3 
iron roof over such a bridge, but if not, it 
would require painting to keep the water out of 
the joints and ends of timber. 
MOTIVE POWER. 
As to the motivb power, horses or engines, 
from evidence taken in New South Wales on 
cheap railways I find that a horse can draw on 
a railway as much as six or eight on a good 
macadamised road ; also, that on a line in 
Europe, over which 22,000 tons were conveyed 
in six months by horse, it cost Id. l-6th per ton 
per mile, and by engine it cost about fd., being 
rather more than half the cost of horse trac- 
tion. The engine only wrought 2^ hours per 
day doing the work — about 140 tons per day. 
Where a railway is only of a short length — say 
four or five miles — I believe that horses are the 
most economical for a light traffic ; but as in 
this country, where the lines have to be laid, 
not units, but tens, and hundreds of miles, the 
iron-horse must do the work. Engines are 
made in various manners, by different makers. 
They are mounted on four, six, eight, or even 
more wheels — according to their weight ; the 
object being to have only a certain weight — four 
or five tons — on each pair of wheels, according 
to weight of rail. Now, for our slow speed 
and light rails such engines are entirely un- 
necessary. I would have engines purposely 
built for our requirements, weighing about 
eight tons. I would have them double-geared 
— that is, the crank shaft should have two 
pinions, one of which to gear into driving- 
wheel, and making three or four revolutions to 
one of driving-wheels ; the other pinion to gear 
into intermediate shaft, and when in it 
crank shaft to make about 12 revolutions 
to one of driving-wheels ; this second 
motion I would use on steep in- 
clines, say of 1 in 20, and in order to 
have traction power I would have a separate 
wheel, with wooden teeth (spotted gum), 
working into a rack placed midway between the 
rails. Two of such wheels would be required ; 
one by which to ascend (in which the pitch 
would be coarser than that of the rack), and the 
other by which to descend (in which the pitch 
would be finer than that of the rack), 
Another plan would be to have a tire of vul- 
canized indiarubber, as on the traction-engine of 
Mr. Dalrymple, on a middle wheel, and let it 
rest on a plank between the rails. 
The cog system might not be the cheapest at 
first, but the working expense would be lees 
with the rubber. An engine of eight-horse 
power, with modification as above, could be 
made for £1000, or less. 
As to the goods carriages for such a line, they 
could be made here out of our indigenous 
timbers, as they are far stronger and more elas- 
tic than any that can be imported. For all the 
springs that would be required for them, our 
spotted gum would do. The wheels, axles, and 
bearings, with other iron work, would have to 
be imported. 
It is only by comparison that the advantages 
of another plan than the one adopted can be 
appreciated. We have a costly railway now at 
work. From a report to the Legislative Assem- 
bly in 1868, I observe that the repairs to the 
line from Ipswich to Helidon was £220 per mile 
per year, and on the Main Range was about 
£290. In that was included some land-slips, 
&c. Now, by my plan of railway it would be 
next to impossible that much over one-tenth of 
such sum would be required for repairs unless 
some bridge was carried away altogether. Re- 
ferring to the Main Range portion, which by 
map appears to be a series of curves, and the 
inclination about 1 in 70, I have already re- 
marked that a horse can draw as much on a 
straight line up an incline of 1 in 25, as he can 
draw on a seven-chain radius curve, and up incline 
of 1 in 70. So that, could a straight line have 
been got up there with inclines of 1 in 25, it 
would be in the same position, so far as drawing- 
power is concerned, as our present line, and less 
than half the distance would have to be passed 
over, and therefore less than half the power 
and cost in taking of goods up or down. Over 
and above that there would be the saving of 
keeping the straight line in repair, with low 
speed against the present crooked line with 
high speed, also in keeping the engines and 
carriages in repair. These items of saving 
would certainly amount to 70 per cent, 
on this portion of the line. I cannot find out 
what are the expenses attending working this 
portion of the line ,* at any rate, it must be 
enormous, and the saving that would be effected 
by making a short, straight, steep line would 
cover the expense of making it in a few years — 
say four or five years. This portion of line 
from Helidon to Toowoomba is twenty-nine 
miles, and by dray road is fourteen miles. 
I have referred to 1 in 25 as a comparison, 
but there is no reason why 1 in 10 should not 
be adopted, if required. In New South Wales 
evidence, one engineer says cogs are very dan- 
gerous for a railway. One story is good till 
another is told. I say unhesitatingly that I see 
no danger attending them if properly made, and 
with two wheels — one by which to ascend, and 
another by which to descend. I have cogs ex- 
tensively in use at my mill, and only once were 
they stripped. I have a wheel at present in use 
off the fly-wheel, in which the cogs are worn to 
an edge for one-third the length of tooth. The 
pitch is 2i inches j power taken off, about 12- 
horse. I intend to let it run till the teeth break. 
As to keeping such a line as I now propose 
in working order, the expense for repairs would 
be very little indeed. The present railways are 
always liable to get out of gauge or shift their 
position, as the fixings to hold the rails laterally 
are very little ; whereas with one now proposed 
it is nearly impossible for it to get out of shape 
in this manner. Then for getting off the level, 
the whole length of a pair of sleepers and a 
cross-sleeper would have to shift ; whereas with 
our present railways the only thing to keep the 
rail level is the strength of the rail itself and 
isolated sleepers. Another thing in hot weather 
is the expansion of the rails ; and there being 
sometimes no room for them to expand, the 
whole line goes out of shape; whereas with# 
plan now proposed, there being no chairs, the 
ends of the rails can easily be kept clean, so as 
to allow room for expansion. 
