The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-01 00:00:00

CONTENTS.

A brief history of the Gauge question--The modern form of Rail:
ways originated-by George Stephenson—Uniformity of Gauge. (i. e.
of width of each pair of rails from each other) required to render
Railwdys as.free agiconv,on- roads—,Question—shall the Gauge be
adapted to the „Engine, or the Engine to the Gauge ?—Projection of
the }trout oi.Seven-feef Gauge on Great Western Railway—Robert
theph,nison reports against it, to Directors of Rail—Objections theo-
retiehl an'd practical—Consequent abandonment of joint station at
-Euston-sqtiare for the too Companies--Disju ction to be regretted—
Shareholders alarmed by expense of making Great_Western road
consult. Mr. Nicholas Wood and /41r. Hawkshaw—they report against
7 feet, and in favour of 4 feet 8% inches—lntermediate Gauge of 5
feet adopted by Mr. Braithwaite for Eastern Counties—same Gauge
adopted for Northern and Eastern by R. Stephenson to. preserve'
uniformity—both reduced to prevailing Narrow GuageeWith Mr.
Braithwaite's approbation, to secure uniformity with Northign lines
#lll4ltew of—Break of-Gauge, on Junction of two :Railways of dite-"
dent widths, at Gloucester—Evils brought about by break of Gauge
—Compels a transfer of passengers from Broad Carriage to Narrow,
and from Narrow to Broad—like the old stage coach system—com-
pels transfer of private carriages—of horses and cattle—of mineral
ore and coal—unpacking of merchandise—repacking—difficulty with
cattle—breakage with merchandise—pilferage—injury to coal—delay
and expense—a Break of Gauge a barrier to trade like a Custom
House—a tax of time—a tax of money—all taxes paid by the public
—Birmingham Manufactur,rs agitate against Break of Gauge—Me-
morialise the Board of Trade—Mr. Wyndham Harding's pamphlet—
Opinion of—from education—from experience of the two systems—as
an eye-witness of the effects of the Break, a competent witness on
the effects of Break, and on comparative value of the two Gauges—
he prefers Narrow Gauge as being, at least, as safe —as speedy—mire
convenient to commercial public—cheaper to make and to work—
Board of Trade report in favour of 4 feet 8% inches or Narrow
Gauge—Uniformity of Gauge advocated by men of all parties in
Parliament—Motion for Commission to investigate Break and merits
of the two systems made, by Lord Dalhousie in the Lords, and Mr.
Cobden in the Commons—Unanimously voted—Commissioners report
in favour of Uniformity of Gauge and of the National (4 feet 8%
inches) Gauge.
ANALYSIS OF EVIDENCE.—Narrow Gauge in England in proportion
of nine miles to one of Broad Gauge—Narrow Gauge universal—in
France—in Belgium—in Brtufswick— in Saxony—in Bavaria—in Italy
—in the United States.—Messrs. Brathwaite, Bidder, Fernihough,
Hawkshaw, Locke, M'Conuell, Rastrick, Stephenson, N. Wood, and
E. Woods—Engineers, all in favour of Narrow Gauge and Uni-
formity ; —Messrs. Bruyeres, Creed, Ellis, Harding, Huish, Hudson,
Laws, Sand. rs—Railway Managers, all in favour of Narrow Gauge
and Uniformity ;—Messrs. BasS, Chaplin, Horne, Hayward, Jones—
Carriers, and Messrs. Brown and Budd—Welsh Miners, all in favour
of Narrow Gauge and Uniformity ;—Generals Gordon and Burgoyne
in favour of National Uniformity. _ . .

Mr. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Engineer of the Great Western
Railway ; Mr. Charles Alexander Saunders, Secretary of the Great
Western Railway; Mr. Seymour Clark, Manager; and Mr. Daniel
Gooch, Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Western Railway, in
favour of the Broad Gauge and the Break of Gauge.
The Report of the Commissioners, the natural result of the evi-
dence—The Railway Clearing-house system explained. A Great
Fact in favour of National Uniformity—Continental Philosophers,
and England's Wealth—concluding Remarks—Abridgment of Evi-
dence arranged under separate heads—Narrow Gauge Witnesses—
Intermediate Witnesses—Broad Gauge Witnesses.

POINTS ESTABLISHED BY THE EVIDENCE TAKEN BE-

FORE THE GAUGE COMMISSIONERS.

The Broad Gauge only suitable to certain districts—this fact ad-
mitted by Brunel—with Broad Gauge Break of Gauge inevitable
—Remedies for Break of Gauge proposed by Mr. Brunel—loose
boxes—loose bodies to carriages—narrow carriages to be carried
on broad trucks—Paddington lifting machine—Loose box system
tried on Liverpool and Manchester Railway —at Bolton —at
Erewash—at Newcastle-on-Tyne, always failed in practice—Pad •
dington lifting a machine, a toy—would not answer in prac-
tice—a narrow carriage on broad trucks would make 200 per
cent. dead weight—Evidence overwhelming in favour of Narrow
Gauge and Uniformity—Obstruction, such as Break of Gauge, de-
feats the object of Railways and of Roads—continuous traffic.
Break of Gauge prevents competition—protects great lines at public
expense —obstructs tree trade at home—diversity of Gauge contrary
to common sense—prejudicial to the ultimate interests of the country
employing it—Broad Gauge approved by no Engineer in England or
America, except its projector Mr. Brunel—Narrow Gauge supported
by all practical Engineers in the world—A Gauge, eleven inches and
a half narrower than the Narrow ,auge, found safe, economical,
and profitable, between Ghent and Antwerp—Narrow Gauge En-
gines have taken from Gloucester loads the Broad Gauge En-
gines could not move—Mr. Brunel admits sixty miles an hour at-
tainable with perfect safety on the Narrow Gauge—more than any
Road will hear, and more than is practically accomplished on any
Railway on any Gauge—Mr. Brunel has adopted Narrow Gauge on
Taff Vale Railway, and on Italian Railways. Dead weight on Broad
Gauge enormous—two tons of waste weight to half a ton carried by
Narrow Gauge—nine passengers In a carriage with seventy-two
seats—the result, high fares and change of carriages at every Junc-
tion. Broad Gauge big trucks—no accommodation for farmers —too
wide for Mining Districts—local traffic neglected on Broad Gauge
lines—bromi truck requires broader load to fill than small Stations
can supply—more men to move than a small Station can afford.
What should a Railway be ? powerful, punctual, economical, and
swift—the Narrow Gauge can draw a thousand tons of merchandize
the Narrow Gauge can run sixty miles an hour with passengers—
..

the Narrow Gauge can travel through all mining districts—
The Narrow Gauge can carry the largest loads carriers ever send—
The Narrow Gauge goods' waggon, "seven feet wide, is wider by two
feet than, the widest waggon used on common roads. The Broad
Gauge costs more money to make—far more to keep in repair—carries
far more unprofitable loads in passengers and in goods, and conse-
quently charges far more for the work done. By the Broad
Gauge the West of England cut off from the rest of Eng-
land—its local traffic undeveloped, its hamlets, its agriculturists
neglected. Broad Gauge charges exclude coal from the West—high
price coal excludes steam—steam excluded excludes manufactures—
Coal and manufactures the wealth of England. .

The Break of Gauge weakens the national defences—punctual
celerity, the soul of modern warfare—steam on land the true mode
of repellinz steam on sea. A Break of Gauge in military operations
equivalent to a ferry. _ . _

The Carriers—declare a Break of Gauge ruinous to their trade.
Pickford's gross receipts nine hundred thousand a-year. Average
detention by Break of Gauge at Gloucester, four to six hours—prefer
any system to breaking bulk. Gauge and Gloucester Line. Extra
carriers' establishment required by Break. With Uniformity goods
would reach Bristol from Birmingham in six hours—forty-eight hours
required by Break of Gauge. Bristol cannot rise as a port without
Uniform Gauge—A Broad Gauge truck loaded, requires eight men
to move—two men could easily move a narrow truck. Moving
trucks part of a carrier's expenses. Cheese injured on Broad Gauge
by excessive superincrunbent weight. Road Stations require small
trucks. _ .

* The National Gauge recommended by the Government Commis-
sion is 4 feet 8% inches—the Broad Gauge is 7 feet. There are at
the present time more than 1,900 mUes of Narrow or National Gang.,
and less than 250 of the Broad or Exceptional Gauge.