1849."] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



205 



LIFE OF GEORGE STEPHENSON. 



{Concluded from page 173.) 



XVII. THE LOCOMOTIVE STKUGGLE. 



In layiii!! down a railway between Livei'pool and Manchester, a 

 new question was opened of what shnuld be the working power — 

 horses, fixed eng-ines, or moving engines. The early starters of 

 the undertaking' brought forward the locomotive, then new, being 

 moved to it by (ieorge Stephenson. The papers James laid before 

 Mr. Snndars were drawings of Stephenson's engine, and from that 

 time the struggle was no less for a locomotive engine than for a 

 railway. This was a bold stej). There was no locomotive running 

 nearer to Liverpool tlian at Leeds, and tliere only Blenkinsop's 

 engine. The step was so bold, that there were not wanting those 

 who wished for fixed engines, or even for horses, on the railway .- 

 Thus among tliose who were most earnest for a railway, tlxere was 

 great strife as to the way in wliich it should be worked. 



In the first prospectus,-' as already said, tlie use of the locomo- 

 tive was taken up as a needful branch of the undertaking. In the 

 second prospectus, it was acknowledged that objections had been 

 made before tlie House of Commons to the use of the locomotive : 

 "Another and a more plausible objection was founded on the em- 

 ployment of the locomotive engine. It was contended, in the first 

 |)lace, that this new and peculiar power was incompetent to perform 

 the task assigned to it; in the si'coiid place, that it was unsafe; and 

 tusthj, that in its operation it would prove a public nuisance. By 

 the evidence, however, it was proved that it was perfectly com- 

 petent to perform all that was ])roposed to be accomplished ; and, 

 before the evidence was closed, the counsel for the opponents of 

 the bill admitted it was .snfc Upon the third point of objection, 

 the committee are confident such improvements will be made in 

 tlie construction and application of this efiective machine, as will 

 obviate all objection on the score of nuisance; and as a guarantee 

 of their good faith towards the public, they will not require any 

 clause empowering them to use it, — or tliey will submit to such 

 restrictions in the employment of it as parliament may impose, 

 for the satisfaction and ample protection both of proprietors on 

 the line of road and of tlie ])ui?lic at large." 



In the report after passing the act made the 22nd May 1826, the 

 directors say : "Before concluding this report, the committee will 

 say a few words upon the locomotive engine — a power for the con- 

 veyance of goods and passengers w liich tliey look forward to as one 

 highly advantageous both to the company and the public. Tliey 

 have never doubted that the ingenuity of the country would be 

 exerted to construct an efficient and unobjectionable machine for 

 this purpose; and tliey are able to state, tliat they have already 

 received a proposal from an engineer of eminence, to furnish an 

 engine that shall comply with the clause in the act, compelling the 

 consumption of smoke, — the engine proposed not to be paid for, if 

 it do not answer tlie objects of the company." 



In the report of 27tli March 1828, to the second yearly meeting,'' 

 tlie directors say : "The nature of the power to be used for the 

 conveyance of goods and passengers becomes now a question of 

 great moment, on whatever principle the carrying department may 

 be conducted. After due consideration, the engineer has been aur- 

 thorised to prepare a locomotive engine, which from the nature of 

 its construction, and from the exjieriments already made, he is of 

 opinion will be effective for the purposes of the company, without 

 proving an annoyance to the pulilic. In the course of the ensuing 

 sunimei', it is intended to make trials on a large scale, so as to as- 

 certain the sufficiency in all respects of tliis important machine. 

 On this subject, as on every otiier connected with the execution of 

 this important task committed to his charge, the directors liave 

 every confidence in Mr. Stephenson, their principal engineer, whose 

 ability and unwearied activity they are glad of this opportunity to 

 acknowledge." — No particulars of this engine liave been given. 



Although Mr. Sandars and his friends were staunch for the lo- 

 comotive, the board were not all of the same way of thinking, for 

 some powerful men set themsehes against it, and wished for fixed 

 engines. Out of doors, most of the engineers of that day were 

 against the locomotive; so that it was by no means settled Ste- 

 ]ihenson should have his own way. Then, too, many beset the board 

 with plans of their own. The treasurer says'' : "Multifarious were 

 the schemes proposed to the directors for' facilitating locomotion. 

 Communications were received from all classes of persons, each 

 recommending an improved power, or an improved carriage ; from 

 professors of pliilosophy down to the humblest mechanic, all were 



1 RJr. Sundais's Letter. — Mr, Sylvester's Uepcrl. 



3 MSS. book of Prospectuses belonging to Mr. Booth. 



4 MSS. book of Prospictuses belonging to flir. Booth. 



2 JJo'jth's History, p. 67. 

 5 Boolli's History, p, <^7. 



zealous in their proffers of assistance; England, America, and con- 

 tinental Europe were alike tributary. Every element and almost 

 every substance were brought into requisition, and made subservi- 

 ent to the great work. The friction of carriages was to be re- 

 duced so low that a silk thread would draw tliem, and the power to 

 be applied was to be so vast as to rend a cable asunder. Hydrogen 

 gas and high-pressure steam — columns of water and columns of 

 mercury — a hundred atmospheres and a perfect vacuum — machines 

 working in a circle without fire or steam, generating power at one 

 end of the process and giving it out at tlie other — carriages that 

 conveyed every one its own railway — wlieels within wheels, to mul- 

 tiply speed without diminishing power, — with every complication 

 of balancing and countervailing forces, to the ne plus ultra of per- 

 petual motion." Goldsworthy Gurney was very active." 



This is a lively painting by one who well knew ivhat was done, 

 and it shows the power of skill and knowledge brought to bear 

 whenever a great undertaking is in hand. Many of the plans may 

 have been whimsical — many utterly foolish — most fruitless ; but 

 the end of all this work has been to make the locomotive in the 

 shortest time the best-finished engine we have. Tlie engine, with 

 its springs, buffers, fenders, safety-valves, wliistle, feed-pumps, 

 blast-pipe, axles, is the work of a thousand minds, — each giving 

 more or less, but all helping towards the same end. Nor is this to 

 be lightly set aside, for it gives a warning to us in other cases. 

 The first sketch of an engine is the work of one man, fraught with 

 many faults, — built on some great plan, but wanting in the means 

 of rightlv carrying it out. Trevithick builds a locomotive, wliicli 

 blows up for the want of safety-valves, which will not turn round 

 and will not run, or wliich wants crowliars to help it along. The 

 mind of one man is not enough to work out any great undertak- 

 ing : however great a man's mind may be, whatever his powers, he 

 is helpless alone ; it is only by the help of others he can bear him- 

 self tlirough. Independence may be wished for, may be sought 

 after, may be tried for,— but the world is so made that no one has 

 power but by the means and help of his fellow-men. On the other 

 hand, we ought never lightly cast away any new undertaking, merely 

 because it cannot be forthwith made to work; if the ground of it 

 be good, there is wit enough in the world to bring it into working 

 trim. ^ 



We have seen that in 1828 Stephenson had been so far backed, 

 that he was set to make a locomotive; but the other side were un- 

 tiring in their endeavours to put him down. In October 1828, two 

 of tlie directors' and the treasurer were sent to Uarlington and^ 

 the neighbourhood of Newcastle, to see on the spot the working of 

 the locomotive and fixed engines. Mr. Booth says (p. 69) : "The 

 deputation returned with a fund of information; but of so mixed, 

 and in some respects of so contradictory a nature, that the great 

 question as to the comiiarative merits of locomotive and fixed 

 engines was as far from being settled as ever. One step was 

 gained. The dejiutation was convinced, tliat for the immense 

 traffic to be antici]iated on the Liverpool and Manchester line, 

 horses were out of the question." 



The ground was narrowed to locomotive and fixed engines. The 

 next step was, as the directors and Stephenson differed, to name 

 two engineers to make their report on the two plans: but to choose 

 such was to choose enemies of the locomotive. -Mr. James '\\'alker 

 was chosen as a leading London engineer, and Mr. John Urpeth 

 Rastrick as a northern engineer. On" tlie 12th January 1829, tliey 

 went to a meeting of the board at Li\erpool, before setting out; 

 and on the 9th of March they sent in tlieir reports.'* 



These i-eports are printed together, — first that of Mr. AValker, 

 next that of Mr. Rastrick. It seems that on the 10th of January, 

 they met at Stourbridge, where Mr. Rastrick was building a loco- 

 motive for America, t^n the 12th, as said, they were at Liverpool; 

 on the 13th they went with Stephenson along the line of railway ; 

 and on the l-tth were at Manchester. Tliey acknowledged tlie line 

 was "very superior to anytliing that had yet been done."" On the 

 1.5th, Stephenson went with them to tlie Bolton Railway, tlien 

 made under his direction. There they saw a locomotive, made by 

 liim in his best way ; and they say they had from Mr. Peter Sin- 

 clair, the secretary of the company, a report, "which proved the 

 great power which the engine is capable of exerting." i" There 

 was no lock-up safety-valve to this engine.' ' Spring safety-valves 

 had been introduced since 1824', and wrought-iron tyres instead of 

 cast, and the engine set upon a spring carriage. Mr. ^^'alker says 



1832 



. 12 and 2.'!. 



6 Edinburgh Keview. Oetober ls:j2. Ans.ver to Lardner, 



Library of Inslitniion of Civil Fngineers.) 



7 Stephensnii and Locke's Iteport, p. G, says three directors. These were Messrs. 

 James Cropper, John lUoss. and Ailuni Hodgson. George Stephenson, with Messrs. Ro- 

 bert Stephenson and Locke, likewise made a report. 



8 booth's History, p. C-[) e Walker's Ueport, p. 2. Rastrick's Report, p. 4^ 



1 o Walker's Uepoit, p. 2 * * Walker's Report, p. 17, 



