Mr Andei'son on the Bailways of Belgium. 317 



After the first bell has rung, the passengers are allowed to 

 proceed from the station to their seats ; and, shortly after the 

 second, the guard, at one end of the train, sounds a bugle, 

 which, if answered by the other, announces that all is right, 

 and the train proceeds. 



The gradients, it will be observed, from what has been said 

 about the rate of travelling, affect the speed of the trains very 

 materially. The greatest gradient, with the exception of that 

 betwixt Ans and Liege, is 1 in 71 on the branch from Louvain 

 to the canal. A locomotive, of a Vl\ inch cylinder, and driv- 

 ing wheels of h\ feet diameter, can ascend this slope with a 

 train of three loaded and three empty waggons, of a total 

 weight of about 44|- tons ; but a locomotive of a 14 inch 

 cylinder, with coupled driving wheels of 4^ feet, can ascend 

 it with six loaded and three empty waggons, of a total weight 

 of about 69 tons, the rate of travelling in both of these cases 

 being three miles per hour. From a curve in several parts of 

 this line, however, of 3-73 chains of radius, it is thought to be 

 more convenient to work it with horses. A strong horse 

 upon this incline can draw a waggon of about 6 tons weight, 

 at the rate of 2 J miles per hour. 



On the inclination betwixt Tubise and Braine-le-Comte of 

 1 in 200, two trains, of 16 and 17 carriages each, with a total 

 weight of 88| to 98j tons, and a locomotive of a 12 J inch cy- 

 linder, and driving wheels of 5 J feet diameter, were unable to 

 proceed in unfavourable weather. At another time, equally 

 unfavourable, an engine of the same size took up two trains of 

 13 and 11 carriages each, with a total weight of about 88| and 

 78f tons, with great difficulty. On the inclination betwixt 

 Jurbise and Soignies of 1 in 250, two trains, of 12 and 13 

 carriages each, with from 78j to 88|^ tons, and an engine of 

 the same dimensions, could not ascend. A third, however, 

 with 13 carriages of 88 J- tons, succeeded in mounting the slope. 



From these observations it was concluded, that the greatest 

 weight with which an engine of a 12j inch cylinder, and 

 driving wheels of 5^ feet diameter, can ascend either of these 

 inclinations, is from 88 J to 98 i tons in ordinary weather, but 

 otherwise with only from 73j to 78j tons. With the same size 

 of cylinder, however, either of these inclines can be ascended 



