1845,] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



109 



were found to be so firm as to render both these precautions unncces* 



Fig. 12. 



Including a bonus of £5 to George Wilson, the man employed to 

 execute the work, the whole cost of these repairs was uuder £13. 



George Wilson is a native of Belfast, and since the repair of Messrs. 

 Coupers' chimney, has practised the method described, as a sort of 

 trade, and he has already ascended some of the highest buildings in 

 the south of Scotland, amongst others the chimney of the Delmuir 

 Chemical Works, and Carrickfergus steeple. 



RAILWAY AXLES. 



" On the camen of fracture of the Axlea of Railmay Carriages." 

 By Joseph Glynn, M. Inst. C.E. 



Mr. Glynn states, that twice during the year 1843 he was placed 

 in situations of danger from the breaking of the fore axle of a tender. 

 On one occasion, the accident happened whilst the train was proceed- 

 ing at upwards of 30 miles per hour, and every carriage was more or 

 less injured. The journal was 2? inches diameter, the part adjoining 

 it, where the wheel was keyed upon, was 3? inches diameter, the body 

 of the axle at the shoulder was -li inches diameter, and 33 inches dia- 

 meter in the centre of its length. The gauge of the railway was 4 feet 



84 inclies. A short lime before the accident, the tenders which, when 

 empty, weighed about i? tons, had been supplied with coke and water. 

 The tank held lOOO gallons ; and about 20 cwt. of coke had been re- 

 ceived ; very little of either had been expended at the time of the 

 fracture of the axle. The total weight of the tender and its load was 

 about 8i tons, on four wheels of 3 feet tl inches diameter. 



noth the fractures presented the same appearance (as shown in the 

 annexed engravings), for about 4 inch in depth all round, there was a 

 perfectly smooth cleft of a blue and purple colour ; this annular cleav- 



ing appeared to have been produced by a constant process ; the central 

 crystallized part being gradually reduced in diameter, until it was 

 barely able to sustain the weight, and it broke on being exposed to 

 a sud'den strain. Mr. Glynn suggests that the smooth blue and purple 

 cleft is produced by the alternate rupture and compression of the par- 

 ticles or fibres of the iron. It is observed tliat the fracture commences 

 at the end of the key groove, which is about i inch from the shoulder, 

 against which the wheel is fixed. He is of opinion, that the breaking 

 action commences with the first journey of the tender, and that tlie 

 axles continually receive such injury as they would if they were laid 

 over the edge of an anvil, at A, and' received a constant succession of 

 smart blows from a hammer upon the point B, the axle being con- 

 stantly turned round. In addition to this percussive action, a power- 

 ful break is usually applied upon one end of the axle, while the wheel 

 at the other extremity slides along the rails, tending to produce a tor- 

 tional effect; it is generally noticed that the fractures occur at the 

 ends of the axles, where the breaks are applied. It would appear 

 that the axles of the tenders are more frequently broken than those of 

 the other carriages ; they carry heavy loads ; very frequently make 

 more journeys than either the carriages or the locomotives; and the 

 break is applied upon their wheels at every station, although it may 

 not be necessary to use it upon the passenger carriages. The nave 

 of the wheel, the groove cut for the key, and the position of the 

 shoulder, seem to point out the place where the fracture should com- 

 mence. 



Mr. Glynn is of opinion that the diameter of the axles should be 

 increased where the wheels are hung, so that being greater in dia- 

 meter than the body of the axle, by the depth of the key-groove, the 

 mass would not bo rendered weaker, by the cutting out of the groove. 

 He recommends also, that the breaks should be applied simultaneously 

 upon the wheels at both ends of the axles ;» and he observes that there 

 is probably a certain limit, in point of time, to the durability of all 

 axles which are subject to such action ; and that in many instances of 

 the breaking of axies, the point of fracture is concealed, unless the 

 wheels are taken off for the purpose of examination, which, he sug« 

 gests, should in all cases be done. 



1 This plan is now adopted on many railways. 



Sr. John's Gate, Clehkbnwem..— The Glohe states that this ancient eccle- 

 siastical remnant ia threatened with destruction, under the provisions of the 

 new Building Act— complaints having been made to the overseers of the 

 parish that it is in a state of insecurity, threatening to passengers. For some 

 time past, the lodge entrance to the old monastery has been tenanted as a 

 public-house ; and it is apparently in a very dilapidated state, from want of 

 proper repairs and attention. A strong desire exists, on the part of many 

 antiijuaries and of the inhabitants of the neighbourhood, to restore this in- 

 tercsting part of the ancient building, and to convert it into a literary and 

 scientific ioslilution, for the benefit of the inhabitants of the crowded district 

 of Clerkenwell— after the familiar example of Crosby Hall. It is said that it 

 could readily be made available for that purpose ; and a public meeting Is to 

 be held, shortly, on the subject. The building has an interest for the literary 

 and general antiquary, as well as for the antiquary " pure,"— as the scene of 

 Johnson's interview with the printer Cave (whose house it was), and the 

 birthplace of the Gentkmans Magazine, whose well-known vignette has r«« 

 I corded the fact to remote places and succeeding generations. 



