1847.1 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



317 



Sphynx, Spiteful, Slyx, Stroinboli, Thunderbolt, Vesuvius, Virago, and 

 Vixen, G gun.;, 100 men; Hecale, Hecla, Hermes, Hjdra, Medea, Sala- 

 mander, and Trident, (i suns, 135 men; Ardent, Alecto, Polyphemus, and 

 Prometheus, 3 guns, 100 men; Janus, 2 guns, 100 men; Acheron, Ante- 

 lope, Columbia, Grappler, Oberon, Pluto, Triton, and Volcano, 3 guns, GO 

 men ; Blazer, Firefly, Hamer, and Tar'arus, 3 guns, 55 men ; Avon, Cor- 

 net, Gleaner, Kite, Lucifer, Lightning, INIeteor, Porcupine, and Shearwater, 

 3 guns, 40 men ; Alban, Dee, and Khadamanlhus, 4 guns, 60 men. 



ENGINEERING EVIDENCE. 



Extracts from Uiii>uhUshed Ecidence giren by Mr. R. Stephenson 

 before the House of Commons' Stour Valley Committte. [Reported in the 

 Railway Ctiro'iicle ] 



ON SPEED COMPETITION— THE FOUR-RAIL SYSTEM — THE TRDE PRINCIPLES OF 



GOODS AND COAL TRAFFIC, &C. 



The Four-rail System — Economy.— Id consequence of our fixed estab- 

 lishment we shall be able to carry the additional traffic we obtain cheaper 

 than any other company can do. At present, as you converge towards 

 Loudon, the trains become more numerous, and when any of them are not 

 in time they give rise to great disorder ; not because the railway is inca- 

 pable of carrying them when Ihey keep their time regularly— for the Lon- 

 don and Birmingham are capable of accommodating three times the amount 

 of their present trafiic, provided absolute punctuality is insured. More 

 towards London the value of punctuality begins to tell most, and we want 

 more lines. A loop line from Tring to Banbury [the Buckinghamshire, 

 since passed] would accommodate local traffic, and could also be made 

 subservient to heavy traffic moung at slow rates. Four lines of rails from 

 London to Tring would receive and divide the great tide of traffic flowing 

 toward the metropolis (at present flowing on two lines of rail only), and 

 by enabling us to serve the public better attract more traffic to us. 



Comiietiiion. —hookiag at the past, v\e may expect for some time to 

 come that the hostile companies will go on devouring each other, though I 

 bold the opinion very strongly that permanent competition is impossible. 

 The object of companies who are in competition in laying out lines is 

 generally for the purpose of maintaining the ground, in order that when 

 the time does arrive for adjusting their difl'erences they may not be tramp- 

 led on by their neighbours. I have the strongest possible opinion that 

 perpetual competition is impossible, and that after the country is occupied 

 lhe»e will be an adjustment. The Great Western are great preachers of 

 competition, yet it is within my own knowledge that treaties have been 

 going on between them and the London and South-Western, of which a 

 territorial division has been the basis. 



Quick and Slow Trujjic ( London and North-Wcstern).— At present we 

 are obliged to force oii our goods trains to make room for our passenger 

 trains. The cost of conveying goods is augmented in consequence of that 

 speed. The public will never get the full advantage of railways until they 

 can separate the slow traffic more or less from the quick traffic. Up to a 

 certain extent the mixture does not add to the expense of conveyance, but 

 when the mixture becomes very great, or the income of the railway is de- 

 rived as much from goods as from passengers, then, in order to convey 

 goods most economically, it becomes desiiable to convey them at a speed 

 of, say, from 15 to 18 miles an hour, coals at a speed not exceeding 15 

 miles an hour, for it is impossible to convey them at Id. or Jrf. per ton per 

 mile if they are to be hurried along at 25 or 30 miles an bour ; the cost 

 and the wear and tear are too great, besides coal is damaged very much 

 by velocity. The clogging of the London and Birmingham line referred to 

 has arisen from the tolls having been very much lowered. Many persons 

 thought that the reduction of tolls would not increase our traffic. Now, I 

 held a different opinion. I always thought that by reducing fares on rail- 

 ways, especially the charges on goods, they would become great instru- 

 ments of conveyance for the heavy class of arliiles: and so it turned out. 

 JO that a great increase came upon us suddenly, without our having either 

 wagons or engines adequate for the increase. 



Wear and Tear on Broad and Narrou; Gauge. — Q. Is there no difler- 

 ence of pressure on the same weight of engine at the same speed on the 

 broad and narrow gauge?— .4. None; the crushing eflTect is precisely the 

 same, or rather the crushing effect of the wide gauge is greater at the 

 curves than on the narrow gauge. If there was any dilierence in the 

 tendency of the heavy weights to crush the rails, it would tell against the 

 wide gauge at curves, because the wheels are keyed on the axle, and they 

 consequently move round with the same velocity, and when the engine is 

 going round a sharp curve there is a greater distance to go round upon 

 the outside, so the inside wheel has to slide a little back and the outside 

 wheel has to slide a litile forward ; and, inasmuch as the difference of 

 gauge increases the amount of sliding, the heavy weights will crush the 

 rails more in ihe one case than in the other, but in a perfectly straight line 

 the crushing is equal. — Q. Is the rail stronger on the broad or the narrow? 



A. The rails are laid by Mr. Brunei on longitudinal timbers. He lakes 



the strength of the timber as well as the iron. In the usual mode of con- 

 structing the narrow gauge you do not use the longitudinal timber, but you 

 lay heavier rails instead. You get the bearing strength entirely on the 

 rails lu the ocs case, and in the other case partly ou the limber. 



Speed. — We are now in possession of speed that no permanent way in 

 existence, broad or narrow, will be able to stand long. The wear and tear 

 of Ihe rails has been, in my opinion, nearly as the square of the speed. If 

 it were perfect machinery in every respect, Ihe wear and tear arising from 

 concussions, ought to be exactly as the square of the speed, and I presume 

 it ou^ht to be directly as au engine weighing double the number of tons 

 would cause double the amount of crushing. Indeed, I know tliat speeil 

 is the great trial of our present permanent roads. The proof is that we 

 have been obliged to strenglhen them about 1() or IS lb. per yard, and now 

 there are some of about 90 lb. This increase of speed, the weight remain- 

 ing the same, is a direct and large sacrilice of Ihe prolJts of the company, 

 which has operated and is now operating with the Lon<lun and Birm- 

 ingham, and has led them to consider the propriety of duplicating the 

 lines where they are compelled to run the heavy trains so quickly — that is 

 between Tring and London. The interest of the capital they are about to 

 expend to duplicate the line will be about 40,00uf, a-year, the cost will be 

 about 780,000(. 



The origin of the Oxford. Worcester, and Wolverhampton. — Q. Is It a 

 fact that this district applied to the London and Birmingham for accommo- 

 dation and was lefused, and was it in consequence of that refusal that the 

 Oxford, Worcester, and \\'olverhampton line was originally projected ? — 

 yl. That, perhaps, is a rather harsh mode of representing it. But some of 

 the London and Birmingham Board enieitained a notion at that time 

 that railways were nut really fitted for the conveyance of heavy goods, 

 and they did not Srek to obtain the traflic which the country demanded ; 

 and then again their accounts were kept in such a way as to make it ap- 

 pear that they lost money by the conveyance of goods. This was flone by 

 charging the goods with a portion of fixed expenses, which would ha\e 

 been necessary under any circumstances even for conveying passengers. 

 Therefore, when you debit the goods department with its proportion of the 

 fixed establishment of the railway, then it does appear a loss to carry 

 goods. There may be one or two of the Board now left who entertain 

 their old opinions, but I know the management and system has undergone 

 a complete revolution in that respect. I have always entertained the 

 opinion that they ought to come down with their fares and carry heavy 

 goods, and have urged it cm the Board. But I do not move out of the 

 engineering department of the company. I think that railways as instru- 

 ments for the carriage of heavy goods, have not reached half their perfec- 

 tion or extent, and will not until we are permitted to separate the fast and 

 slow trains. If we convey heavy goods at 15 miles an hour, I believe it 

 will reduce the cost of conveyance to considerably lower thau one half of 

 what it is now ; so that a large quantity of coal may come to London from 

 the Midland districts. At present it costs us three farthings per ton per 

 mile. In the North at Stockton and Darlington, where they convey the 

 coal at 9 miles au hour, every charge is included, and they carry it at one 

 halfpenny per ton per mile. The breakage of coal is so much increased 

 by rapidity of movement, that it becomes impossible to move ordinary coal 

 wagons when they are ou any of the main lines without springs. The 

 speed breaks the coal all to pieces. Experience has shown tliat the multi- 

 plication of railroads facilitates and creates much greater traffic than was 

 anticipated. They reach on each other. That is one of the most remark- 

 able features in the extension of the railroad system— the extraordinary 

 reciprocation of traflic. If by the multiplication of railroads, and the 

 adoption of economical modes of transit, you can reduce the piice of coal, 

 the demand for the article in London would be most prodigious, and iu the 

 country it would be very large. There are many agricultural counties 

 where they do not know what coal is now. 



REGISTER OF NEW PATENTS. 



AMERICAN PATENTS. 

 PNEUMATIC HYDRAULIC ENGINE. 



Specification vf a Patent for " an Improvemer.i in Ihe hydraulic ram., 

 called 'Strode's pneumatic hydraulic engine ;' " granted to JoSevb C. 

 Strode, of East Bradford township, CUsler county, State of Penn- 

 sylvania, March 27, 1847. [Reported in the Franklin Journal.] 



The nature of the invention and improvement consists in making 

 use of a column of condensed ;iir between the propelling fluid and 

 the fluid that is to be raised; said air being condensed in a pyramidal- 

 shaped chamber, by means of the momentum of a descending column 

 of water; said chamber having a communication, by a small opening 

 at its top, witli another chamber, into vvliich tlie spring water or fluid 

 to be raised is introduced, called tlie spring water cliamber, and upon 

 which the condensed air in the first-named chamber is made to act, 

 causing said fluid to rise tbrougli a tube placed in the spring water 

 chamber (open at its lower end, and closed alternately at its upper 

 end by means of a valve), into a large air vessel, or receiver, of the 

 usual form and constiuction, being conducted thence to its place of 

 destination by pipes, or hose, in tlie usual manner. 



Similar letters in the several figures refer to corresponding parts. 



