y. C. Dyer. 317 



proposed to the committee of management, by Mr. Dyer, 

 to lay down a short railway in a convenient spot, somewhere 

 near Rainhill, I believe, for experimental purposes, and 

 mainly with a view to ascertam the most advantageous 

 gauge. The suggestion was not acted on, the committee 

 being satisfied with the gauge of the Stockton and Darling- 

 ton line ; a gauge having no other raison d'etre than the 

 accidental width between the rails of the old tramway on 

 which Stephenson experimented with his original engine. 

 The selection of rails and sleepers was also under considera- 

 tion of this committee, and Mr. Dyer urged the adoption of 

 the heavy double-headed rail, very similar to that now in 

 general use, and of wooden sleepers. He was outvoted in 

 both instances ; light fish-bellied rails and stone sleepers 

 were adopted. They had to be taken up in a few years. 

 The stone sleepers were especially faulty, giving a harsh 

 jarring movement to the carriages, and requiring constant 

 watchfulness and labour, to keep them in their places and 

 maintain the correct width between the rails. 



'In 1832 Mr. Dyer estabHshed the machine-making 

 works at Gamaches, Somme, France, under the management 

 of Mr. Henry Farey, brother of John Farey, author of *' A 

 Treatise on the Steam Engine," that attained some vogue. 



' The works at Gamaches were placed nominally in 

 charge of Mr. Dyer's eldest son, to whom Mr. Farey was to 

 act as dry-nurse, a duty that gentleman seems to have very 

 carefully neglected. The business never recovered the 

 injury he inflicted on it, though under the better manage- 

 ment of George H. Dyer it was able to keep afloat, until 

 the Revolution of 1848 finally swamped it ; entailing great 

 loss on Mr. Dyer, senior, the total amounting to 120,000/., 

 speaking in round numbers. 



