324 Mr David Stevenson's Observatioiis on the 



responding j^a^/«er in the rail, obviate any tendency it may 

 have to rise from its seat. Fig. 2 is a plan of the chair in which 

 the rail is not shewn. Fig. 3 is an end view, in which a repre- 

 sents the chair, e the spike for fixing it to the treenail, h the tree- 

 nail itself, and d part of the stone block. The sleepers are of 

 oak or larch, and contain about 1^ cubic foot of timber ; they 

 measure from 9 to 10 feet in length, and being laid across the 

 road, each sleeper gives support to both rails. When sleepers 

 are used, a seat is cut in them for the chair, which is simply 

 spiked down to them. A piece of cloth ov fell dipped in pitch 

 is generally interposed between the chair and the stone blocks 

 to make the seat more solid. The blocks occasionally split when 

 the treenails are not driven home with care, but the sleepers are 

 most frequently in want of repair and renewal. 



The repair and keeping of the way was this year (1834) let 

 by contract for L. 6000, being at the rate of L. 200 per mile. 

 The contractor furnishes labour, chairs, keys, and spikes, while 

 the Railway Company furnish rails, blocks, and sleepers. They 

 calculate upon having to renew one chair per mile per day, 

 and L. 120 per annum is taken as the outlay for keys and 

 spikes. The workmen employed in repairing the rails, and 

 keeping the road in order, are called plate-layers^ and the tear 

 and wear is so great, that there is constant employment found 

 for three men on every mile of the railway. The ballasting; 

 in which the blocks and .sleepers are embedded, consists of sand 

 and broken stone, and forms a stratum of two feet in thickness. 



The Railway Company have had thii ty-two locomotive car- 

 riages made, five or six of which are now out of use, and many 

 of those at present on the road have been almost totally renewed. 

 These carriages are ail numbered and named. No. 1 is called 

 the " Rocket." This engine was made by Messrs Stephenson the 

 engineers, and is that which did them so much honour in carry- 

 ing off the prize of L. 500, given by the Directors of the Liver- 

 pool and Manchester Railway for the best locomotive carriage.* 

 It has been little used, and is still in good repair. 



" The persons who competed fni- this prize were, — 



Tons. Cwt. Qrs. 



Braithwaite and Ericsson, of London, whose carriage the 



" Novell}'" weighed - . 2 15 



T. Hackworth, Darlington, " Sans Pareil," - 4 8 2 



11. Stephenson, Newca.stle, " llocket," - - 4 3 



T. Burstall, Edinburgh, " Perseverance," - 2 17 



