i66 Railway Development. [April, 



£380 a year ; the total working expenses being estimated at 

 -£650, including 10 per cent interest on two engines ; the 

 earnings being at the rate of about £1350 to £1400 a year, 

 leaving a profit for dividend at the rate of over 7 per cent 

 on the outlay, exclusive of land in the first year, a result 

 probably without parallel in the history of English railways. 



This little line traverses the most ordinary agricultural 

 country ; there are no great slate quarries or manufacturing 

 establishments to create any exceptional trade. The case 

 is one which affords a striking instance of what can be done 

 by steam and rails in common English country. The traffic 

 consists of coal, road metal, manure from London, and 

 general goods inwards ; of hay and straw, grain, timber, 

 bark outwards ; of cattle inwards from Herefordshire in 

 spring, and fat cattle to London in the winter. 



The coaching traffic consists of passengers and milk, at 

 present carried by a Great Western composite carriage, 

 which has been borrowed, and which weighs 8 tons, a great 

 deal too much for the work it has to do. 



The line is worked by one 6-horse Aveling and Porter 

 engine, weighing less than 10 tons, and costing about £400. 

 The engine makes two double trips a day, and a second 

 one is now provided. The former is found sufficient, and 

 very low rates are charged, London manures being brought 

 at id. per ton per mile throughout. 



It should be observed that these engines have no springs, 

 and consequently travel somewhat roughly. Perhaps too 

 great economy has been sought in them ; an expenditure of 

 £600 would have ensured a really efficient machine. 



The speed employed varies from four to eight miles an 

 hour, and it was not intended to carry passengers at all in 

 the first instance ; but the demand for accommodation in 

 the trains was so great that the passenger carriage had to 

 be borrowed, and the numbers carried were 627 in the first 

 four months of last year. 



Unfortunately, no statements of the actual costs and 

 earnings are published beyond April last ; but the impulse 

 to trade and agriculture, due to the tramway, is extra- 

 ordinary ; and has exceeded the best expectations. The 

 district served is one by no means densely populated, on 

 the contrary, the whole of the villages, including Brill, do 

 not total up to more than 2000 persons, or less than 300 a 

 mile. Three years ago, the idea of making a branch rail- 

 way to serve such a district would have been considered 

 insanity; for all over the country branch lines are seen, 

 having actual towns upon them, which nevertheless cannot 



