160 REPORT — 1867. 



men. It was evident, therefore, that some decided steps must be adopted 

 to overcome the snow difficulty, and in the beginning of 1866 the road was 

 kept pretty well open by the application of snow-ploughs ; and the expe- 

 rience of that winter made it quite clear that this difficulty might, with 

 proper appliances, be effectually overcome, and means were accordingly 

 adopted for that piirpose. 



In these elevated regions, when a snow-storm occurs, it is accompanied 

 with high wind, and the snow is consequently drifted with great rapidity 

 into the hollows and cuttings. With the view of obviating this, screen 

 fences of light timber, or of decayed sleepers, or earthen mounds were 

 erected a few yards from each side of the cuttings where the line was exposed. 

 These were found very effective for intercepting the drifts. There was then 

 provided snow ploughs of three descriptions, viz : — One, a light plough fixed 

 to all the engines running on the line, and capable of clearing 12 to 24 inches 

 of new snow. The second was a more formidable snow plough, which was 

 fixed to a pilot engine, and was found capable of clearing 2 to 5 feet of 

 snow. This pilot engine was attached to goods or passenger trains. The 

 thii'd, and largest class of plough was found to clear snow 10 or 11 feet 

 deep, with the aid of four or five goods engines. These appliances, notwith- 

 standing the very serious snow-storms which were encountered on the line 

 in January last, were capable of keeping the line almost whoUy clear. 



This I consider a great triumph, inasmuch as the Highland line, over 

 such high elevations, was kept clear, while, by the same storm, the lines 

 throughout Scotland, England, and France were more or less blocked up ; 

 the lines in the north of Scotland being stopped entirely five or six days — 

 the mails for Aberdeen being delayed three days from London, and two from 

 Edinburgh. The Norfolk line was blocked up for some days ; the Holyhead 

 mail detained from 12 to 16 hours ; the London, Chatham, and Dover blocked 

 up for two days, as well as the trains in France to Marseilles. 



Much credit is due to the activity and attention of the Highland Company's 

 officers — Mr. Stroudley, the Locomotive Superintendent, and Mr. Buttle, Su- 

 perintendent of Permanent Way — Mr. Stroudley having planned and con- 

 structed the snow-ploughs. 



As a specimen of a cheaply constructed line of railway, the -writer annexes 

 a note of the details of the northern portion of the Highland Railway, from 

 Invergordon to Bonar Bridge, 26 ^ miles in length. The country through 

 which this section of the line passes is comparatively level, and several parts 

 skirt and run through the sea, where the works had to be protected at con- 

 siderable cost. The cuttings amounted to 549,000 cubic yards, of which 

 about 20,000 were rock. There are 27 bridges over streams, 4 of them 

 40 to 50 feet span, 26 public and accommodation road-bridges, and 2942 

 lineal yards of drains, varying from 18 to 36 inches square. The rails are 

 double-headed and weigh 70 lbs. to the yard, and are fished at the joints ; 

 I of the chairs are 20 1 lbs., and § 28 lbs. in weight. There are ten stations, 

 with permanent dwelling-houses for the agents and porters. 



The total cost of this portion of the line, the works being of the very best 

 quality, and the masonry aU of stone, amounted to £5018 per mile, or in- 

 cluding parliamentary and law expenses and land, £5888 per mile. 



Commercially, these lines, extending over 246 miles, have not as yet been 

 quite successful, from the fact of too great an extent of line having been 

 undertaken at once, it requiring in an agricultural country considerable 

 time to develope the traffic. 



Under the whole circumstances, however, the traffic is satisfactory. 



The works are of the most substantial character. The capital account, 



