RAIL ROADS AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES. mane; and in a country where every nerve has been exerted to abolish the slave trade, it is hoped that the same national feeling may be excited in behalf of these poor dumb animals; the plan here proposed will not only diminish these acts of cruelty, but also present a more expeditious and considerably cheaper conveyance; even where horses shall be made use of; the strength required would be comparatively trifling to the present system, as the coaches running on the railway might convey three times the weight of luggage, and passengers in like proportion, with half the horse power. "One great advantage," says Mr. Gray, "which would arise from the use of locomotive engines would be the very great quantity of land used solely for the keep of horses, which might then be cultivated for the growth of corn and vegetables; if the land now required to raise food for these animals could be converted to the use of man, the number of human beings which might be supplied, by this alteration in our national economy, with the means of existence, would be very considerable indeed." The succeeding observations we consider important. To us it seems that there can be no danger from the use of the steam engine upon iron railways, and that there must be much pleasure and convenience. "Mechanic power, when once put to the test, by comparison on land and water, will, no doubt, prove more favourable by the former, in proportion as that element is more stable, and not under the influence of wind, tides, or currents; besides, the preference given, by the generality of mankind, to land carriage, the misfortunes which might happen to steam vessels cannot affect the steam coaches or wagons, as the steam engine on land is a separate vehicle, and only connected with the coach or wagon by a bar or chain." "A general iron railway," says Mr. Gray,* ,*"would prove one of the *No scheme for a general railway is before the public; but if all the rail road pro 285 most important branches of political economy, by introducing a system of conveyance every way superior to our present establishments, and at the same time presenting a fair opportunity to ministers of improving the finances of the country. Many millions of capital now annually required and expended in horses and their provender to keep up our present internal intercourse, might, besides augmenting the revenue of the country, be diverted into other channels of profitable employment, and various improvements in every country. One half the time and expense might be saved to the public, in forwarding and receiving the outward and homeward bound mails to and from Falmouth, and other ports whence the packets sail. The most effective communication might be established between all outports throughout the United Kingdom and the Admiralty, which would not only prove highly beneficial to our commercial interest, but in time of war considerably accelerate operations against any enemies that might present themselves on our coasts. In time of war or civil commotion, troops might be despatched from one end of the island to the other in one quarter of the time now required.Provisions and equipments might de forwarded to outports with the greatest speed and facility on fitting out an expedition. The great mortality amongst horses employed in coaches and postchaises, is so very general as to admit of no dispute; and it is equally evident to every individual, that the public must bear this expense, as no proprietors of stage-coaches or postchaises could bear such an immense and continual loss, were they not secured by fares, and rates of carriage, in proportion to the risk; taking the number of horses now employed in coaches and post-chaises only, to be jects already brought forward, and those which are to be brought forward in the event of the bills now before the House passing into law, be put together, we shall find Mr. Gray's idea of general railway_completely realised. 286 RAIL ROADS AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES. The expense of 10,000 steam engines, 3001. each in value, which would, on a railway, be more than equivalent to the horse power, above stated, amounts to 3,000,000 Interest of this capital for twelve vears 1,800,000 The fuel necessary to feed the steam engines taken at 14s. per day for each engine, twelve years amounts 100,000, and each horse to average We regret that our limits will not allow us to follow Mr. Gray through all the arguments which he advances; the table with which we must con clude our quotations from his work, is, however, so curious, that we give it entire. "An abstract statement of the comparative difference between horse and mechanic power. The real number of wagon, coach, and post-chaise horses employedon ourmain turnpike roads, will, perhaps be found to exceed 500,000; taking, however, this number for a calculation,and computing the value of each horse at 201.the keep at 201 each per ann. In the course of twelve years, allowing for the renewal of stock every four years, and the interest of capital, the consequent expense in this limited space of time is 173,500,000 A stock of one hundred thousand horses renewed every four years, the keep and interest o capital included, amounts, in twelve years, to the prodigious sum of thirty-four millions seven hundred thousand pounds. 30,660,000 35,460,000 138,040,000l. The following extract from a very useful philosophical work will be read with interest, as it contains most valuable practical information on the subject which we endeavour to illustrate. "The origin of rail roads may be traced back to the year 1680.. About that period coal came to be substituted for wood as fuel in London, and other places; the consequence was, that at the mines the greatest inconvenience accrued in conveying the coal from them to the ships, as well as immense expense in horses and machinery for the purpose; to remove were made, which, wagon roads consisting of wooden rails or ledges, which the wagons were formed to move upon, and from out of which improvement it was found that a single horse could easily draw a wagon on these rails, which previously required three or more horses to be employed to effect by the common roads; and it was also drawn more quickly, arising from laying down the frames upon an easy descent, which was always done. "In 1738, this improvement was farther improved, by substituting cast iron rails instead of the old wooden ones; but owing to the old fashion wagons continuing to be employed, which were of too much weight for the cast-iron, they did not completely succeed in the first attempt However, about the year 1768, a simple contrivance was attempted, which was to make a number of smaller wagons, and link them RAIL ROADS AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES together; and by thus diffusing the 287 ground, it will be necessary so to conduct the line as to cut into the hill at each side, and the cutting from the latter will be useful in raising the road-way of the former. On approaching rivers or brooks, which it is determined to pass, it will be necessary to keep up the rail road to a higher level by embankments, and on passing the water to raise a platform on purpose for it, composed of piers of masonry or columns of iron, with a covering of iron also to receive the rails; or a bridge altogether silar to an aqueduct bridge will answer "After this time the cast-iron rail- the purpose. Railways may be diviways began to be constructed as ded into single and double: by the branches to canals, and in some pla- former are understood, when a sinces as roads of traffic from one place gle road only is formed; by the latto another, established upon perma- ter, when two or more are made for nent principles, so as to produce a the ready passage of wagons up and permanent revenue to the underta- down the road. Single roads are gekers. In surveying a line to set out nerally made, including horse and a railway upon, it will be necessary, attendant paths, four yards wide;as a preliminary step, to ascertain, and double ones vary from six to as accurately as the nature of eight yards wide exclusive of all the the thing admits, the quantity common appendages of such roads of of lading expected to traverse drains, fences, &c. &c. each way upon its line; because, in forming the slope or descent, this will be the data on which to ground a medium for effecting the required purpose most easily. "If it should turn out that as much lading is expected one way as the other, with a preponderance at periods only, the railing must in such a case be set out in levels, or in lines nearly level, and the ascents and descents made by planes inclined accordingly. Previously to beginning any part of the work, that is of laying the sleepers, &c. for the iron rails, a rough sketch or section of all the different routes intended to be passed by the railway should be made, from which, and a view of the ground, the engineer will be enabled to determine the place, and also the extent of the inclined planes which will be required in passing the steeper parts, or the rising ground to which these planes are to be employed; it will always be desirable to get them as short as the site of the place will admit. "When sudden valleys present themselves approaching to higher 66 Every tram or rail-road must be provided with passing places; a passing place consists in forming large plates of cast-iron, in such a manner as to admit of common rails being joined to them, and which will allow the wagons traversing the road to pass off into another or adjoining track. The cast iron plates at the passing places should be somewhat stronger than the common rails, as at the passing places there is the greatest wear and tear upon the whole line. The iron moveable tongues should be of wrought-iron, and made about two feet six inches, or three feet long, standing up upon the plate equal in projection to the highest part of the rim of the common rails. It should be on a good strong axis or pin, that it may be strong and yet allow of being easily turned round, which it will require to be every time the wagons are passing by the different tracks up and down the railway. In passing deep descents, pieces of cast or wrotght iron must be provided, called sledges or slippers: these are provided to be placed under the 288 RAIL ROADS AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES. wheels of the wagons, to prevent their too rapid descent, and are similar in principle to the same kind of instrument made use of, and appended to our road wagons, for putting under the wheels on their going down a hill. When the whole iron railway is fixed, and levelled to the satisfaction of the engineer, it will be necessary to begin to prepare the horse and attendant paths; the foundation of the former should be, if possible, composed of good lime-stone, broken into small fragments, and strewed to the consistence of at least from ten inches to fourteen inches in thickness, rather convex towards the centre of the path; upon this, large screenings of gravel should be laid; the attendant path should be firm and regular, with a gravelly surface. The horse tracks and rails ought to be always kept clear and free from soil, which is constantly collecting on rail-roads of great traffic; and they ought also to be properly drained and kept dry at afl seasons of the year; as on this, in a great measure, will depend their substantiality, and, of course, their utility. "With respect to the wagons employed on iron rail roads, those in most general use are so constructed, that their weight, including their lading, does not exceed three tons and a quarter. "This is found, by experience, to be the most eligible size; as the rail roads retain their shape without much dilapidation, by the use of wagons, equal to such weight. The wheels of the wagon are made of cast iron, two feet five inches high, having twelve spokes, which increase in width as they approach the hub, or centre of the wheel. The hub is eight inches long, and receives an axle of wrought-iron; the rims of the wheels are two inches broad. The axles of the wheels are fixed at two feet seven inches distance from each other; the bodies of these wagons are seven feet nine inches long, four feet five inches wide, and two feet four inches deep; and this sized wagon is calculated to contain the quantity of coal or other matter, equivalent, with the wagon added to it, to make a weight altogether amounting to three tons and a quarter, as before stated, as the most eligible weight to move upon a cast-iron rail road. "In the Philosophical Magazine, July, 1811, are the following remarks concerning wagons, and also rail roads, from which some idea may be formed of the utility of such roads.— 'The wagons on our cast-iron rail roads, have not received the improvements of which they are capable; but, with their present disadvantages, the following facts will evince the great saving of animal force to which railways have given rise:-First, with a declivity of one and a quarter inch per yard, one horse takes downwards three wagons, each containing two tons.-Second, in another place with a rise of 1 6-10th of an inch per yard, one horse takes two tons upwards.-Third, with eight feet rise in 66 yards, which is nearly one-fourth of an inch per yard, one horse takes two tons upwards.-Fourth, on the Penrhyn railway (same slope as above) two horses draw downwards four wagons containing one ton of slate each, Fifth, with a slope of fifty-five feet per mile one horse takes from twelve to fifteen tons downwards, and four tons upwards, and all the empty wagons.-Sixth, at Ayr, one horse draws an a level five wagons, each containing one ton of coal-Seventh, on the Surrey railway, one horse, on a declivity of one inch in ten feet, is said to draw thirty quarters of wheat.From these cases, and the known laws of mechanics, we may, perhaps, safely infer, that where the apparatus is tolerably good, and well constructed, and the slope ten feet per mile, two horses may draw five tons upwards, and seven tons downwards. "The principal railways in England and Wales are, the Cardiff and Merthyn, twenty-six and three-quarter miles long, and runnning near the Glamorganshire canal; the Caermarthen; the Sexhowry, 28 miles, in the counties of Monmouth and Brecknock; the Surrey, 26 miles ;the Swansea, 7 1-2; one between Gloucester and Cheltham; besides several in the north of England.' |