MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART. 
60 
vantages of the different kinds of roads. It appears 
that the coal was formerly brought in to Newcastle by 
carts alont: an ordinrry bush road, and three horses 
brought in twenty tons per week. When a wooden 
tramway was laid down four horses brought in 30 tons 
per day. or' ISO ions per week. When iron rails 
were substituted for the wooden train, fire horses 
can bring in 100 tons per day, or 000 tons per week. 
Thus, on a hash road, a horso will draw 7 tons per 
week. 
On a wooden tram a horse will draw 45 tons, and 
on an iron railway 120 tons per week. 
This is conclusive against the employment of 
wood, at all events, as a tramway. The friction 
would possibly be Jess npon an edge rail of wood, 
but still the difference between wood and iron would 
probably double the cost of traction, and altogether 
neutralize any benefit which might bp derived from 
(he comparative cheapness of wood. In Mr. Bell’s 
Taper there is an estimate of the comparative cost 
of horse ami steam traction, and there is no ques¬ 
tion but that, with such an amonnt of traffic, steam 
power would bo much cheaper than horso power. 
According to his calculation, the engine would have 
to travel 2SS miles per week. Now; tho cost in 
England per train mile, including repairs, Ac., is Is. 
3d. per mile. The experience of the Parramatta 
railroad gives, I believe, 4s. 6d. per train mile, if 
we assume 2s. fid. as a fair price, looking to the 
great expense of everything in the colony, 
2SS x 2-6-20 £36, the cost per week of locomotive 
power, Ac.; and as 3090 tons have been brought 
down, the cost per ton will be 2-79, or the cost per 
ton per mile will bo, as near as possible, 1 penny. 
This, however, does not iiioludo interest upon roil¬ 
ing stock, including engines and carriages ; neither 
does it provido for repairs and replacement, or for 
supervision. In fact, it is the mere cost of locomo¬ 
tive power, and it most therefore be compared with 
the horse power, which has been shown to cost 
rather more than ljd. par mile. In fact, tho cost 
of convoying about 100 ,000 tons per annum would 
cost, so far as mere traction ia concerned, by steam 
£666 13s. 4d. par mile, and by horse power £1,166 
13s. 4d. against this, however, must be placed the 
interest of the outlay on tho construction of tho 
road ; which, if pat at 12,000 for tho steam road, 
and 4,000 for the horse road, would be £600 and 
£200, and tho increased cost of maintenance of way 
which for the steam road may be put at £250 per 
mile, and for the horse road at £100, The com¬ 
parison will therefore stand as follows : 
Steam. 
Horse 
Interest . 
200 
Traction . 
1166 
Maintenance of 
way 250 
100 
1516 
1466 
With a smaller amount of traffic, such as is likely 
for many years to p iss over tho Southern and Wes¬ 
tern roads, the comparison will be much mors in 
favour of horse power. 
Particulars of the Actual Cost for Traction of Coals on the Australian Agricultural Company’s Railway, near 
Newcastle, New South Wales, from the 1st of January to the 31st March inclusive, 1857. 
Tons. 
From D Pit... 8164 
From E Pit... 6531 
From F Pit... 3870 
Miles. 
Length of Railway... 2 
2 
0 
Qrs. Frigs. Yrds. 
0 1 42| 
1 1 21i 
3 O 1S4 
Lineal yards. 
30,880,330 
2,743,996J 
5,820,480 
18,565 
64,140,806 
Avg. mileage p. ton, 1’963 
The above quantity is delivered at the Coal Staiths by contract, including grease and oil, at the uniform rate 
of 3d. per ton all through, which also includes the haulage ef the empty waggons back to the pits, making the 
cost for manual labour and lubrication alone to average 1.53 pence per ton each mile for the loaded waggons one 
way. The Company furnish horses, harness, and provender. 
Cost of Maintenance during three Months. 
£ s. 
390 bushels of maize, at 5s. 97 10 
12£ tons of hay, at £5.. 69 10 
Run in paddock ... 9 15 
Horse shoeing hill...,. 10 2 
Saddling bill. 4 6 
Summary of Cost. 
d. ’ £ s. 
0 Haulago on 18,565 tons, at 3d.,.. 232 1 
0 Cost of maintenance . 184 4 
0 Add )th of original cost of stock 
6 for depreciation, per annum... 13 7 
6 
Avrg. Cost, 
d. 
3 1-53 
0 1-21 
184 4 0 
Original cost of Stock and Plant. 
4 £ s. d. 
15 horses, at £25 each. 375 0 0 
15 sets of harness and gears, £70 . 52 10 0 
427 10 0 
(Signed) 
27th April, 1857. 
429 12 6 
Or say, in round numbers, nearly 3d. per ton. 
•09 
2-83 
ROBT. WHYTTLE, 
Manager A. A. Co.’s Collieries. 
In consequence of a press of matter, Mr. Peppercorn’s paper is unavoidably post¬ 
poned till next number. 
