438 THE COACHING AGE. 



the two o'clock trains only exceeded their time on 

 eight occasions, and by the five o'clock train on 

 thirteen. The trains, on the reverse way from 

 Manchester at two o'clock exceeded their time on 

 twenty-five occasions, while the five o'clock train was 

 late on twenty-one only. Accordingly there does not 

 seem to have been any appreciable loss of time in 

 consequence of travelling in the dark ; the trains, 

 however, only ran at the rate of twenty miles an hour, 

 being allowed an hour and a half to do the thirty 

 miles. 



As twenty miles an hour was at that time looked 

 upon as about the highest rate of speed at which rail- 

 way trains could travel safely and punctually (the 

 line having then been opened about six years), it is 

 not surprising to find that ten years previously there 

 existed a very strong opinion among engineers and 

 other scientific persons that steam-power could be 

 made available for travelling on ordinary roads. The 

 idea probably originated from seeing the moderate 

 rate of travelling on which the Stockton and Darling- 

 ton line. The principal advocates and supporters, 

 of the system were a Mr. Gurney, who, after having 

 expended upwards of £22,000 in constructing engines 

 and otherwise endeavouring to bring the undertaking 

 into general use, retired from it, but stated his in- 

 tention of taking it up again in seven years, when 



