4 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



countries formerly considered to be inaccessible to the loco- 

 motive. It is true that more than sixty years ago a gradient 

 of 1 in 37-J- was worked by ordinary locomotives on the 

 Bromsgrove-Lickey Incline, between Birmingham and Ox- 

 ford, but that was exceptional. Soon, however, in the period 

 under review, it was recognised that railways must be 

 adapted to circumstances, and not limited to conventional 

 gradients or curves. Main lines in North and South America 

 have now many hundreds of miles of gradients of 1 in 25 and 

 1 in 20. What this means may be imagined when it is con- 

 sidered that it is not far from double the rate of ascent of the 

 heaviest of our New Zealand lines as worked with ordinary 

 locomotives. It is worthy of remark that we have, in some 

 of its phases, a renewal of the "battle of the gauges," which 

 in the early " forties " was being fought through many parlia- 

 mentary campaigns. And it is somewhat disquieting to find 

 that there are some among us who, ignoring the lessons of 

 the past, would calmly condemn a future generation to the 

 trouble and expense which a break of gauge forced on Britain 

 and America, a trouble which will loom more and more into 

 view as a disturbing factor in the railway policy of the Aus- 

 tralian Commonwealth. Locomotives have been practically 

 trebled in weight and power during the last fifty years. The 

 express speeds are somewhat, but not very much, higher — 

 that is, on the average. But we are promised within the 

 next two years or so the startling development of railway 

 speed up to 120 miles per hour. Some anticipate much more. 

 This is by the monorail system, which Mr. Behr has pushed 

 into prominence, and which is likely to be exploited on the his- 

 toric field, in railway history, of Liverpool and Manchester. 

 Such speeds can only be attained by carriages not liable to 

 derailment, and propelled by other than reciprocating ma- 

 chinery. It is possible that, for express passenger traffic and 

 under exceptional conditions, this system may come into use. 

 But I fear that several defects, such as shunting difficulties 

 and others, inherent in its design will prevent its adoption 

 otherwise. 



In marine engineering we see a most marvellous advance, 

 and it would take all the time at our disposal this night to 

 follow up, step by step, the steady march in the direction of 

 speed and reduction of fuel per unit of power. The double, 

 treble, and quadruple phases of compound engines, with pro- 

 portionately high initial steam-pressure and high piston-speed, 

 have worked results which in the early " fifties" would have 

 been declared impossible by nearly all the marine engineers 

 in Great Britain. I say nearly all. I might extend it to all 

 but one. In 1852 John Elder, the descendant of a race of 

 grand old Fifeshire mechanics, and the possessor of all that 



