308 Mr Anderson on (he Railways of Belgium. 



of one arch of 39"4 feet of span. The expense of constructing 

 this line ought to have been comparatively little, but, from in- 

 experience or oversight, the section from Brussels to Ma- 

 lines was made upon so low a level that it was often overflown 

 by the Senne, which greatly damaged, and sometimes even 

 perfectly obstructed, the railway. The rails, moreover, were 

 too weak, and the sleepers made from white aaid pine wood. 

 From these circumstances, it became necessary to raise the 

 railway at least upwards of a foot and a half, and protect the 

 banks, and form viaducts through which the waters could flow. 

 The old rails were nearly all thrown aside, and others of 

 greater strength laid down, and the sleepers subjected to M. 

 Boucherie's process for the preservation of wood. Indeed, 

 every means were taken to remedy the evils, but not without 

 incurring great expense. 



Between Brussels and Quievrain the construction of the 

 railway becomes more difiicult, from the uneven nature of the 

 country through which it passes. The ground also on several 

 sections consists of peat, and bogs are not uncommon in this 

 quarter of the country. On this account it has been necessary 

 to build a greater part of the bridges on piles, and raise the 

 railway in some places 13 feet. The works of art on the line 

 are numerous, but none of them are of any great importance. 

 The most important undertaking is the tunnel of Braine-le- 

 Comte, which is 16'4 feet of span, and 25-7 chains in length. 

 The bridges, with but one exception, consist of a single arch, 

 and the largest is about 39'4 feet of span. 



The same difiiculties which occurred on the line from Brus- 

 sels to Quievrain also presented themselves on the line from 

 Braine-le-Comte to Namur, but the works are of more impor- 

 tance. At Godarville there is a tunnel of 27"3 chains in length, 

 and upon the river Sambre alone 14 bridges, 13 of which are 

 of a uniform model of 3 arches, of an elliptical curve, of about 

 33 feet of span each. There is also in the valley of Sennette a 

 viaduct of 9 arches ot" 29 '5 feet of span each, and three bridges 

 upon the canal of Charleroy, besides four upon the Pieton, and 

 one upon the water of Heure. The bridges which cross the 

 railway are of a span of 29-5 feet, and of a height just sufficient 

 to allow the locomotives to pass under them. 



