re 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



Steam Cutter — The United States discovery sbip in tlm .Soiitli Si\is, the Mace- 

 donian, has nn eiglit-liorse stciiiu engine .to put into the cutter of the frigate, to ply 

 up the various rivers in New ZeaUuid. 



Adriatic Steam Navigation. — The Austrian Lloyd's Company ha\c established 

 steam vessels between Ancona and Trieste. 



Tlie Itoyal William started on the IStli ultimo from Liverpool for America. She 

 was provided witli fuel sufficient for 27 days, of which 3(i tons 9 cwt. were of Mr. 

 Williams' patout peat stone fuel. 



PROGRESS OF RAILWAYS. 



Railway- to Lewes and Hastinf/s. — The plan comprehends a line of railway, com- 

 mencing from the line of the London and Brighton Railway, at St. John's Common, 

 and running in nearly a straight line to Lewes, where it crosses the river a short dis- 

 tance below the bridge; it is then caiTied on through the levels of Laughton, across 

 the Cuckmere river near Selmeston, and from thence through the Eastbounie and 

 Pevensey levels, passing to the north of Eastbourne, and in front of the Castle at 

 Pevensey, and thence in nearly a straight line to St. Leonard's and Hastings. The 

 line selected passes through so level a country, that the works required for its con- 

 struction are scarcely of greater magnitude than those of ordinary turnpike roads, 

 which is a circumstance of the most material importance, as diminishing tlie cost of 

 the line far below the usual average cost of other railways. The gradients are also 

 peculiarly favourable. In connexion with this line of railway, it is proposed to con- 

 struct a shii» canal from Newhaven Harbour to Lewes, with a wet-dock and basin at 

 Lewes, a Uttle below Lewes bridge ; the canal will contain twenty feet depth of water, 

 and by reason of avoiding the intricate windings of the river, will reduce the dis 

 tauce from Newhaven bridge to Lewes to five mUes and a half. By this canal, 

 therefore, Lewes will become, as of old, a port, and tlie whole of the trade and com- 

 merce of the district be brought to the merchant's own door. — Simex Express, 



Brandling Junction Baibcay — Every exertion is being made to open tliis hne of 

 railway for public conveyance as early as January next. Four splendid locomotive 

 engines, from the factory of Messrs. Longridge and Co., at the Bedlington Ii-on 

 Works, have this week been forwarded through this town for the Brandling Com- 

 pany; and, from what we can learn, those etigines called the BraniUing, Newcastle 

 (now being tried on the Newcastle audCarhsle lino), BedUngton, and Gateshead, are 

 of a Tery superior construction, and reflect much credit upon the manufacturers of 

 them. — Newcastle Journal. 



A Contrast. — Great Western Railway. — The works on the Great Western Railway, 

 near Reading, continue to he at a total stand-still- Some of the labourers are beg- 

 ging about the streets of that town, and others have left, to obtain work elsewhere- — 

 Reading Mercury. — The works on the Groat AVestern Railway, between Reading 

 and Didcot, are progi-essing with a rapidity and punctuality exceeding that on any 

 other portion of the line. There is a report that a temporai'y station will be erected 

 between this town (Reading) and Twyford in April, but we do not beheve it -n-ill be 

 retjuired so soon. — Berkshire Chronicle. 



AVe understand that the eastern arch of the Maidenhead bridge has been taken 

 down, for the purpose of rebuilding it : this we were afraid woidd be the case when 

 we surveyed the bridge iu June last- 



London and Southampton Railway. — Part of an embankment on this line, near 

 AVeybridge, gave way, and blocked up the road so as to oblige the passengers by the 

 five o'clock train to leave the carriages. 



London and Brighton Railway — The works on the London and Brighton Railway 

 are proceeding iu the most satisfactory manner. There are 1,600 men now employed 

 on the line. Messrs. Thornton ai-e making rapid progress iu the Long embankment 

 north of Clayton-hill : and the tunnel shafts at Merstham, Clayton, and Baleombc, 

 are nearly completed. In order to expedite the execution of the works in the Shore- 

 ham branch, it is understood that a double set of men are engaged for the cutting on 

 Mr. Fuller's farm at .\ldriugton, the work being by these means carried on night and 

 day without iutermissiou. — Brighton Gaiette, 



London and Greenwich RaiUcay. — On Tuesday, tlie 4th of December, the remain- 

 ing portion of the London and Green-n-ich RaiUvay, extending from Deptford to the 

 Prince of Orange public-house, in Greenwich, was privately opened, under the super- 

 intendence of the directors, who were accompanied by Colonel Landman, the 

 engineer. The new part of the line is laid upon longitudinal wood bearers, sup- 

 ported upon transverse wood sleepers upon a bed of ballast. The top of tlie arches 

 have been coated with Clai-idge's asplialte. On the 24th December it was opened to 

 he public. 



Great North of England Railway. — The workmen have now commenced laying 

 the foundation of the fifth and last bridge of the Great North of England Railway, 

 near Northallerton, a little to the south of the town, which n-UI cross over the high 



road leading to Boroughbridge, near to the 220th milestone from London Nelo- 



castle Journal. 



Tamworth and Rugby Railway. — So confident are the parties engaged in tliis un- 

 dertaking of obtaining their act for tarrying the ilanchestcr Railway through Tani. 

 worth to Rugby, that a legal gentleman in tlie neighbourhood of Nuneaton has 

 received authority to contract for the purchase of any land which may be required 

 in that district. — Birmingham Advertiser. 



Mancliester and Leeds Railway.— The poitiou of this eitensive undertaking wliich 

 lies betivixt this town aud Rochdale is in a very satisfactory slate of forwardness, 

 AT-n ^'u'li'" "" Piobability, be opened in May or June next. Of the part betwixt 

 Mills Hill and Rochdale, which was the most heavy and diflicult, about three parts 

 in the hundred only remained unfinished in the middle of November. Tlio cuttings 

 and embankments, the latter including the important one of Mills Hill and Castleton 

 Clough, were nearly perfected, and permanent rails will be laid in good time on the 

 whole of tho.se r^orks. The bridges (tram' a ditliculty in obtaining stone) were the 

 only works not in a con-espouding ^late of forwai'ihiess. The tunnelling at tho 

 summit IS proceeding as fpt (is iuuiiau skill and acUvity can promote it, and at 

 Gauxholme a lai-ge muster of workmen are daily employed in sinking fouudalions 

 and cutting stone for the erection of wai-ebouses aud other reciuisite buildings.— 

 Wnkrfietd Journal. The hue of railw ay from Manchester to Littleborough is ad- 

 vancing so rapidly towards completion, that, if the severity of tho weather do not 

 materially protract operations, it mil certainly be ready for" opening, between these 

 two places, in the spring of next year. About half of the permanent raUs liave, we 

 unaerslwid, beea lOieadj laid.-Zfs^^ra* Express. * ' 



Manchester and hirmingham. Railway. — A deputation of the directors, accompanied 

 by G. W. Buck, Esq., tho engineer, met the committee appointed by the town coun- 

 cil of Macclesfield, in order to communicate to them the plan for a diversion of tho 

 proposed branch to Macclesfield. Mr. Buck's report was read ; it stated that the 

 Macclesfield branch enters the main line in a cutting, on a curve, and at Uie foot of an 

 inchncd plane which is npwai-ds of a mile iu length. Under such circumstances, 

 approaching ti-ains would be invisible to each other, and, therefore, to prevent acci- 

 dents from collision, it would be absolutely necessary that the trains coming from 

 Macclesfield should stop before entering upon (he main line ; but stopping here 

 would be impracticable, on account of the momentum acquired in descending tho 

 inclined plane. Again, although no trains might be approaching on the main line, 

 still the Macclesfield trams should enter the main line at a slow speed, which would 

 be impracticable for the same reason. It is obvious that these defects are such as 

 would constantly give rise to serious accidents, and, therefore, ought, if possible, to 

 bo obiiated ; with tliat riew, Mr. Buck recommends that tlie Macclesfield line shall 

 branch off near the seventh mile, on Uie Parliamentary plan, at Cheadle Hulmc, and 

 thence proceed in a direction nearly south, passing by the Siddall houses, then 

 gradually bearing eastward to Hcdlingworth smithy, where it should pass under the 

 road to Adlingtou Hall, and fall into the Parliamentary lino a short distance beyond, 

 froni which place to Macclesfield the Parliamentary "line will be retained. By di- 

 verting the turnpike road near the Mill-house, no crossing of it will be required in 

 the whole distance, except at Beech bridge. The length of this deviation will bo 

 about 54 miles, of winch the first 26 chains adjoining the main line may be level, and 

 the romainiiig distance will have an a.scent of 10 feet in a mile, or 1-26-i- From Hoi- 

 liiigworth smithy to Macclesfield, the railway may be constructed of one gradient of 

 1-232, or about 23 feet in a mile. Tlie advantages which will accnie from adopting 

 the proposed line are the follow ing ; — The lengtli to constriujt will be about one mile 

 less. The junction talies place where the main Une is straight, upon a level, and 

 upon a small embankment. The maximum gradient will be 1-232, or about 23 feet 

 per mile, whereas on the Parliamenlai-y plan, it is 1-160, or 35 feet per mile. The 

 proposed line will be cheaper to execute and cheaper to work. 



Manchester and Birmingham Railway. — The extensive viaduct across tlio 

 Mersey and valley at Stockport, has been left to Messrs. Tomkinson and Messrs. 

 Holme, of Liverpool, at a little below ;£70,000. It wiU have twenty-two arches of 

 between .sixty and seventy feet span, the centre arch crossing the river at a height of 

 100 feet. The lowest estimate was about i'02,000, and the highest was about 

 £ 100.000 —Macclesfield Courier. 



Slicjlield and Rulherham Railway. — The station and its vicinitj- still continue the 

 great scene of attraction. On Sunday the number of passengers conveyed amounted 

 to 2,500. The number of passengers who have travelled on the railway since it was 

 opened for business, have averaged 1,360 daily. A gentleman has made a wager that 

 300,000 persons will be conveyed in tlie railway carriages during the first twelve 

 months.. — Sheffield Iris. 



Birmingham and Gloucester Railway. — The Gloucester jiortion of the line is 

 rapidly approaching to completion. The earthwork is remarkably light, as is also 

 the masonry, of wliich the whole is being executed at prices liitherto unknown to 

 railway proprietors. Workmen are engaged all along the line, which is let in small ■ 

 contracts. At Tewkesbury the depot is commenced, and the Lansdown depot 

 will be immetUately proceeded witli — the di-awings being already in the builder's 

 hand. A idain but elegant skew bridge, under the Arle road, is now waiting for the 

 iron work ; and we observe the workmen very busy on the large bridge which is 

 to carry the old Gloucester road over the railway. — Cheltenham Lookcr-On. 



Chester and Birkenhead Railway. — Wc understand that Messrs. Clements and 

 Henry, the contractors for the Chester end of the Birkenhead and Chester Railway, 

 are progressing satisfactorily in the heaviest portion of their work — riz., the filling 

 up of the valley, and the erection of the bridge over the Dee and Mersey Caual at 

 MoUington. They are preparing an inclined road, and fitting up a stationai'y engine 

 at great expense, in order to expedite the conveyance of the earth into the valley. 

 Great progress has been made at the other end of their conb-acts, near Sutton ; a 

 great quantity of earth has been removed, and through the deepest portion of the 

 cutting great preparations of material are now being made, in order to prosecute 

 vigorously the whcde line next year; combining the lighter portions of the work 

 between MoUington and Chester, as also on the other end, between Sutton and 

 Plimyard Brook, in the township of Eastham, which terminates their portion of the 



line Chester Gaeette. 



Glasgow and Ayr Railway.— Wc iuc enabled to inform the public that this great 

 national undertaking is carried on most satisfactorily, and that the whole expenses 

 yet incurred have not exceeded the parliamentary esumates — a circumstance as 

 unprecedented as creditable to Mr. Bliller, the engineer. The same may be siud of 

 the first part of the line as far- as Paisley, which is executed by Mr. Locke, for the 

 Ayrshire and Greenock Companies jointly. The whole line, we are' assured, will be 

 completed by the time the Glasgow'end is ready, which will be in the spring of I&IO. 

 — The Earl of Eghnton has, we understand, determined on completing the harbour 

 and docks at Ardrossan, aud making the necessary arrangements for goods and pas- 

 sengers ; whilst the inhabitants of Ajt ai-e also bestirring themselves to render tlieir 

 river harbour as good as it is capable of becoming, and a company is already formed 

 to establish a steam navigation from Troon to Belfast. — Glasgow Courier. 



Glasgow and Grectwck Railway. — The directors, at their last meeting, let the two 

 remaining contracts on this lino, Mr. Brassey having gained the Walkinshaw, and 

 Mr. M'Keuzie the Finlaysou. .fudging from tlie rapid progress already made by 

 these gentlemen at Arkleston and ISishoplon, there is no doubt but the opening of the 

 railway to the public in the early part of the summer of 1840 is secured. — -We under- 

 stand that at the Bishopton ridge nearly 100,000 cubic yards have been excavated, 

 that oue steam engine is already at work, for pumpuig the water and hauluig the 

 rock from the tunnels, and that another engine is preparing here at Messrs. John- 

 ston's works — At Arkleston the same rapid progress has been made, the tunnel shaft 

 is completed, and the tunnel commenced. About 90,000 cubic yai'ds have been 

 excavated, and ballast of a very superior quality has been found in great abundance. 

 — In this town the masonry for carrjing tho railway over the streets is proceeding 

 rapidly for the season ; four arches are turned, several others in hand, and a lengtli 

 of wall is built — The works are equally stirring at Port-Glasgow, where, for nearly 

 half the length of the town, tlie masonry is in progi-ess.- — In I'aisley, the large bridge 

 over tlie river Cart is buUt above flood water, which is very creditable to the con- 

 tractor, Mr. Lyon, who only commenced work late in the season. The bridges over 

 Gilmour street and Greenlaw-street, together with the retaining walls, are also con- 

 siderably advanced — Two cargoes of rails have arrived from Bristol, aud several 

 milea of the road will be laid early in the sj^xuig.—Gretitock M/ertuer, 



