80 hughes: southern coal-fields of rewau g(jndwana basin. 



The running power of the coal has been tested on several occasions 

 Running power 



of on the East Indian and Great Indian Peninsula 

 Railways, and with one of the trial trips on the 

 latter line I was personally concerned. Reports were drawn up by the 

 Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway and 

 by Mr. Thomas Forster, the Manager and Mining Engineer of the 

 Umaria Colliery, and I give extracts from them further on. 



The coal was from the outcrop galleries, and no other care was taken 

 than to pick out the clinker band. There was no selection, and the 

 average of one consignment will be the average of another until the 

 character of the seam itself varies. After the necessary arrangements, 

 the local foreman of the line, Mr. Forster and myself left Jabalpur on 

 the 12th May 1884, with a baggage train of an average gross weight, 

 excluding the engine and tender, of 410 tons, and our run was to Sohag- 

 pur, a distance of 122 miles. Mr. Forster, in addressing the Political 

 Agent of Rewah, stated : — 



"I have the honour to submit a report of the 



Mr. Forster's report. . ' , . 



trial trip made on the night of the 12th instant. 



" By the kindness of the Traffic Superintendent, Mr. Maurice, we 

 were given a full train-load of 32 vehicles, the biggest load run on the 

 portion of the line between Jabalpur and Gadawara. The locomotive 

 supplied by Mr. Watson of the Locomotive Department was all that 

 could be desired for trial of coal. 



"We started from Jabalpur at 10-20 p.m., arriving at Sohagpur 

 about 9 a.m. on the morning of the 13th. 



" I am exceedingly glad to say that the coal steams admirably. Even 

 when going up hill with the full load, steam was blowing off from the 

 safety valve. The fire was cleaned out twice on the journey, not that it 

 was really necessary, but it is better always to trim the fire in a journey 

 so as to prevent the fire-box getting chocked and so prevent the admis- 

 sion of air. 



" On arrival at Sohagpur we found that the Traffic Superintendent 

 had telegraphed permission to weigh the train. 

 ( 216 ) 



