780 REPORT— 1903. 



(say in cheapening the cost of transportation by a more comprehensive and united 

 action among the workers) fully warrants their being discussed. 



In the paper particulars are proposed as would tend to such a joint action, and 

 to the benefits arisino- therefrom. 



Report of the Committee on the Small Screw Gauge. 

 See Reports, p. 378. 



TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15. 

 The following Papers were read : — 



1. Twenty-Jive Years' Progress in Final and Sanitary Refuse Disposal. 



By W. F. Goodrich. 



2. High Speed Electrical Monorails and the proposed Manchester and 

 LiverjMvl £x2)ress Railway. By F. B. Behr. 



Since a paper on the above subject was read before the British Association 

 in 1900 by Sir AVilliam Preece and Mr. Behr, much progress has been made with 

 this project. The demand for faster and more frequent passerger service is 

 leading more and more to the necessity of separating the fast and slow traffic on 

 our railways. The railway companies are attempting in some instances to dupli- 

 cate their main lines, but owing to the inter-communication which is still 

 maintained between the fast and the slow lines, there are many opportunities for - 

 accidents due to shunting, points, crossings, etc. 



By adopting the Behr monorail for the fost line, the express traffic is kept 

 entirely separate ; it can also be carried on with absolute safety and more economy 

 by a system of light and frequent express trains than could be accomplished on a 

 two-rail track. As regards speed the monorail enables a much higher average 

 speed of, say, at least 100 miles an hour to be adopted Avith absolute safety, and 

 on the existing curves of our British railways. With an ordinary two-rail track 

 it would not be possible to attain a higher average speed than about sixty miles 

 an hour. 



The constant slackening of speed on entering, and the subsequent acceleration 

 on leaving a curve on a two-rail track would require much additional power, 

 besides introducing the danger of derailment through forgetfidness on the part of 

 the driver or electrician to slow down when necessary. The monorail eliminates 

 these conditions. 



A description illustrated by lantern-slides was given of the permanent-way 

 and car as used on the experimental railway in Belgium in 1897, also of the 

 permanent-way as approved by the Board of Trade for the Manchester and Liver- 

 pool Railway, and of the latest improvements, recently made, in the design of 

 the car which is to be used on the railway. 



The advantages of the monorail over the ordinary two-rail track, in giving 

 rapid and safe transit, will help effectually to bring about the decentralisation of 

 our great towns, afford a means to all classes of living farther in the country, 

 and thus mitigate the evils of overcrowding by solving the question of the housing 

 of the working classes. 



3. Oil Fuel. By A. M. Bell. 



The increasing interest and steady progress in the employment of oil as fuel 

 for various purposes suggests the compilation of the paper submitted. 



Oil fuel has been a favourite field for the ingenuity of inventors for many 

 years. The first applications appear to have been made in France, but numerous 



