The Railway Conquest of the WorldTalbot, Frederick Arthur Ambrose
History
The Railway Conquest of the World
Talbot, Frederick Arthur Ambrose
Railroad engineering -- History; Railroads -- History
On the northern side of the tunnel similar arrangements were laid down.
In this instance, however, the electricity, obtained by harnessing
two small waterfalls, had to operate wonderful electric drills which
were used at this end for boring into the rock--on the southern side
hydraulic and pneumatic drills were employed. The working face in the
tunnel was illuminated brilliantly by electric light, so that the
drillers laboured under conditions vastly dissimilar to those which
prevailed when the first Alpine tunnel was driven. As the top of the
tunnel was cut out the roof was shored up with heavy timbering, and
hard on the tracks of the excavators came the stonemasons, cutting,
trimming, and setting the masonry lining into position. The work was
so planned that the actual progress per day should be thirteen lineal
feet, and although at times the calculations were somewhat upset by
something unforeseen being encountered, yet, taken on the whole, the
average was well maintained. Commenced in June 1902, the mountain chain
was pierced and ready for the double line of rails by November 1905, so
that the work had been carried out very smartly indeed.
[Illustration: ONE OF THE HUGE LOOPS ON THE TAUERN RAILWAY
Showing heavy character of earth cutting and masonry work.]
Emerging from the tunnel, the line once more becomes a single track,
and issues into the Wurzner Save valley, the descent continuing until
Assling, the terminus of the Karawanken railway, is reached, this
point being 151 feet below the southern mouth of the tunnel. Here
a connection is formed with the next link in the chain, this being
the “Wochenier” section, which runs to the shores of the Adriatic at
Trieste.
But before the latter terminal is gained another mountain mass has
to be penetrated--the Julian Alps. It is a meandering line in very
truth, for the configuration of the country prevented more than short
pieces of straight track being sandwiched here and there between
sweeping curves, elaborate winds, stiff ascents and descents--in
fact, the longest piece of straight line is only of 6,600 feet in the
first 55 miles. In running from Assling to the seaboard 28 tunnels
are threaded, exclusive of the Wochenier, which is 4 miles long, 15
bridges and 30 viaducts are crossed, while the cuttings and embankments
are innumerable. The railway traverses some of the most romantic and
wildest scenery in the whole Alpine chain, especially as it approaches
the southernmost clump of these mountains.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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