, as soon as any considerable portion of either of
them was in readiness, need result from this cause. The officers
of tire commonwealth might proceed to procure the necessary lo¬
comotive engines, cars, and carriages, and to make all other ar¬
rangements, in the same manner as if the commonwealth were to
be the transporter. If an arrangement was made with a trans¬
porting company, the engines and care, if of suitable construction,
would be received of the commonwealth without loss. If no
disposition was made of the rail-roads, the agents of the common¬
wealth would then be prepared to effect the transportation of
passengers and merchandize, at the earliest moment after the
roads, or any productive portions of them, were in readiness.
The fourth inquiry of the committee is: In the event of a lease
to a transporting company, "what would be necessary on the part
of the commonwealth beyond the completion of the rail-roads,
and what precautions should be taken to insure their preserva¬
tion?"
This inquiry has been in part answered in what has already been
said. In order to accommodate the trade on two important lines
of rail-road, constructed by the commonwealth, extensive ware¬
houses would be necessary at the points of termination of the
Philadelphia and Columbia, and Allegheny portage rail-roads,
and probably others of smaller size at many points on the line of
the former. Workshops, for the purpose of repairing both engines
and cars; and water stations and engine sheds, would be necessary
on each line. An adequate provision in these respects might be
made by the commonwealth in the first instance, with a view
to more extensive arrangements as the trade might require them.
In order to insure the preservation of the rail-roads, it might be
made the duty of the transporting company on each road to keep
the tine of rail-road in good order, with permission to make sucli
s
extensions, in tlie'way of turn-outs, turning jjlatforms, warehouses,
and repairing shops, as experience might shew to be necessary.
Or an officer of the commonwealth might be kept on each rail¬
road, for the purpose of making such repairs and extensions.
In the former case a company would, of course, expect any
necessary disbursements for repairs of the rail-road, or extensions,
to be an oBset in the payment of its annual dues. It would there¬
fore be proper for the commonwealth to guard against unnecessary
or injudicious expenditure, by providing that no claim for repairs
or extensions should be paid, unless the expenditure were made on
the authority of some engineer of standing, and except on his
certificate that the same had been judiciously made; or the dis¬
bursements made by a company might be submitted annually to
such an engineer, and subjected to any deductions which he might
deem reasonable.
I believe sir that I have now replied to the different queries of
the committee. I fear I may not isave explained my views as
clearly as 1 would have wished; I must plead, as my apology for
the hasty manner in which they are presented, the necessity of
leaving Harrisburg to morrow morning, and the little time conse¬
quently at my disposal. Such as they are, they are with great
pleasure submitted, and I shall be gratified if they should prove
of use to the committee in the investigation they are making.
I have the honor to be,
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
M. ROBINSON.
fiarrisburg, February 21st, 1833.