114 



On Railway Gradients. 



lines are daily worked. The results may be relied on, great care 

 having been taken to ensure accuracy : — 





Railway. 



Length 

 of Grade 



Grade. 



- 



Load. 



Speed. 



Weight of 

 Engines. 



Total 

 Load. 







Miles. 





Tons. 



Miles 

 pr hr. 



Tons. 





A 



B 



E 



Virginian Central . 

 Oldham Incline 

 Turin and Genoa ) 

 Giovi Incline . \ 



2 

 1.75 



6 



Iin20 

 lin27 



lin36 



40 

 52 



100 



7 

 15 



15 



30 



27 



2 i 50 1 engs 



70 

 79 



150 



B 



Lickey Incline 



2 



lin37 



250 



6| 



2 1 67 I engs 



317 



B 



Accrington Incline . 



2 



1 in 41J 



71 



6.31 



26.25 



114 



A 

 E 

 B 

 B 



Pennsylvania 

 Central .... 



Semmering Incline . 



Durham and Sun- 

 derland . . . 



South Devon . . . 



9.75 

 2.5 



2 



lin55 

 lin40 

 lin60 

 lin62 



125 



110 



100 



95 



25 



11.5 



15.5 



17. 



29 



38.75 

 25 

 28 



154 

 1651 

 125 

 134 





B signifies "British 



1 



V. "American." 



E 



"European." 





This Table is compiled from Parliamentary Papers ; the 

 Transactions of the Institute of Civil Engineers ; and, Memoranda 

 gleaned by myself. The results unquestionably prove that a 

 Gradient of 1 in 50 may be worked with an engine of 27 tons, 

 and carrying a passenger train of 70 to 80 tons, at the rate of 

 15 to 20 miles per hour, and this with perfect ease. Assuming 

 these data as a guide, it is evident that it is not only practicable, 

 but it is in every way preferable, to have Gradients of 1 in 50 to 1 

 in 60, than to follow a circuitous, and most frequently an equally 

 expensive route, for the purpose of obtaining an incline of 1 in 

 100 to 1 in 150. 



Under peculiar circumstances, it would doubtless be advisable 

 to lengthen grades, where, in ascending table land, the surface 

 of the country on either side of the proposed Railway is tolerably 

 uniform ; but, in the majority of cases in which I have been 

 engaged, the longer line would have been infinitely the most 

 expensive one, on account of the table land being traversed by 

 deep ravines, gullies, and creeks — imposing a large outlay in the 

 item of Bridges, Culverts, &c. 



In the working of inclines, the natural forces to be overcome, 

 viz., Atmospheric resistance, friction, and resistance due to 

 gravity, are constants pretty accurately known ; hence, the 

 Engineer in estimating the required power of his engines, does 

 so on calculations proved by experience. 



