MILEAGE OF ENGINES. 



miles an hour, the run of 44 miles would occupy more than 

 two hours, 



The daily service of an engine, therefore, expressed in time, 

 would be about 2 hours working and 4 waiting with steam up. 



37. These inferences are so striking, that we naturally turn else- 

 where to inquire how far the results of other railways vary from 

 or corroborate them. 



I accordingly made like calculations upon the statistical reports 

 of most of the continental railways, and found that the average 

 daily mileage of the engines is under 33 miles, being therefore 

 inferior to the useful service of the Belgian engines. 



38. The data supplied by the English railways are so scanty, 

 and in general so vague, as to afford no adequate means of general 

 comparison with the results above given. In the case of the Lon- 

 don and North- Western lines however, a more detailed account 

 was published, which, "considering the great extent and traffic of 

 that system of railways, is entitled to much attention. 



The traffic of these lines was worked, during the twelve months 

 ending June 30, 1849, by 457 locomotive engines, the total 

 mileage of which was as follows : 



Mileage. 



Passenger engines . . . . 4,649556 

 Goods engines 2,882674 



Total . 7,532230 



Hence the average daily run of each engine was 45 miles. 



These results, obtained from services so various and numerous, 

 leave no doubt that the average daily service of each locomotive 

 engine is much less than would have been expected. If the 

 average speed on the North- Western lines be taken at 28 miles 

 an hour, we shall obtain the singular and somewhat unexpected 

 conclusion, that the engines, taken one with another, are each 

 worked with traffic little more than one hour and a half a day. 



By a return which I obtained from the North- Western Com- 

 pany, I found that, in the twelve months ending June 30, 1849, 

 they had in active employment an average number of 275 engine- 

 drivers, and an equal number of firemen. Now it has already 

 been stated, that during the same period the. number of engines 

 employed was 457 ; there were thus 10 engine drivers and fire- 

 men for every 16 engines. 



By dividing the total annual mileage of the engines by the total 

 number of engine-drivers and firemen employed, we shall find the 

 total annual distance driven by each ; and dividing this by 365, 

 we shall obtain the average daily work of each engine-driver and 

 fireman, expressed in distance. This distance, divided by the 



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