318 Mr Anderson on the Bailways of Belgium. 



with about 69 tons, at a velocity from about 12 f to 15 J miles per 

 hour ; or, with an engine of a cylinder of 14 inches diameter, 

 about 108J tons can be taken up, at the rate of about 12f 

 miles per hour. 



On the inclination betwixt Louvain and Vertryck of 1 in 

 250, the following trains ascended with difficulty in unfavour- 

 able weather : — 



From these experiments it was concluded, that a locomotive 

 of a 14 inch cylinder, and coupled driving-wheels of 4^ feet 

 diameter, could ascend this incline with difficulty in ordinary 

 weather, with from 137f to 147i tons, but during times of 

 snow with only 69 tons ; and a locomotive of a 12 inch cylin- 

 der, with driving-wheels of 5 feet diameter, not coupled, could 

 ascend, in ordinary weather, with from 78j to 98j- tons, and 

 in times of snow with from 44 J to 49 tons. They ascend 

 this slope regularly, however, with trains of 73f and lOSj tons, 

 including the weight of the locomotives of 12 and 14 inch cy- 

 linders, about the rate of 15^, and from 12? to 15j miles per 

 hour. 



Considering the novelty of the system of communication, 

 comparatively few accidents have taken place in any part of 

 the country ; and these, in almost every case, have been through 

 the imprudence of the parties who suffered. None of the ac- 

 cidents, either, have been to any fearful extent, except the late 

 melancholy catastrophe on the Antwerp and Brussels line. 

 From the opening of the first of the lines, in May 1835, to the 

 1st of January 1843, in the coui-se of which time 14,431,524 

 passengers had travelled, and when, undoubtedly, from inex- 

 perience, danger might have been anticipated, only 44 persons 



