The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-25 00:00:00

EXPERIMENT WITH A TRACTION
ENGINE.

An experiment of some interest, as illustrating the power
of Bray's traction engine for drawing ponderous loads, al-
most impracticable to horses, along our public thorough-
fares, took place on Friday night and Saturday morning. A
large wrought-iron girder, of the hog-back construction, 74
feet long, 5 feet 8 inches high in the centre, and weighing
20 tons, had to be removed from the works of Mr. 11.
Grissell, Eagle-wharf-road, New North-road, to the M anor•
road, Dulwich, where it is to form part of a bridge for the
London, Chatham, and Dover Railway. _ _

The journey had to be performed between 10 p.m. and 6
a.m , the hours to which the use of 4 traction engines is re-
s'ricted by the police regulations within the metrorolitan
disttict. The first difficulty was how to get the huge, un-
wieldy mass out of the yard where it had been constructed.
Placed upon rollers, it had to be raised by means of jacks to
a height of six or seven feet from the ground. Two strong
trucks were put underneath it, the one itt front being a large
four- Wheel bailer truck, and the second, which bore the
weight behind, a very heavy "trolly" with two wheels.
These trucks together firmed the carriage, the girder being
kept in its position by stout chains passing over it and under
the trucks. A wooden bolster was placed under the load
on the larger truck, with a swivel between the fore and
hind 'wheels, by the action of which facility was obtained
for turning corners with comparative ease. Naphtha lamps,
to light the workmen and give warning to all passers-by,
were fixed along the whole line of the girder; and, thus
equipped, with the traction engine yoked in front, the mas•
sive load went apon its journey, multftudes turning out of
their houses and crowding the footways to witness the un-
usual apparition. Indeed, so great was the curiosity to see
it, and so deafening the shouting of the excited urchins
who came thronging round it, that it was occasionally
almost impossible for the workmen to understand the direc-
tions given to them, and no little nerve and coolness were
required to prevent confusion or accidents. At Pitfield-
street, Hoxton, en ugly corner presented itself, but good
management and address overcame all obstacles. Then all
went smoothly until the end of Noorgate-street was in
sight, Here the crossing. lamps at the beginning of Prin-
cess-street, by the Bank, suddenly take away one-half the
available width of the road. This impediment safely over-
come, the moving mass went on to London-bridge, which
was cr ssed in capital style. At the foot of the bridge, by
Tooley-street, there is a sort of double declivity, the Effect
of which was counteracted by keeping well to the right-
hand side in passing. St. George's Church, Southwark,
was reached about midnight, and the real difficulties of the
route were then all surmounted. It was daylight when the
final des.ination (Dulwich) was attained. A great many
more of these girders are to be conveyed to the same pl,,ce
Iby the same means. The experiment on Friday right was
eminently successful. Loads quite as heavy have teen
taken through the streets of 1 ondon before ; but we under-
stand that this was almost the first combining such length
(24 yards) with so great a weight (20 tons). It would
have required 25 horses to draw it by the ordinary method,
and the difficulty r f getting such a number of animals
to 'pull all together, to say nothing of the obstruction
they would cause to the regular traffic, may be readily