250 THE COACHING ERA 



whilst a prize of five hundred pounds offered for the 

 best locomotive in 1829 was won by The Rocket, going 

 at fifteen miles an hour. 



Even in 1838 it was possible to send messengers to 

 overtake a fugitive engine: 



"The train left Maidenhead at the usual time with 

 the Thunder engine, when everything appeared per- 

 fectly safe, but about half-way between that place and 

 Slough the passengers were surprised at suddenly 

 finding the carriages not locomotive but stationary, 

 the engine having broken away and gone thundering 

 along by itself at a most rapid pace. Messengers were 

 immediately despatched after it, but, strange to say, 

 the engineer did not discover the loss of his train until 

 he had proceeded near four miles. The engine was then 

 turned back, and the train attached by means of ropes 

 (the fastenings having broken away); but between 

 Slough and West Drayton they also had burst asunder, 

 and the engineer on his arrival at the latter station, 

 found he had left the train he did not know where. 

 The engine was then again turned back, and the train 

 having been secured by stronger ropes, reached the 

 Paddington terminus about nine o'clock instead of 

 eight o'clock, its usual time of arriving."^ 



Accidents like this unnerved the public, and the 

 Sovereign coach between Worcester and London after 

 being withdrawn was put on the road again for a short 

 time "in consequence of the irregularity of the rail- 

 road conveyance, occasioning it frequently to be con- 

 siderably behind its usual time of arrival." 



^ The Oxford Journal^ 1838. 



