182 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[June, 



for tunnelling, taking good ground and bad. To make the Kilsby tinnel as 

 [age a7 he Great Western tunnels, it ^vouM have cost a great deal more 

 than titat On the other hand, in increasing the size of the tunnel ,n good 

 ground, such as chalk, the addUioual cost would not have been so muh 

 States the results of experiments, showing the consumption of '''e'»°'} 

 water by an engine with difTerent load. Found that the consumption of fuel 

 f'r drkwing the engine without a load, was equal to about the consumption 

 of fuel to overcome a load of 15 carriages at 30 miles an hour ; that is, it 

 Lk as much .0 move the engine and tender as it did add. .onalto move 

 15 carriages. There have been many reasonings upon that without con- 

 sidering the precise application of it. A large proportion of the fuel in 

 1 ov ng the engine alone is consumed in overcoming '^e resistance of he 

 Ltmos^here to the pistons; it will not require more than three or four 

 pounds to overcome the friction of the engine and tender proper, but ,t re- 

 quires 15 pounds in addition to that t" overcome the engine and tender 

 taking into account the atmospheric resistance to the piston ; so that there 

 ralways 15 pounds of pressure of steam in all high-pressure engines ab- 

 solutely lost ; it is not the friction of the engine ; certainly it is a defec in 

 the engine frim its being a high-pressure engine, but on »o other accoun 

 It is not a peculiar loss applicable to locomotive engines alone, but to al 

 hi-h-pressure engines ; and therefore in estimating the consumption of 

 fuel and dividing the proportion of expenses, it became important o ascer. 

 ain what was the relative expense of conveying 8 carriages, and o con- 

 veying 15, because all the trains of the Croydon Company were small, and 

 all thetra ns of the Dover Company were comparatively large; and from 

 tl s exper ment it appears that as to the cost of coke, whether to convey 8 

 carriages or 15, there is a very small difference. Therefore, if you pro- 

 no ion you expenses by the lold, you give the small load very greatly the 

 advantage, because you charge them only half the f-x^'-.^ay^s 8 i to 15 

 whereas you ought to charge them as 8 plus the engine is to U plus the 

 engine, which will make a very great dillerence. ,■•„,«„,„ hp r 



Believes the gauge of the Dutch railways, constructed m 812, to be 6 

 feet 5i The Amsterdam and Haarlem Railway is essentially level, and 

 aid o. longitudinal timbers, which are best suited to the unsound ground 

 of Holland. The line laid over Chatmoss is laid on transverse sleepers 

 but the moss there has much more tenacity than the substratum of peat n 

 the low part of Holland. Mr. Conrad constructed or projected t^e line in 

 Holland ; he examined railways in this country, but does notknow whether 



'%re^.„" tV-K^E^q^ii^^th^^ntnerwho completed the Grand June 

 tionRa'way This line was opene"d to the public in .837. Wl^en witness 

 assumed the office of engineer on this line, the rails and sleepers had been 

 contracted for, the bridges designed, and some portion of the work com- 

 menced for the narrow gauge. Alteration of gauge at this time would 

 have been attended with considerable expense ; narrow gauge selected for 

 this line because surrounded on all sides with lines of^'milar gauge and 

 it was desirable to preserve uniformity of gauge in the district. Great 

 Western Railway not commenced at this time. Narrow gauge rails may 

 be laid down on a broad gauge railroad, so as to carry on the narrow gauge 

 traffic continuously ; this process is very expensive, and in reference to the 

 stations, very inconvenient. Where two gauges meet, the station by his 

 plan must not only be made larger, but also of a different construction than 

 [f made for one gauge only. If called upon to project a series of rai road 

 in a new country, would prefer an intermediate gauge, between 4 feet 8i 

 inches and 7 feet' wide gauge not necessary for machinery ; carnages on 

 narrrw'gauge liles^an be m'ade longer and loftier than at P-ent, giving 

 as much space to each passenger, three on a side, as in broad, as four or 



'^'neight'l.'f'carriages on narrow gauge lines lately increased 6 or 8 inches 

 At high speeds hisher wheels are necessary ; the centre of gravity would 

 consequently he raised, rendering wider gauge than 4 feet 8J niches desir- 

 ableTat The same time, witness is of opinion, .hat looking to the construe- 

 tion of the road, the speed now attained is as great as is consistent with 

 safety, and would neither increase the gauge, speed, nor size of wheels 

 without more experience in the construction of engi.ies and strength of 

 materials; inequalities of road from change of temperature and weather 

 mpos ihi; to be overcome ; some engines on South Western .R*'l;YJ"'h 

 wheels 6 feet 6 inches diameter, where the boilers are -jot higher than on 

 engines with wheels of 5 feet 6 inches ; this done by P'^<='»g '^^j''"'!^^ 

 outside the boiler, and bringing the boiler nearly on to the 'V'le; tl"*^ =«°'^; 

 of gravity as low with the large wheels as the small ones by this arrange- 

 ment. No disadvantage caused from this change ; application of power 

 "uts de The wheel does no. produce a rocking motion Great changes have 

 been made on engines on narrow gauge lines, with a view to obia.n in- 

 creased power; engines of enormous power have -cently been constructed 

 on North Midland Railway to carry heavy trains of '"'''«"'^- ^^I;'" '^^ 

 space between wheels and boiler in engines on narrow gauge l'"es caused 

 ,ome inconvenience in the attempts to obtain increased P^"- T"/""* 

 his attention to improving the engine and altering the arrangement of nia- 

 chinery; and now gets all necessary power on narrow gauge ''"es- ^e-igth 

 of boilers on Grand Junction and South Western lines increased fiom 8 

 feet 6 to 9 feet 6. . . 



Cannot tell the velocity attained upon the Great Western ; express rains 

 on South Western line travel 40 miles, and could no doubt run dO miles an 

 hour. Does not think 50 miles an hour can be done with safety on any 

 line that witness has been on ; is much opposed to such excessive speed 

 Curves more difficult to traverse with broad than narrow gauge, taciliiy 

 for turning curves ia inverse ratio to the width ot gauge. 



Broad gauge gives greater facility for conveyance of heavy trams, by 

 giving larger space to put the power in, but witness considers that as muc-b 

 Ld :ven more power than is necessary can be obiained on the narrow 

 gauge ; disapproves of throwing a large force upon one engine. Has heard 

 of trains of CO and 70, and in one instance of 77 wagons >»o"e train 

 would alto^'ether prohibit such trains ; would divide them, and not a low 

 mo"e than 40 wagons, each weighing 5 or 6 tons, at one time ; more than 

 tha"number strains the wagons, the frames are l^-- out of square the 

 chains are broken, and cause delay and inco.ivenience on the road. Would 

 norhavt greater power than sufficient to drag 00 wagons ; the enS'^es on 

 North MfdTand' with large boilers, cylinders, and fire-boxes, can drag 100 

 wagons ; they generate more steam than they consume 



Wide eauge more expensive than narrow; it required longer sleepers, 

 greater fpac'e for emba'nkmeats. cuttin-s, f.c. ; Mr. Brunei «. a contrary 

 opinion; his calculations were fo"n;led upon using smaller tiinbrs and 

 lighter rails .ban he is now using. The South Western rail i, 75 Ih to the 

 yard- both the Grand Junction and London and Birmingham were origi- 

 n!lly 651b. ; have been recently increased to 75 lb. Increased expense of 

 b?oad gauge would be in bridges, tunnels, cuttings, and embankments 

 Outside rail of Great Western nearer the slope or ditch than upon other 

 Une^ If engines get off the lines, more liable to fall over ; witness pre ers 

 a wide em^ankm'ent, and where possible, always gives a-l^'tiona width 

 Estimates that a broad gauge transverse sleeper would cost aO per cent 

 more than a similar sleeper on the narrow gauge ^''^'"^nj" ^\^{ 

 bankments 30 feet, giving 7 feet on each side between edge and outer ra 1. 

 In such roads if engine got off one rail, it would remain on embankment ; 

 f off both rails It would go over. Cannot say how far the extra width in 

 G^eat Western engines would prevent them getting over the embankment^ 

 Would gfve a space of 7 feet beyond the rails in wide as well as narrow 



^'Kffls laid upon longitudinal bearings give greater elasticity to the work, 

 and tend to throw the engines and carriages off the line; tried wth lo. gi- 

 rnHinal bearinffS two viaducts, Dutton viaduct and Birmingham viaduct, 

 and could neve^r keep them in order ; considers the principle bad ; prefers 

 'ransverse"leepers. This opinion the result of actual observation. Rad- 

 ^ys laTd with'transverse sleepers more easily repaired than a longitudinal 



™Hks not seen the contrivances used at Paddington f-^ '^^ff ^'" V^1^= 

 from one gauge to another. Believes the transfer can easily be made The 

 machine itself very simple ; the practical difficulty is in use of carriages 

 carrying oose box buddies to be tranferred ; a machine was formerly used 

 on Live'rpooTand Manchester for lifting ^"^.e co.Ubo.es ■r..ch.nee.c,X 

 lent and saved much labour, but the boxes were so much broken and in- 

 ured in lift.no-, that the contrivance was abandoned ; carriages with oose 



same manner, and dropped on to a trame oi 'our i 



journey. Th^ contrivance is very simple and '^.^ f'', '« '^^" /,^1j\7. 

 safe Thev take the truck as it stands when the diligence is '< a"eu 

 h ;isfirsIo?alll.truckmade for the diligence ''-.;';;;- ^.^.'^ 

 a simple bottom to it, but has sides to it, and it is hen Ike an ord nary 

 truck ; and 1 believe that when the diligence is "?"" ^^''';''^"';v'' '%'"' 



you might have a --^^t "f^'y about five or ..^s^^^^^^ 

 carriage you are carrying a great deal oi oeau „ .„nision on the 

 the necessity of changing the carnages. There "''^^ * <="' '"^"ji" ^ce. 

 Orleans Railway by some sudden stoppage ; one of those very diligence, 

 was thrown off Its position. j„ „:n, „„tairlfl cvlindere : 



Engines on narrow-gauge lines are not all ™'*<lf/''h »" f'^ llhey^Te 

 on Grand Junction line, about one half are *« made. »nd o.he s, as Uiey are 

 renaired are altered upon the new system ; but evet^ with cranked dxies 

 a'angements of m'achinery are so simpldied and compressed that n 

 inconvenience is felt from want of space. No ^'fi^erence in construcUon 

 of horse boxes on broad and narrow-gauge lines. ^/f^'^/XoDa-es and 

 Western attributed to their having better gradient f'■"^';'°PP^^;;■^,"t 

 larger engines than on narrow-gauge. Has travelled o" an engine witn 

 6 ffet ti inch wheel (the largest wheel on narrow ^^''^^If-^^'^'^^^Z 

 with ease ; that engine capable of taking «'\°^ ^ «" "T^^,, ° Hett 

 an hour; one of the new engines on t'™"/ J unction with only 

 wheel, and expansive gear, recently travelled " m'les a° hour 



Believes that wherever a break of gauge o^^»" ^"^^''r'i^'„po7b,oad 

 tirely new line must be laid down, or a narrow 8*' g« !'"/ '»'° ^nd having 

 .riugeroad In the latter case, continuing the narrow gauge, a"'' °"' * 

 rirfoubte gauge upon the shortest possible length ,s the lesser e,. of the 



two, and in'all probability will h^^Y-^/^^^^yf.-'-P^^-.ue^I ion of al. tL 



should take place where there is little traffic. An aiie 



broad gauge lines to 4 feet 8i inch gauge would "« "^ \^f '^P^VterCom- 



obviating The evil of different g-"f ^;, »! '"^^Je ,0 ^reat, '^^^^^^^^^^ -"' 

 pany will find the inconvenience of break^f gauge so gre ' j 



be compelled to lay down the narrow gauge from 0^f°™ '"J;';"^ g. 

 not prepared to say at once that a change "^ "road U, narrow gg 

 throughout would lead to the ^-a'est economy and g^a^es^ ^ ^^^^ 



advantage, because th» oSicers of the Great \» estern Kaiiway 



