14 Li HENRY DEANE. 
the rails are sufficiently strong is the best way of meeting 
the difficulty, for the cost of train staff remains the same. 
For sharp curves something more may be required, namely, 
special rolling stock. It is to be noted that the four-wheeled 
wagons of the N.S.W. Railway Department traverse 5° 
chain curves without difficulty. In Victoria, some years 
ago, Mr. Rennick, formerly Engineer-in-Ohief of the Vic- 
torian Railways, made some tests which showed that all 
the Victorian carriages and wagons would travel safely 
round three chain curves at a speed of 20 miles per hour 
and many of the locomotives would also. In 1894, I 
visited the United States of America and travelled over 
the Southern Pacific roads. I found a good many curves 
of 16°=5°3 chains radius, and at Leadville there was one 
of 22°=3°85 chains radius. The train J] was in was drawn 
by an eight wheeled coupled locomotive. In 1904, when 
travelling on the Canadian Pacific Railway, we traversed 
a curve of 33 chains radius slowly but safely, drawn by a 
similar locomotive. To-day curves of 5 chains radius are 
negotiated on the Ceylon Railways with their gauge of 5 
feet 6 inches, by means of six wheeled coupled locomotives 
with bogie in front. There is plenty of side play allowed, 
the middle wheels have thin flanges, and the connecting 
rod and slide rod pins are barrelled. It is not pretended 
that there is no wear and tear to rails and flanges. 
Undoubtedly there is, but locomotives of English type are 
persistently made with too great rigidity, and far too 
little play in their axles for quite common curves, and 
even when provided with bogies in front, or pony trucks 
and radial axles, there is reason to helieve that these 
excellent mechanical contrivances are not always kept in 
such an efficient state as to allow them to work to 
advantage, and there is grinding and wear and tear in 
consequence, and danger of derailments. Look at what | 
a well worn contractor’s engine will do, up and down, in 
