652 



FARMERS' REGISTER— UNDULATING RAILWAY. 



proving that the engine and train would not only 

 have mounted another summit of equal elevation 

 to that from whence it i'ell, l)ut vvouKI, at the high- 

 est point, have been travelling at a velocity ot 

 more than ten miles an hour, with the lull means 

 of increasing that velocity to any desired extent 

 over the succeeding undulations. 



Although the preceding experiments had, to the 

 satisfaction of all present, decided the superiority 

 of the undulating principle, I was anxious to Icnow 

 the result of a trial with a double load. I there- 

 fore proposed, (it being too late an hour on this oc- 

 casion^) to attain, on a future day, a velocity ol 

 twenty miles an hour, with a double train of 

 goods, and two engines. I had, on several occa- 

 sions, published my opinion of what that result 

 would be ; and I have now the satisfaction of add- 

 ing the particulars of this important experiment, 

 which, I need not say^iore i/m/i confmns all my 

 anticipations. 



On Sunday morning last, two locomotive en- 



Sines, viz. the " Firefly" and the " Pluto," left 

 lanchester with a train of loaded \vagons, weigh- 

 ing 150 tonSj exclusive of engines and tenders, the 

 whole length of the train being about 155 yards. 



On arriving at the Sutton inclined plane, it was 

 determined to adopt the same method as on the last 

 trials, of proving the merits of tlie principle. Our 

 reason for appointing Sunday for this meeting will 

 be obvious, v/hen it is considered how dangerous 

 and inconvenient it would l)e to try experiments 

 Avith such a load on any other day, when the trains 

 ai'B almost constantly passing and repassing. 



It may be known to some of youi- readers, that 

 the French government have lately appointed a 

 certain number of their most eminent engineers 

 to visit this country, with a view of acquiring all 

 requisite information pre))aratory to the construc- 

 tion of several intended French lines of railway. 

 These gentlemen, nine in numl)er, were present 

 on this occasion; their names were as follows: 

 Mons. Navier ; Mons. Goul)eau, Jugement des 

 Fonts et Chausses; M. Arnollet, Ingenieur en 

 chef du Fonts et Chausses, a Dijon; M. Eugene 

 Nuneann, Ingenieur des Fonts et Chausses, No. 1 

 Rue Castiglione, Paris; Mons. Dausse ; Mons. 

 L. L. Vallee, Ingenieur en chef des Fonts et 

 Chausses; Mons. J. Moistard, Ingenieur de la 

 Blarine; Mons. Paris, Lieutenant de Vaisseau; 

 Mons. K. Mamgan. 



The English engineers present were Mr. R. 

 Stephenson, 8en. of Manchester, (with whom I 

 have recently entered into partnership as civil en- 

 gineers,) Mr. Dagleish, Sen., Mr. Dixon, Sen., 

 Mr. Dagleish, Jr. and myself. In addition to 

 \vhom were many other individuals deeply in- 

 terested in railways, and of general scientific 

 acquirements, among whom were Mr. Case of 

 Summerhill, near Liverpool, Mr. Garnett of Man- 

 chester, (editor of the Guardian,^ and others. 



The following statement cannot fail to form an 

 interesting part of your publication. 



Experiment 1. — Two locomotive engines, the 

 Firefly and the Pluto, being attached to the train 

 above mentioned, and having traversed a distance 

 of one mile, io generate a suflTicieht velocity, arri- 

 ved at the point from whence the ascent was to be 

 measured, at a velocity of about 20.28 miles per 

 hour. The Pluto then left the train, and the Fire- 

 fly alone ascended with the load (working the 

 whole way) to a distance of 575 yards, 116 sec- 



onds — average velocity being about 10.14 miles 

 an hour. 



Experiment 2.— ^The power of the Firefly being 

 revei-sed, the engine and load descended 575 yards 

 in 74 seconds. The velocity at the foot of the 

 plane being about 31.70 miles j)er hour — average 

 velocity about 15.85 miles per liour. 



Experiment 3. — The Firefly and Pluto having 

 traversed the same distance as before, generated, 

 at the foot of the plane, a velocity of about 14.34 

 miles per hour. The Pluto then left the train, 

 and the Firefly and load ascended (power work- 

 ing) 315 yards in 90 seconds — average velocity 

 about 7.17 miles per hour. 



Experiment A. — The power of the Firefly being 

 reversed, ihe whole train descended 315 yards in 

 65- seconds. Maximum velocity 19.82 — average 

 velocity 9.91. 



Experiment 5. — The same engines and load, 

 working about 1^ miles to generate velocity, atr 

 tained at the foot of the plane a velocity of about 

 18.32 miles an hour. The Pluto left as before, and 

 the Firefly and load rose 457^ yards in 102^ sec- 

 onds — average velocity about 9.16 miles per hour. 

 Axperiment 6. The Firefly and train des- 

 cended 4577V yards in 80 seconds. Maximum ve- 

 locity 23.22 miles per hour — average velocity 

 11.61. N. B. In this instance some delay occur- 

 red in reversing the power, which will account for 

 the comparative difference in time. 



Throughout the \\ hole of these experiments it 

 will be seen the results were so much in favor of 

 the undulating sysfen), that it was evident a far 

 greater load than 150 tons could be moved by the 

 Firefly, at an average velocity of 15 miles per hour 

 from one summit of a curve to another. The dip 

 of inclination being about 1 in 99, and the total 

 length of the undulation varying from 630 to 1150 

 yards. 



This led me to propose a further experiment, 

 and 1 think I may safely add, that one more im- 

 portant in result was never before tried in any 

 country. 



Experiment 7. — The two engines, as before, at- 

 tained at the foot of ascent a velocity of about 

 19.04 miles per hour. The Pluto then left the 

 train, and at the same moment, the Firefly shutoff 

 her steam. The whole train then rose by momen~ 

 turn alone (the weight of the train, including en- 

 gine and tender, being near 164 tons,) to the dis- 

 tance of 323 yards in 70 seconds — average veloci- 

 ty about 9.52 miles per hour. 



Experiment 8, and last. The Firefly and train 

 descended 323 yards (power working) in 66 sec- 

 onds ! Velocity at foot of the plane being about 

 20.04 miles per hour — average velocity about 10.02 

 miles per hour. 



Thiis the preceding experiments most unques- 

 tionably prove two most important fiicts — not only 

 tliat a given locomotive power can convey from one 

 summit of a curve or undulation, to another sum- 

 mit of equal altitude, double the load which that 

 same power can convey at the same velocity on 

 the level; but that a given locomotive engine can 

 convey, from one summit of a curve or undulation 

 to another suminit of equal altitude, double the 

 load which it is capalde of moving on a level at a 

 like velocity (see last experiment,) by the employ- 

 ment of the steam force throughout only half the 

 distance ! 



These results lead me to go one step farther. It 



