348 



Account of a Railroad, 



[Oct. 



The wheels fixed on the axletrees were made of cast iron, and were 

 one foot in diameter, possessing a circumscribing flange, projecting 

 i inch from the interior rim ; the friction wheels possessed a diameter 

 of 4% inches. 



From the experience which was attained on this road, it is impossi- 

 ble to state the extent of advantage which will be derived from the 

 substitution of these friction wheels, as a working place for the axles, 

 ir 1 □ of the common boxes ; for the carriages employed were altoge- 

 ther of such rude construction, as not to hold out material for the 

 formation of a fair judgment. Yet it may be useful to state, that, in 

 ordejr to overcome the inertia and friction of a carriage, whilst standing 

 on the rails, a declivity of one in seventy was required, and also, that, 

 although in constant use for two months, and travelling at the daily 

 rate of fifte?n miles, their axletrees were but very slightly w r orn. The 

 following is an estimate of the expense of constructing one of this 

 species of rail carriage : 



lbs. 



Iron tiring for 8 Friction wheels 12 



8 Axletrees for do 12 



16 Boxes for do 2i 



2 Axles..... 42 



Hooks and nails. 12 



4 Cast iron wheels.. . . 240 



"Waste iron 51 



R. A. P. 



Total lbs 390 26 2 6 



W orhmen-shif . 



40 Smiths 15 0 0 



40 Bellows boys 3 2 0 



13 Hammermen 2 Q 6 



Charcoal and husk 3 12 0 



Price of wood. 



Wood and planks 5 0 0 



20 Carpenters 7 8 0 



2 Sawyers 0 12 0 



Total costs for one carriage, Rs. 63 5 0 



The experience of a railroad, in this instance, certainly proves the 

 expediency of adopting them as a mode of transport for material, in 

 all works of considerable extent, both as a means of avoiding the 

 confusion and misapplication of labour, generated by the employment 

 of a large body of people, and also of its bearing the advantages of 



