MECHANICAL AND USEFUL ARTS. 77 



convey 40 passengers with one horse up ascents varying from 1 in 

 -66 to 1 in 40, at the rate of five miles an hour, their average speed on 

 the level being at ten and twelve miles an hour. They had level 

 crossings, but j-et met with no accident, and although there were 

 continually trains of coal waggons, no difficulty was found in passing 

 them ; and there was this convenience, that they could stop when 

 they liked, almost instantaneously, and set down a farmer on his 

 own farm, instead of setting him down at a considerable distance 

 from it. That was the Edinburgh and Dalkeith line, but it was after- 

 wards bought up and worked with locomotives, so that the horse- 

 power was discontinued. Horse-rails had, in fact, become to be 

 looked on as an exploded system, and but for that reason they 

 might have been introduced here earlier, and to a great extent. 

 Having had considerable experience in this matter, he was bound 

 to say that he saw no difficulty in carrying on the traffic in our 

 streets on this improved system ; and, so far from its being an 

 obstacle, great facilities would be obtained, for passengers would reach 

 their destination earlier ; and the size of the railway cars, affording 

 increased accommodation, would lessen the number, and thereby 

 lessen the pressure which was now felt in the streets of large and 

 populous places. The rails themselves, constructed as proposed by 

 Mr. Train, presented no obstacle, and would not interfere with the 

 ordinary use of the road, whereas the width of the rails rendered 

 them available by vehicles in general use. As far as his experience 

 went, there was no difficulty whatever in getting round curves of 

 great sharpness or steep ascents; and even on single lines the horses 

 at the end of the journey could be taken from one end and put to the 

 other in very quick time, for nothing but traces were required. By 

 Mr. Train's plan breaks were employed, which could be made use of 

 either by the driver or conductor, or both, so that they could stop 

 the fore or hind wheels, or both, if necessary. With regard to steep 

 ascents, all that was required was an additional horse ; but with 

 respect to Ludgate-hill and Holborn-hill, he was of opinion that the 

 only effectual way of dealing with them was by a viaduct. 



Mr. Train said, in answer to Mr. Ryland's remarks, that, as he 

 proposed to make his rail along the centre of the street, it would 

 leave the sides open for general traffic. In reply to Dr. Steadman's 

 observation, as to the stoppages on the line, he did not anticipate 

 any, as the increased accommodation of the cars would so materially 

 lessen the number of vehicles that a stoppage was not likely to be so 

 common as at present, in addition to which the traffic would be more 

 divided, and besides this there might be branches where what might 

 be likely to be impediments could be shunted. 



The first public experiment with Mr. Train's railway was made 

 at Birkenhead, on August 30, with great success. The line of rails 

 — which had been laid down under the superintendence of Air. 

 Palles, of Philadelphia, and Mr. Samuel, of London — extended from 

 the Woodside Ferry, the landing-place at Birkenhead, just opposite 

 the centre of Liverpool, by the Shore-road, through Angle and 

 Conway streets, and so on to the entrance to Birkenhead Park. The 



