428 HIGHIVAYS AND HORSES. 



though I cannot give the weight with exactness. And, talking 

 of weight, I may mention that the firm put up a platform weighing- 

 machine to ascertain the exact weight, as they were much annoyed 

 by false quotations. They desired to be accurate, and, indeed, 

 often lost an order by not quoting the weights too low. There 

 seems to be a great change now in the construction of carriages. 



William Lumsden. 



3, Leazes Crescent, Newcastle-on-Tyne, June 2. 



Sir, — I was connected with stage-coaches as early as the year 

 1826, when coaches ran between Newcastle and Edinburgh by way 

 of Morpeth, Wooler, and Kelso. The " Highflyer," of which I was 

 guard for twelve years, was built by Messrs. Atkinson & Philipson, 

 of Newcastle, and was considered one of the best running coaches of 

 the day. I can testify to the soundness of its build, requiring little 

 or no repair, excepting in case of accident; its weight was 22 cwt., 

 and it was considered without an equal until the " Quicksilver " was 

 brought out by the same firm of builders. The weight of this coach 

 was only iS cwt., being the lightest running. It was the fastest on 

 the road, going ten miles an hour. It had four springs, back and 

 front, and a check cross-spring to relieve the others. For some 

 time visitors to Newcastle desired to see this coach, on account of 

 its lightness, and I may say it revolutionised coach-building, and 

 many of the old ones had their heavy perches done away with. 



One of the great features of Atkinson & Philipson's coaches was 

 that the builders departed from the old-fashioned lines, and made them 

 on the best mechanical principles ; and any one calling at their 

 establishment will find about a thousand designs of carriages, showing 

 all the changes in coach-building during the last hundred years. For 

 more than fifty years I have been connected with coaches, as guard, 

 driver, and proprietor, and always found Messrs. A. & P.'s coaches 

 built of the best materials, and gave much satisfaction. When the 

 '• Quicksilver " coach was brought out, it was feared there might be 

 danger to passengers, on account of its lightness ; but it did its work 

 as safely and as well as any other. Others, on same principles, were 

 soon after put on the road. 



The first patent hand-drag I remember was attached to a coach 

 of which I was part proprietor, and which ran daily between Newcastle 

 and Alnwick. This drag, I think, was brought out by the late Mr. 

 Philipson, who was succeeded by his son, Mr. John Philipson, who 

 is now looked upon by mechanical engineers as an authority on these 

 matters. 



John Braithwait. 



Alnwick, Ji/ue 5. 



