The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-09 00:00:00

Great North of England Thailway.

Mr. Gibbs, the civil engineer, projected a line of railway from
London to Durham, but the plan was too gigantic and too costly
to be carried out as a single unde•taking, and this great idea Pas
been only executed in parts, and by distinct Companies ; the line from
London toCambridge by the Northern and Eastern Railway Company;
the intermediate space between Cambridge and York is unexecu;ed;
but a part of the plan from York .to Newcastle is now completing
by the Great North of England Railway Company. The railway
at this time is only complete from York to Darlington. For this
part of the line the Act was obtained in 1836; by this Act the
Company was authorksed to raise 1,000,0(101., and this sum was
for the completion of the line from York to Newcastle. '1 he Com-
pany have, by a subsequent Act, obtained power to raise 1,330,000/,
and that sum has been expended upon the line to its present ex-
tent, viz.—from York to Darlington. The Company is divided into
10,000 shares of, 1001. each. The total length of the line to be com-
pleted was 76 miles, but 45 miles only arc finished. The York
City Branch is 45 chains liing ; there are 42 bridges on this line,
the principal are over the rivers Ouse and Tees. The gage is 4 feet
8i inches, and the Stations
York. Sessay. Wiske.

. „
Shepton. Thirsk.
_'-‘ East Ciiwton.
Tollerton. Otterington. Croft.
Alne. Northaltenon. Darlington.

Ruskelt.

Danby.

Great Western Railway.

This noble undertaking connects the Thames with the Severn, and
forms a line of communication across the southern part of our
island. It commands the traffic of two millions of people, is the
direct line to the south of Ireland, and until railways shall be car-
ried to the western coast of Ireland it will be the great road to
North America and. the W. st Indies. It also commands all the
traffic to Gloucestershire, and when opened to Bristol will
comprehend all the Devonshire and Cornish traffic. The Bristol
and Exeter Line unites with It, and wilt be worked by the
same Company. Mr. Brunel has laid out his line and
finished the detail of the Railway so as efficiently to meet
the wants of this extensive traffic. The course of the Railway
is along the valley of the Thames, as far as Swindon. On either
side are scenes rich in historical recollections. amidst beautiful land-
scapes and never- tiring prospects. Here the Castle of our old
Kings rises upon us, as we fly faster than the wind. There lived
the poet whose thoughts burn in the hearts, and whose words are
the language, of the masters of the sea ; further the battle-field of the
barons, in the extreme distance; and beyond the spires of the mother
of learnting.-1 he very way is no barren road, for we journey
through a greater variety of geological sections than can be
obtained in the same distance, in any part of England ;
early formations of the tertiary period, chalk, and secondary for.
mation, successively interest es. The Act of Incorporation was
obtained on August 31st, 1835 ; four Acts have been subsequently
obtained, and the sum of .5,750,0001. authorized to be raised.
The gage of the railway is 7 feet, which is 2 feet 4 inches
wider than than the Manchester and Liverpool Railway, and
the increase of width allows an increase in the diameter of the
wheels —permits a larger boiler—and a more powerful locomotive;
a great increase in the strength and safety of the carriage, as
well as an increased speed in the rate of travelling. The gradients
are unequalled. The rails are laid longitudinally upon beams
of wood, instead of horizontally upon stone sleepe. s. There is
only one stuninit-level, which is at Swindon, near the Chelten.
ham Branch, and here it is 253 feet above the London depot,
and 275 feet above that at Bristol. It is 76 miles distant
from the London end, and 411 from the Bristol terminus.
From London to Dudcot it rises gradually, at a rate not ex-
ceeding four feet per mile. .or .1 in 320. Thence to Swindon it
continues to rise with a maximum inclination of 6 feet pzr mile,
or of lin 880. From Swindon to Bath the general gradient is
six feet per mile, or 1 in 680, but it is broken by
two inclined planes, both 1 in 106 or 50 feet per mile—that at
Wootton Basset one mile three furlongs in length, and that at Box
of two and a ha'f miles ; the curves are chiefly of four, five, or six
miles radius, and are as gentle as possible, one excepted, which
has aradius of not more than three qu..rters of a mile.

There are eight tunnels upon this line, the first at Box, ninety.six
miles from. London, which is the leng,st on the line, as it is about
one mile and three quarters in length ; the railway is sixty-nine
feet s x inches from the surface at the Eastern entrance, and sixty.
four feet at the Western entrance. —(See Wyld's Great Western
Railway Guide.") The height of the tunnel is thirty feet, and
throughout its course there are eleven shafts for ventilation;
this tunnel is a magnificent example of mining-engineering ; in
cutting through the hill the contractors encountered not only lias,
lime-stone, Bath-stone, and hard dry quartz, but two quick sands,
and some very powerful springs; but, by the aid of three powerful
steam-engines, all, the difficulties have been overcome. There are
six other tunnels between Box and the terminus .

1. Middle-hill, is a short tunnel, near to Box.
2. Twiverton tunnel, which is 767 feet six inches in length, with
a fine facing in the Gothic style.
3. Saltford tunnel, 500 feet long by 30 feet wide; 32 feet 6
inches high.
4. Brislington tunnel, 3,148 feet in length, running through a
coal measure. The deepest shaft is 116 feet 6 inches from the
surface. To the east of this tunnel is a small gallery, 111 feet
long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high.
5. The ivy.covercd tunnel. Tile western entrance is fancifully
made to represent an old castle, atd the ivy creeping over it. The
length is 475 feet, and the rails are about 100 feet from the surface.
6. The last tunnel before entering Bristol, has a very handsome
Gothic entrance. This tunnel is 990 feet long, 30 feet wide, and
the depth from the surface about 76 feet.
There are three viaducts—one at Hanwell, called the Wharn-
chile Viaduct, passing the Hanwell Asylum, 886 feet long; an.
other at Bath, 306 feet 431 inches ; and a third at Twiverton, 245
feet long.

There is a very fine bridge over the Thames at Maidenhead, and
another over the Avon. The carriages are easy and commodious.
The locomotives, from their increased power, present some of the
finest specimens in the world of this branch of manufactures.

The electromagnetic telegraph runs along the line as far as
West Drayton ; and this important invention may, in some
cases, prevent the occurrence of those accidents which have
happened upon Railways from negligence of the subordinates. It
was at first intended that this Railway should merge into the
London aricillirmingham Railway at Harrow ; but the adoption
of a wider gage made an indepeneent terminus indispensable. The
stations are :

Paddington Wallingford Road
Ealing Steventon
Hanwell Faringdon Road
Southall Swindon
Drayton Wootton Basset
Slough Chippenham
Maidenhead Evesham
Twyford
Reading Twerton
Pangbourn. Sanford
Goring Keynsham
Moulsford BRISTOL

Roll and*Selby Railway

Is a continuation of the Leeds and Selby Railway to the port of
Hull. This Railway is an illustration of two principles—first, that
steam water Communication, although carried on at a much cheaper
rate, will never materially affect the passenger traffic upon Railw..ys.
Second, although the line of country through which the Railway
passes is level, yet it is desirable that the Railway should have
easy gradients upan it, as when this is done, ballasting can be
easily obtained, and well.tried experiments have proved that easy
gradients will not wear out the locomotive so soon as long level lines.
It was the intention of the promoters of the Leeds and Selby Rail..
way that it should be continued to Hull, but the capital subscribed
in the year 1825 was sufficient to complete the line from Selby
to Leeds only. In 1834 the project was re-considered. Be-
fore the completion of the Railway, steam-boats plied regularly,
speedily, and cheaply, from Hull to Selby, carrying about 300 pas-
sengers daily; the Railway now carries 674 passengers per diem; and
theatearn-boats are as well filled as before, The return for the

first six months, exclusive of the amount paid for conveying the
mails', was nearly 17,000/.
The Act was TA olOined until July 21, 1536. The sum autho-
rised to be raii4 q44,aa3t. teitglii of the line, 30 miles 65
Chains, the gage-is 4 'feet St inches, and.the Railway is principally
laid upon embankmentsl-11.eleed; thiS Is a country intersected by
dykes, and embankments are unavoidable; near to Hull, running
along the river for one mile, at least, the embankment is faced with
stone. There are several bridges ; one is a balance bridge over the
Ouse, to allow vessels to reach the quay at Selby. The line was
opened on July, 1840.

STATIONS.
Hull Eastrington
Hessle Howden
Ferriby Cliff
Brough Selby.
Staddlethorpe ••
Lancaster and Preston Railway

Is one link in the chain of railway communication between Eng-
land and Scotland. This Railway runs from the terminus of the
North linlen Railway, Dock-street, at Preston, to the station at
Lancaster; its length is 20 miles and The first Act of Parlia-
ment was obtained in 1836, and the second in 1840. The capital
is 458,0001. Number of shares, 5,000, of 501. each. There is a
viaduct of six arches at Galgate, Lancaster, and another over the
River •Wyre. The trains run four times daily, and the fares are—
let Class, 4E.; 2d Class, 2s. 6d.; 3d Class, 6d.
Leeds and Selby Railway.

Leeds and the towns around it are the principal woollen ma.
nutactories of England ; and, as the weight of, the raw material is
disproportionate to its bulk, the cost of its carriage from the port
to the factory was great. The Humber and its triblitary canals
afforded the facility of water communication, but the route was
circuitous. The Railway saves 8 miles in distance, and nearly a day
of time, as goods may be lauded at Hull, and warehoused at Leeds,
within two hours' time. Although the line, from the calculations of
the traffic sho wtd a fair profit upon the capital invested, yet the
result has been very unfavourable to the shareholders, and is an-
other proof of the truth of the axiom, that railways must derive
their profit "from passenger-traffic, and not from merchandise."
The opening of the York and Nsrth Midland Line, and the Hull
arid Selby Line, will, it is hoped, add to the receipts of the Com-
pany. The Act of Incorporation passed the 29th of May, 1830 ;
a second Act on the 3d of July, 1535. The Railway was
opened on the 22d of September, 1834. It is twenty
miles long ; the capital is 340,0001: ; the number of
shares 2,100, of 100/. each ; the gage of the way
is 4 feet 8 y inches ; there is a tunnel at Leeds 700 yards long ;
and 51 bridges, and 23 culverts. The Railway was constructed
under the direction of Messrs. Walker and Burgese, and is of suffi-
cient width to admit of laying down four lines of way. The
stations are—

Leeds, Marsh-land York Junction
Garforth Hambleton
Mucklefield Selby
Milford
There arc four trains each way daily, and three daily on Sun
days. Fares:-Ist Class, 4s. Second Class, 3s.