| Elements of a New Railroad | ||
| When new railroads were being considered for construction, the below listed elements were estimated by the engineer who had laid out the line(s) for consideration. His report aided the decision makers in choosing the route to build and established the anticipated cost of the new road. To better illustrate the cost of a new road, I will use the estimates by John T. Milner for the South & North Alabama RR, from Montevallo to Decatur, presented in 1859. (Other optional routes are not presented here.) | ||
|
Description |
Unit |
Cost |
| Grading, Masonry, Bridge | ||
| 121 miles Right of Way | Lump sum | $20,000 |
| Clear and Grub | mile | $300 |
| Solid Rock | Cubic Yard (CY) | $100 |
| Hard Pan | CY | $40 |
| Excavation to Embankment | CY | $12 1/2 |
| Embankment from Excavation | CY | $121/2 |
| Embankment Borrowed | CY | $20 |
| Arch Culvert Masonry | CY | $300 |
| Box Culvert Masonry | CY | $350 |
| Bridge Culvert Masonry | CY | $1,200 |
| Bridge Abutments | CY | $500 |
| Lattice Bridging | Linear Feet (LF) | $3,000 |
| Trestle Bridging | LF | $700 |
| Superstructure | ||
| Iron (60# per yard) | Ton | $65 |
| Cross Ties | Mile | $600 |
| Chairs, Spikes, Frogs, Castings | Mile | $500 |
| Laying Track (125 Miles) | Mile | $500 |
| Depots, Water Station | ||
| 2 Depot Buildings | Each | $10,000 |
| 10 Depot Buildings | Each | $1,250 |
| 2 Depot Buildings | Each | $2,500 |
| 15 Water Stations & Wood Sheds | Each | $200 |
| 12 Division Houses | Each | $500 |
| Repair & Division Tools | Lump Sum | $3,000 |
| Machine Shops & Engine Houses | Lump Sum | $75,000 |
| 8 Turn Tables | Each | $700 |
| Equipment | ||
| 18 Locomotives | Each | $8,500 |
| 10 Passenger Cars | Each | $2,500 |
| 225 Freight Cars | Each | $700 |
| 8 Baggage & Mail Cars | Each | $1,500 |
| Abstract of Cost | ||
| Grading, Masonry and Bridges | $1,264,430.75 | |
| Superstructure | $965,375.00 | |
| Depots & Water Stations | $129,600.00 | |
| Equipment | $347,500.00 | |
| Engineering & Agencies | $100,000.00 | |
| Total | $2,806,905.75 | |