568 Trials of Traction-Engines at Wolverhampton. 
chain. ' At 7li. 32m. got into Faston's Hollow ; the chain broke and the engine 
went up, leaving the waggons bihind. At 7h. 34m. came hack, and 7h. 36m., by 
50 feet of chain, got waggons nearly out ; stopped, and came back, shortened 
chain, and rc-started 7h. 37m. 45s. At the 117th chain, that is, at the gap, 
passed full charge through the gap in the hedge, and arrived at the end of 
the course at 7h. 47m., being 1 hour 5 minutes from the first start, or 1 
hour 1 minute from the time when, the 1 ton having been thrown out, the 
real start was effected. The coals used were 233 lbs., less fire and ashes 25 
lbs., if taken as equal to half coal ; equals 220^ lbs. The water consumed was 
217 gallons ; being equal to 9.84 lbs. of water per lb. of coal. Although there 
were only occasional indications of priming, it is clear that this excess of 
apparent evaporation, over the evaporation when tried ujioii the brake, was 
due to priming, for it is quite certain that the fire was not being worked with 
more economical results. At a very early period of the run two teeth broke 
out of one of the wheels of the jack-in-the-box ; but, as has been before ex- 
plained, the wheels of the jack-in-the-box, excejit on turning curves, do not 
act as ordinary gearing, but as mere drivers. It was owing to this that the 
engine was enabled to go round the course. 
Just before reaching home, namely, at about the 141st chain, two more 
teeth broke out, but the course was completed without accident. We felt this 
breakage was a serious matter, and one to be carefully weighed before we deter- 
mined how far it ought to affect our award. We believe we have already said, 
that the whole of the gearing of this engine, with the exception of these wheels, 
was made of malleable cast iron. Prior to this accident taking place, namely, 
while the engine was being tried on the brake, Mr. Aveling had reported to us 
that he intended' to supply such wheels to the jack-in-the-box motion; and 
the only reason why he had been compelled to allow it to come to the yard 
with ordinary cast-iron wheels was that he had found it impossible to get large 
wheels like these rendered malleable or annealed in time for the Show. While 
deploring this accident, we felt that it was an accident, and that it would have 
been a wrong thing to have withheld from Messrs. Aveling and Porter the 
prize they had so well won by the general excellence of the Article No. 7001, 
on account of the failure in a part which we had been previously warned was, 
as it were, a substitute for that wliich would be supplied to a customer, and 
which, although it gave waj', did not prevent the engine comjileting the task 
assigned to it. We shall reserve our remarks upon the cajiabilities of traction 
of iron wheels, as we have tliose upon the powers of indiarubber, until we have 
recounted the trials on the high road. 
Trials on the Stafford High PiOad. 
Lord Vernon, the President of the Eoyal Agricultural Society of England, 
is a member of the Select Committee of the House of Lords now considering 
the question of locomotion upon common roads ; and at the suggestion of Lord 
Kinnaird, who is also a member of that committee. Lord Vernon and the 
Stewards determined to afford the Judges a further opportunity of testing 
the capabilities of traction-engines by a run of considerable length upon a 
high road. Instructions were accordingly given to the exhibitors, and on 
Thursday the 6th of July five locomotives started from the Show-yard at 
Wolverhampton to make the journey to Stafford, a distance of 16 miles, in 
the following order : — 
No. 
Eansomes, Sims, and Head's 8-horse-i30wer Engine 
" Sutherland " 2149 
Aveling's 10-horse-power Locomotive 7001 
Aveling's 6-horse-power Locomotive 7002 
Burrell's 8-horse-power Locomotive 3660 
Burrell's 8-horse-power Pot Boiler 3()6J 
