164 



MALLEABLE KAILS RECOMMENDED. 



CHAP. IX. 



went before the directors to discuss with them the kind 

 of material to be specified. He was himself inter- 

 ested in the patent for cast-iron rails, which he had 

 taken out in conjunction with Mr. Losh in 1816; and, 

 of course, it was to his interest that his articles should 

 be used. But when requested to give his opinion on 

 the subject, he frankly said to the directors, " Well, 

 gentlemen, to tell you the truth, although it would put 

 500/. in my pocket to specify my own patent rails, 1 

 cannot do so after the experience I have had. If you 

 'take my advice, you will not lay down a single cast-iron 

 rail." " Why ? " asked the directors. " Because they 

 will not stand the weight, and you will be at no end 

 of expense for repairs and relays." " What kind of 

 road, then," he was asked, "would you recommend?" 

 " Malleable rails, certainly," said he ; " and I can recom- 

 mend them with the more confidence from the fact that 

 at Killingworth we have had some Swedish bars laid 

 down nailed to wooden sleepers for a period of four- 

 teen years, the waggons passing over them daily ; and 

 there they are, in use yet, whereas the cast rails are 

 constantly giving way." 1 



The price of malleable rails was, however, so high- 

 being then worth about 121. per ton as compared with 

 cast-iron rails at about 5. 10s. and the saving of ex- 

 pense was so important a consideration with the sub- 

 scribers to the railway, that Mr. Stephenson was directed 

 to provide, in the specification drawn by him, that only 



1 The most suitable kind of iron for 

 rails had formed the subject of fre- 

 quent conversations between George 

 Stephenson and his son in their cot- 

 tage at Killingworth many years be- 

 fore ; and they had both come to the 

 conclusion that malleable iron only 

 should be used for the purpose. 

 While Robert Stephenson was attend- 

 ing college at Edinburgh, he wrote 

 a letter on the subject (dated Sept. 

 26th, 1821) to Richard Scorton, a 



gentleman interested in the formation 

 of a railway near Durham, and his 

 opinion on the point was clear and 

 explicit. Robert was only eighteen 

 years old at the time, but his letter 

 was full of practical information on 

 the then little known subject of rail- 

 ways, indicating habits of careful ob- 

 servation, and the action of a vigorous 

 and well-disciplined intellect. The 

 letter was published in the 'Mining 

 Journal' of April 5th, 1862. 



