1848."] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



333 



This eng:ine was put to work on the Killingworth Railway. 



In 1816, Trevithick left England for the West Indies, leaving 

 the locomotive to look after itself, for what he knew. Stephenson, 

 however, looked after it. In this year he took out a patent with 

 Mr. William Losh, a great engineer of Wallsend and Newcastle. 

 Among other improvements was that of " sustaining the weight, 

 or a proportion of the weight, of the engine upon pistons, moveable 

 within the cylinders, into which the steam or water of the boiler 

 is allowed to enter, in order to press upon such pistons, and which 

 pistons are, by the inteivention of certain levers and connecting- 

 rods, or by any otlier effective contrivance, made to bear upon the 

 axles of the wheels of the carriage upon which the engine rests." 



The cylinders were open at the bottom and screwed upon the 

 frame of the engine. The piston, wliich was solid and packed in 

 the common way, was furnished with an inverted rod, the lower 

 end of which passed through a hole in the frame, and supported 

 the engine, and pressed upon the chair, which rested on the axes 

 of the wheels upon which the carriage moved. This chair had 

 motion up and down the piston-rod. The pressure of the steam 

 upon the piston transmitted the weight to tlie axle, and the re- 

 action took an equal weight from the engine, and the steam served 

 the purpose of an elastic spring.^' 



Mr. Ritchie objects to this invention, that it aimed at too much, 

 was too complicated, and not precise enough to be of much use. 



Messrs. Steplienson and Losh had their patent likewise for a 

 cast-iron rail, which was held to be an improvement on the rails 

 then used.-" As railways were then laid, the wagon-wheels met 

 with a hindrance at the joints, and a shock was given, and the 

 rails put out and broken. Stephenson therefore wished to (ix the 

 rails fast in tlie chairs. His rails were made with a half-lap joint, 

 having a pin or bolt, which fixed them, so that the end of one rail 

 should not rise al)ove the end of the next one, and so that the rails 

 should not yield if the block sank. 



We have seen that in J 817, Stephenson was busy in his struggle 

 with Davy about the safety lamp. In the next year, the dinner 

 was given to him, and he was laying down railway works and 

 making engines. 



In that year (1818), and in the next, he gave his time, as Nicholas 

 Wood acknowledges,'^' to experiments with VVood on railways, 

 which have been printed. 



His son had now become an under-viewer, and was a helper to 

 his father. 



Perhaps about this time he first came up to London for the 

 patents. 



We have followed Stephenson so far until he is upon the eve of 

 starting in a new path, and we find him in a new walk of life, and 

 much better off. We have seen his beginning from his fatlier's 

 cot, his struggles as a workman, his care as a father, and tlie 

 spreading of his name after making the locomotive and tlie safety 

 lamp. He had begun to reap some reward from his toil, and 

 instead of being poor and penniless, he had had eleven hundred 

 guineas given to him beyond what he had earned. From being the 

 man, he had become the master; from being the learner, he was to 

 be henceforth a teacher. He had a share in two patents, and 

 there was a call for his work, for besides his old masters at Kil- 

 lingworth, the neighbouring coalowners were now among his 

 friends. 



As his rise had been quick, and he was brought at once into the 

 fellowship of tlie northern gentry, his honours came blushing thick 

 upon him. He did not so fully feel his own weight, but having been 

 kept down so long, he hailed willingly the hands which were 

 stretched forth towards him ; taking everything as a kindness held 

 out to him, instead of looking upon it as a right. His greatness had 

 not grown gradually upon him, — he did not settle slowly in his seat: 

 he was marked as a new man, and always through life he had a quick 

 feeling of his lowly beginning. It was better, perhaps, that it was 

 80, for he kept up a kindly feeling with all around; whereas, had he 

 taken on him the bearing of a great man, as many do, he might 

 have lorded it over the world, but he would have missed what was 

 dearer to him than this — the love of his fellow-men. He was thank- 

 ful for everything, and therefore kindly to every one. As he did 

 not look for much, or stand upon his rights, he was seldom wronged 

 and always happy. 



25 Ritcbie oa Railways, p. 226. 26 Ritchie on Railways, p. Sl-37. 



2 7 Wood on Railways. 



2,944 



CONTRIBUTIONS TO RAILWAY STATISTICS, 



In 1846, 1847, and 1848.— By Hyde Clarke, Esq. 

 (Continued from page 272.J 

 No. IX.— SAND TRAFFIC. 

 Sand is a large article of traffic. The amount detailed in each 

 year ending June 30, stands thus — 



Company. Tons. 



1845. 



Arbroath and Forfar, 



Bodmin and Wadebridge, 12,227 

 IjOndon and Croydon, 3,000 



Leicester and Swannington, 



West Cornwall (Hayle), 



Wishaw and Coltness, 2,921 



The receipts in each year stand thus^ 

 Company. 1845. 



Arbroath and Forfar, £1,310 



Bodmin and Wadebridge, 



London and Croydon, 450 



Leicester and Swannington, 



West Cornwall (Hayle), 



Wishaw and Coltness, 21 



Some of the returns mix up gravel, ballast, and sand. 

 The sand on the Bodmin and M^adebridge, and Hayle Railways 

 (15,2()4. tons in 1847), is sea-sand used as manure. Sand is used for 



building, agricultural, and domestic purposes. '^'■"'- ="'' '" 



the Croydon is partly for sanding floors. 

 The rates are as follows : — 



2,764 



298 



32 



That carried on 



London and Croydon, 

 Bodmin and Wadebridge, 

 Leicester and Swannington, 

 Wishaw and Coltness, 

 Arbroath and Forfar, 

 Lancashire and Yorkshire, 

 On the Durham and Sunderland Railway, ballast 

 shipping purposes. The return stands thus — 

 1845. 1846. 1845. 



30,336 tons. 36,567 tons. £506 



3-75rf. per ton per mile. 

 3-00 „ 



2 20 „ 



1-97 



1-33 



is carried for 



1846. 

 £609 



little 



No. X.— SLATE TRAFFIC, 

 information as to the quantity of slate carried. 



There is . 



In the year ending 1846, there were carried on the W ishaw and 

 Coltness Railway 1,280 tons, for which £41 was received. 



The rates for carrying slates per ton per mile are as follows : — 

 Ballochney, .. 30rf. 



Newcastle and Carlisle, 2'0(i. 



Wishaw and Coltness, l'3(f. 



No. XL— BRICKS AND TILES. 



That railways cause a large saving in many places in the carriage 

 of bricks is shown by the quantities carried. Many new brick- 

 fields and tile-works have been opened to take advantage of these 

 facilities, as well as of the cheap coal,— in the same manner as they 

 are opened near canals. 



The quantities detailed in each year ending June 30, are as 

 follows : — 



Lancashire and Yorkshire (Preston and Wyre), 



Leicester and Swannington, 



London and Croydon, 



Maryport and Carlisle, 



Wishaw and Coltness, •• 



Whitehaven, 



The amounts received were — • 



Lancashire &nd Yorkshire (Preston and Wyre), 



Leicester and Swannington, 



London and Croydon, 



Maryport and Carlisle, 



Wishaw and Coltness, •• 



Whitehaven, 



* For half year only. 



The rates of carriage per mile per ton ar( 

 Bodmin and Wadebridge, 

 Ballochney, 



Leicester and Swannington, 

 London and Croydon, .. 

 London and South Western, 

 Maryport and Carlisle, 

 Wishaw and Coltness, 

 Whitehaven, 



