The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-05 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

TEN NARROW GAUGE.

Sec.l
Ist to 2,1 mile ... 4 0
2d to 3d mile 2 20
3d to 4th mile ... 2 10
4th to sth mile . . 3 30
sth to 6th mile 6 20
6th to 7th mile ... 3 40

Min. Sec
23d to 24th mile ... 3 1
24th to 25th mile ... 2 50
25th to 28th mile ... 2 50
26th to 27th mile ... 3 10
27th to 28th mile ... 2 50
28th to 29th mile 2 30

7th to Bth mile ... 2 20 ,29th to 30th mile ... 2 40
Bth to 9th mile ... 2 10 30th to 31st mile ... 2 40
9th to 10th mile 2 10
,31st to 32d mile ... 2 35
10th to 11th mile ... 2 20 .323 to 33d mile ... 2 35
11th to 12th mile ... 2 40 33d to 34th mile ... 2 50
12th to 13th mile ... 3 20 34th to 35th mile ... 4 0
13th to 14th mile ~ 3 0 ;35th to 36th mile 5 10
14th to 15th mils ... 3 0 36th to 37th mile ... 7 20
15th to 16th mile ... 2 40 ,37th to 38th mile ... 6 30
16th to 17th mile ... 2 20 ,38th to 39th mile ... 3 30
17th to 18th mile 2 10 '39th to 40th mile ... 3 30
18th to 19th mile 2 10 40th to 41st mile ... 3 0
19th to 20th mile ... 2 10 41st to 42d mile ... 3 0
20th to 21st mile ... 2 4 42d to 43d mile ... 3 0
21st to 22d mile .. 2 30 433 to 44th mile ... 3 20
223 to 23d mile ... 3 25 I
The train reached York at 10 minutes 20 seconds past
four, and the journey of 43 miles was thus performed in
2 hours 15 minutes 20 seconds, being an avenge speed
of something more than 19 miles an hour. The maxi-
mum speed attained was a mile in 2 minutes and 4
seconds, or upwards of 29 miles an hour, whilst a speed
of nearly 28 miles an hour was attained over and over
again. This, taking it per se, is a remarkable result ;
and the question naturally presents itself, " How is it
that the average speed with the 400 tons train was
greater than with the 200 tons train ?" This may be
accounted for by the combination of three causes. In
the first place, the very slight breeze that existed was
in favour of the 400 tons train ; secondly, as there were
no stoppages with the large train, the time lost in
slacking and getting up the steam, previous to arriving
at a station and just on leaving it, forms no element in
the time occupied by the journey ; and lastly, the de-
scending gradients.
I yesterday visited the spot where the accident oc-
curred which was so nearly proving fatal to poor Hob-
son, the fireman, and I am convinced, from the appear-
ance of the rails at that part of the line, as well as on
other portions, that the oscillation of the engine (in this
case an inside cylinder one) must have been very con-
siderable. Had it not been so the chair would not have
given way at this time, though sooner or later it must
have gone. Hobson, lam happy to tell you, is now
much better, and no danger is apprehended.

These experiments having been brought to a close, it
may be well to make a few observations on the mode in
which they hare been conducted by the competing par-
ties. Oa the Great Western the days for experiments
having been previously fixed, on those days the trains
ran, anal with the trains in the order also which had been
agreed on. Mr. Bidder, on the narrow gauge, would not
run an eighty-ton train when the wind was at all high,
or the weather in the least unfavourable, and the con-
sequence is that the narrow gauge experiments were
made under much more favourable circumstances than
the Great Western experiments, as far as weather at
least is concerned. Mr. Brunel ran all the trains
which it had been previously arranged with the sanction
of the Commissioners should be run. Mr. Biddle
only ran one train, which could be regarded as
a perfect parallel with any experiment made on the
Great Western, but ran other trains of 40, 200, and
400 toes respectively, which ha-I not previously been
agreed ilnen, nor run by the Great Western. On the
Great W..stern the train was always brought to a stand
at the first mile post. On the York and Darlington the
trains did not stop at the first mile post, bat passed it at
speeds averaging from ten to fifteen miles per hour, so
that time being corrected from the moment of leaving
th: first mile post the narrow gauge had an advantage
over the Great Western in not starting from a state of
rest.

I nqw annex a table, showing side by side the speed
attained on each line with the SO tons trains, and in
giving this table it is only necessary to observe that the
gradients, in either ease very inconsiderable, are some-
what more favourable on the Great Western than on
Olt., York and Darlington—the curves on the latter,
however. art fewer. As the distance traversed by the
Great Western was 52 miles, I take, in order to make
the eqses to. parallel as possible, the first 42 and then
52,1 mitt. In each experiment the train was work-
up against the gradients, in the one case from
Padlngton to Didcot, in the other from York to
Darlington:

Narrow Broad Narrow Gunge.
Gauge. Gauge.

Time, Time, Tr---.------"ime, Time,
each each lost gained
mile in mile in in in
seconds. seconds. seconds. seconds.

Passed the
Ist ratle-

post at 2 938
2 ... 111 48 ... 130 ... 122 ... 8 ... 0
3 .•• 2 13 18 ... 90 ... 118 ..0 ... 18
4 .•• 214 34
.. 76
... 90
... 0 ... 14
5 ... 2 15 52
... 68
... 2 18 go
~, 0 ... 2
6 .•. 2 17 25 1 ...
... 74
...
... 0
7 .. 74 79 , 5
. , 75
~ 0
... 1
8 .. 219 40 ••• 75 ... 68 „ .
9 ... 2 20 52 .
.•. 72
~ 6g
.:.
, 7 .
14) ... 222 5 ... 73
... 74 ... 4 .. .... 0
. 0
11
0 23 18 ••• 73 ... 73 0
... 0
.. 0
2
13 ...
12 ...
25 48 ... 78 ••• 65 -•• 13
.. 0
..... 65 .. 15
...
2 12
0
14 ... 227 8 ... 80
..
(0) 15 ... 228 26 ... 78 • 66 ... 12 . ;
74 ... 68 ••• 6 ••• 0
16 ... 2 29 40 •••
17 ... 230 54 ... 74 ••• 67 ••• 7 ... 067
... 11 ... 0
18 ... 232 12 ...
.7.1 —•
19 ... 233 34 ..c'' 68 .. 14 ... 0
2069 68 ... 18 ... 0
... 235 0 ... 36 •••
21 ... 2 36 21 ... 82
...
69 13
... 0
0 ::: 13 ... 0
22 ... 237 44 ... 82 •••
„,.
2.1 ... 239 0 ... 76 ... 69 ..• 7 • „
24 ... 240 18
... 78 ... 69 ... 8 ... 0
25 ... 241 40 ... 82 ... 72 ... 10 ... 0
26 ... 243 0 ... 80 ... 71 ••• 9 ... 0
27 ... 244 20 ... 80 ... 71 ••• 9 ...
28 ... 2 45 34
... 74 ... 71 ... 3 n
0
30'-'
29 ... 246 50 . 76 .. 70
... 6
... 0..
... 2 48 14 ... 8,4
... 69 ... 15 ... 0
31 ... 249 32
... 78
„, 71 . 7
... 0
33 ... 252 8
32 "' 250 50 • 78 ...74 . , 4 .. 0
34 ..• 2 53 25 ... 78
... 73
77
71 .
.:. 5 :. 0
...
...
35 ... 2 54 42
„.. 77
... 70 •
.:: 7 6 ..
.: •
0. 0
35 ... 256 0
... 78
„, 70
...
37 ..2 57 28 ... 88
... 70
... 18 8
... o
38 ... 259 0 ... 92 • 071 .. 21 ... 0
70
39
... 3 030 ••• 90 ...
... 71
... 19
...—. 15 ... 0
40 ••• 3 1 55 085 •••
41
... 3 3 18 ... 83 ...
42
... 3 4 42 ... 84 ... 72
... 12 ... 0... 43 0
34 42 ... 84 ... 73 ll 0
'" 41 3
8 8 .. 118 ... 102 l6 ... 0
•••
From
the above it will be seen that in the 43 miles the
nl:row gauge lost 397 seconds, and gained 36, or lost in
seconds. This is an amount scarcely
" 5 lij:rlitil,t"h3l:ls must be remembered that the Wea-
thersl.""'''''' --:t it
r of the narrow than the broad
Wai more in favour
gl,l 4e.
What the Commissioners 1% i.ll gather from these ex-
p,riments 0) aid them in homing
to a conclusion as to
the effect of the two gauges 0" the commercial interests
Gt the country it is difficult to imagine. That. the Great
Western Can accomplish higher velocities that can be
at:l-titled on the narrow gauge is
dent, which has alretel been'recorded, occurred most un-
fortunately at it time Y.-
evident, whilst the acci-
dent,
pally
attempting to
show ,Vete.tx the narrow g . con-
sistently with perfect sailLetaPeed could be. attained were
at present suffleiteat for %Z. P!obably either system is
through which it extend,, arrementa othe country
tilling up that large triangle betvivrheasn the os for
and the London and Birmingham 33, ta.the Great Western
„.a., including the
wok of Wales, which is at presents
by railways, and fur which competing saktlonfraversed
by the contending gauges are in the field, es forth
that some step must be taken either to enanridth„eu
ibrulity of gauge or take care that the interests of
nem_
coerce shall not suffer from the break of it.
Annexed is a table of the gradients on the York and
Darlington linos, calculating frOM YOrk:—...

SATIIIIDAL—The experiments of speed and
tractive poem c* the narrow gauge were brought to a
close yesterttay by the running of two heavy trains—the
one weighted with 200 tons, and the other with 400 tons.
The party accompanying the trips has gradually become
less and less, cud to-day it consisted only of Mr. Bidder,
Mr. Gooch, Mr. S. Clarke, Mr. W. Harding. and Mr.
Calry. I was informed by Mr. Bidder that Professor
Airey had returned to town, but that we should have
with us " one Commissioner." Professor Barlow, how-
ever, did not make his appearance, and the train started
without him. It consisted of about twenty trucks
weighted with iron rails, and with one first-class carriage
attached. The whole weight was 200 tons. The engine
selected was the Hercules, belonging to the York and
North Midland Company. She is a very powerful engine.
The area of her fire-box is 60 feet; area of tubes, 900
feet; diameter of cylinders, 15 inches; length of stroke,
24 inches; diameter of wheels (all coupled), 4 feet 8
inches; weight, 20 tons. The arrangement was that
stoppages should be made at every station, in order to
show what might be practically expected as the every
day work of an engine on the narrow gauge with a long
and heavy train. These delays, however, proved so
tedious, that, after calling at six stations, the arrange-
ment was abandoned, and the remaining stations were
skipped. We left York at twenty-six minutes and
ten seconds past nine, and arrived at Darlington
(fortry-three miles) at twenty-six minutes past
twelve. having been two hours, fifty-nine minutes,
and • fifty seconds on the road. From this time
however, 40 minutes and 29 seconds taken up by the
stoppages, must be deducted. This reduces the time of
actual progression to 2 hours, 19 minutes, 21 seconds,
being nearly 18f miles per hour. Including the stop-
pages, the rate averages something more than 14} miles
per hour. Had stoppages been made at the remaining
stations of Northallerton, Cowton, and Croft, it is fair to
presume that something like a further delay of 12
minutes would have been the consequence ; and taking
that into consideration, a practical result is shown of an
average of nearly 13f miles an hour. The maximum
speed attained was one mile in 2 minutes 25 seconds, or
nearly 25 miles an hour. The day was calm, and well
suited to elicit the best speed. It must be added, how-
ever, that this train proceeded against the prevailing
gradients, as will be seen from the tab:e annexed. Dar-
lington is considerably higher than York. After some
delay at Darlington, a great many other tracks were
added to the train, the length of which was extended to
290 yards. There were forty-seven vehicles, trucks and
carriages, and the train was weighted to 400 tons. This
monster train left Darlington at fifty-five minutes past
one, and ran through to York, without any stoppages, a
double tender having been added to the engine, so as to
ensure a sufficient supply of water and all the necessary
auxiliaries. The result of this trip being somewhat re-
markab:e, the speed exceeding that of the 200 tons train,
I annex a table of speed similar to those which I have
hitherto employed :