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Show JAPAX'S KAII7WAY GAUGE MAY HE CHANGE!) When tho railways of Jnpan worn first planned, tho narrow gaugo of 3 ft. CIn, wns selected for thorn, becauso be-causo It was cheapest to build nnd equip nnd was thought host suited to tho country's narrow hlcuwnys and steep grado3. Now tho C00O miles of Jnpnneso railways, all of narrow nar-row gaugo, nro found to bo sadly bo-hind bo-hind tho times, nnd a movomont is on foot to robulld them to standard gaugo, although tho coat Is cstimat- ed at nearly $450,000,000. At present pres-ent tho trntns are slow, tho fastest expresses mako less thon 30 miles an hour, tho coaches are low and narrow, nar-row, and the sleeping cars aro cramped and Inconvenient; whllo most of tho railway Inventions of other nations cannot bo used becauso of the differenco in track gaugo and slzo of cars. Tho director of tho Imperial Im-perial railways favors the change, In spite of tho cost, 'nnd estimates that tho main Toknido line could bo converted con-verted to broad gauge ln twelve years nnd the other lines on tho main Island Isl-and of Japan within 25 years. From tho March Popular Mechanics Magazine. |