Mr Anderson on the Eailivays of Belgium. 307 



ton of rails, which could be fui-nished at Malines, for in- 

 stance, in 1834, for L.14 : 12 : 6, rose to L.15 : 4 : 6 and 

 L.18 : 1 : 6, and descended again to L.17, Is., L.13, 16s., and 

 came even so low, in 1840, as L.IO : : 6, but rose again the 

 same year to L.ll : 3 : 6. Those, however, produced in 1840 

 were much inferior to the rails first manufactured in the coun- 

 try. Until 1838, chairs, keys, and spikes, were furnished with 

 the rails ; but since that time the contractors have bargained 

 to supply them separately. The ton of chairs, in 1834, was 

 supplied at L.IO, 7s., but rose the year following to L.IO, 15s., 

 and, in 1836, to L.12, 16s., L.13, 4s., and L.14, 4s. ; and, in 

 general, fluctuated with the price of rails. Keys and spikes, 

 in 1834, cost L.22, 7s. per ton, and rose the following year to 

 L.24 : 3 : 6, L.24 : 11 : 6. In 1836-37, they varied from L.28, 

 9s. to L.30, Is. ; and, in 1838, came down, after many fluctu- 

 ations, to L.24 : 7 : 6 and L.23 : 19 : 6. In short, the cost, in 

 general, likewise varied in proportion with the rails and chairs. 

 These articles were chiefly furnished by Cockerill of Seraing, 

 Gordons & Co. of Cardifi^, Dupont of Fayt, Henrard of Couillet, 

 Lamarche of Ougree, De Dorlodot of Acoz, Marcellis of Liege, 

 Goff'art of Monceaux, Delloye of Houyoux, Michiels of 

 Ougi-ee, Lentz De Tiennes of Coron-Meuse, Destombes of 

 Hourpes, and Gendebien of Chatelineau. 



Kotwithstanding the number and extent of the difi'erent 

 lines, there are few works of art of any magnitude, or places 

 of any great engineering difficulty, except upon the line pro- 

 ceeding from Ans to the Prussian frontiers, where the railway 

 descends the valley of the Meuse to Liege, and remounts the 

 valley of the Vesdre to Yerviers. However, it may not be un- 

 interesting to glance at the most important undertakings. 



Proceeding from Antwerp to Brussels, the only work of 

 art of any importance on the line is the Bridge of Duff'el, over 

 the river Nethe, which is 2625 feet in length, and 22-9 feet 

 in breadth. It consists of five elliptical arches of 19-7 feet of 

 span each, one of which is made of cast-iron, and is used as a 

 draw-bridge for the free navigation of the river. The railway 

 also, in its course to Brussels, passes over three bridges on the 

 river Senne, two of which are placed at Senipst and Eppeg- 

 hem, of two arches of 205 feet of span each, and one at Laeken, 



