The Meigs Elevated Railway was an experimental steam-powered monorail invented by Josiah V. Meigs of Lowell, Massachusetts. He wrote an extensive explanation of how the railway worked, complete with diagrams and statistics, which was published in 1887. The weight of the train was carried on a 22 inch gauge track. The train was balanced by an additional set of horizontal wheels which operated against a second set of rails 42 inches above the load carrying rails.
After the FireThis photo shows the extensive fire damage to a Meigs Elevated train car. Men are seen inside the damaged car, possibly (lol) investigating the incident.
KD: As you can see, we do not really have much info, neither on the monorail, nor on its creator. Most importantly we do not have any evident Research & Development which could lead to the creation of this "experimental" train.
Obviously, I only have my observations of the train photographs, the lack of info on the designer, the totality of circumstances and no proof but... am I the only one who thinks that this train was not an experimental model? In my opinion, this could be a fully developed, and working model created by somebody unknown who belonged to the society we so desperately trying to figure out. In 1887 they considered re-using it, but for whatever reason it did not materialize.
Josiah Meigs
1840-1907
Josiah Vincent Meigs, 1840-1907, was an inventor, widely known for the Meigs Elevated Railway built in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the 1880s. Josiah Meigs was born and grew up in Tennessee, was an apprentice to his brother James, an engineer; and also served in the Union Army before moving to Massachusetts in 1866.
1840-1907
- Will appreciate any help finding more info on Mr. Meigs, for this is all I was able to find.
- The guy died in 1907. Where is his photograph?
- Joe Meigs built his elevated railway to demonstrate the benefits and capabilities of a monorail under widely varying circumstances. A 227-foot demonstration line was built in 1886 in East Cambridge, Massachusetts on land abutting Bridge Street, now Monsignor O'Brien Highway. Never expanded, it ran until 1894.
- The trial road, beginning at the shops of the company on Bridge Street (now Gore and Monsignor O'Brien Highway), East Cambridge, had one curve of 50 feet radius, 165 feet long, on a grade of 120 feet, and on level and curves has grades of 240 feet, 300 feet, and 345 feet. Everything has worked in the most satisfactory manner, the train rounding the exceedingly sharp curves easily, and mounting the steep grades without trouble.
- A fire, supposedly of an incendiary nature, broke out on the night of Feb. 4, 1887, and destroyed Meigs's car sheds along with the experimental coach and tender and severely damaged the locomotive.
- KD: This "supposedly incendiary in nature" fire happened in 1887, and destroyed the "experimental" coach. What did run on this 227 foot line until 1894?
- Meigs Elevated Railway - Tons of details in there
Opinions
Does this look like an experimental 1886 system? They even came up with window curtains to experiment with. Scroll up to the very first image showing experimental 227 feet, which look a bit longer than 227 feet to me. What part of those 227 feet is this segment below?
After the Fire
KD: As you can see, we do not really have much info, neither on the monorail, nor on its creator. Most importantly we do not have any evident Research & Development which could lead to the creation of this "experimental" train.
Obviously, I only have my observations of the train photographs, the lack of info on the designer, the totality of circumstances and no proof but... am I the only one who thinks that this train was not an experimental model? In my opinion, this could be a fully developed, and working model created by somebody unknown who belonged to the society we so desperately trying to figure out. In 1887 they considered re-using it, but for whatever reason it did not materialize.
Sources:
