162 Railway Development. [April, 



been educated up to a certain standard of requirements, and 

 hence it is absolutely hopeless to look for any change in 

 England in " Railways." Like the Circumlocution Office, 

 or a Government department, or one of those old-fashioned 

 blowing engines which I have seen in the iron districts, 

 which does its work, and must not be meddled with, or else 

 it would stop altogether, the " machinery " would get out 

 of order by interference, and once out, it could not be 

 readjusted. 



A railway is a railway, and you cannot make anything 

 else of it. A " light railway " is a misnomer — a term which 

 has led to a great deal of confusion and loss of money, 

 although it has received the sanction of the Legislature 

 (31 and 32 Victoriae) — a " light " railway must be a bad 

 railway ; therefore it is as well to descend at once from the 

 lofty eminence, and talk about a tramway, steam worked, if 

 you will, but still a " tramway," and not a railway ; then at 

 once we begin to approach the region of dividend and com- 

 mercial prosperity, and the investing public can be once 

 more appealed to with prospect of success, and we work on 

 a different scale and without that majesty of design, which 

 must end in disaster and disappointment. 



Before approaching the practical part of this paper, and 

 showing what really ought to be, instead of what ought not, 

 I should briefly draw attention to the fact of a " light rail- 

 way " in this country being almost an impossibility — not 

 physically, but from the surroundings. I speak from ex- 

 perience : a branch railway is projected on the ordinary 

 system, and receives the sanction of Parliament ; a great 

 deal of difficulty is found in raising the money, as nobody 

 will subscribe who can help it ; a director or country gen- 

 tleman, who promises a thousand pounds or two, does so 

 simply out of patriotic devotion to his district — for its 

 development — and looks upon the money as a fonde perdu, 

 irretrievably gone. The town to be benefited is can- 

 vassed by a few enthusiastic agents, who succeed in placing 

 a few hundred shares of £5 each amongst the tradesmen, 

 who give as they would to a charitable association. At last 

 it is found that the whole amount got together is infinitely 

 below what is wanted; indeed, only a fractional part of it. 



Then an appeal is made to the Board of Trade, to give 

 permission for a reduction in the style of construction, — 

 light rails, light permanent way, light bridges, light stations, 

 all cheap and bad, and in the end most costly — are sanc- 

 tioned, and twenty-five per cent is knocked off the required 

 capital. All promises well ; inspired with fresh confidence, 



