The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-19 00:00:00

2nd. Accommodation and convenience for passengers and goods,

3rd. Speed,
4th. Economy
1. We will commence with the question of safety.
We are of opinion that experience will, in this matter, afford a
better test, by which to compare the systems of the bread and narrow
gauge, than any theory ; and we therefore have made inquiry into
the nature of the accidents recorded in the official reports of the
Board of Trade, as well as of such as have happened since the last re-
port was published.
We find that railway accidents arise from collisions, obstructions on
the road, points wrongly placed, slips in cuttings, :subsidence of em-
bankments, a defective state of the permanent way, loss of gauge,
broken or loose chairs, fractures of wheels or axles, &c. ; and, lastly,
from engines running off the line through some other cause.
Of these several classes of accidents, all except the last, are ob-
viously independent of the gauge ; and with reference to this class, we
have thought It right to endeavour to determine whether the advo-
cate. of either gauge onnld fairly claim, in regard to these accidents,
a preference for their respective systems, on the score of greater se-
curity to the traveller. In these lists we find, only six accidents of
the kind we are considering recorded from October, 1840, to May,
1845, whereas, there have been no less than seven within the last
seven months, and these are all attributable to excessive speed, the
majority having happened to express trains. Of the whole number
of these accidents, three have occurred on the broad gauge and ten on
the narrow ; the former, however, differ In their character from the
latter, the carriages only, in the last two cases, having been off the
line, whereas, in all the ten narrow gauge cases, the engines have rim
off, and the consequences have been more fatal. We must here observe,
however, that the extent of the narrow gauge lines is 1,901 miles, and
that of the broad only 274 ; therefore the comparison would be un-
favourable to the broad gauge if considered merely with regard to
their relative length; but it must be borne in mind that the general
steed of the Great Western considerably exceeds that of many of the
narrow gauge lines, and that some consideration is ou this account
due to the broad gauge.
The primary causes of engines getting off the rails appear to be
over-driving, a defective road, a bad joint, or a badly balanced en-
gine. If, in consequence of heavy rains or other unfavourable circum-
stances, any part of the road becomes unsound, the engine sinks on
one side as it passes along such part of the rail, suddenly rises again,
and is thus thrown into a rocking and lateral oscillatory motion, with
more or less of violence, according to the rate of speed, and a very
similar effect is produced in passing at high speeds from one curve to
another of different curvature. A succession of strains is thus
thrown upon the rails, and if, before the rocking subsides, the wheel
meets with a defective rail or chair, which yields to the impulse, the
engine and train are thrown off as a necessary consequence ; but, as
far as we can see, such casualties are equally likely to happen on
either gauge, other circumstances being similar.
It has, indeed, been stated by some of the witnesses whom we have
examined that the broad gauge is more liable to such accidents, from
the circumstance that the length of the engine, or rather the dis-
tance between the fore and hind axle, is less, in proportion to its
breadth, than in the narrow gauge engines, and that therefore,
the broad gauge engine is liable to be thrown more obliquely
across the lines, and in case of meeting with an open or
defective joint, more liable to quit the rail; but we cannot admit the
validity of this objection against the broad gauge lines. It may be,
that the proportion between the length and breadth of the engine has
some influence on its motion, and that the motion is somewhat less
steady where the difference between the length and breadth is con-
siderably diminished, but practical facts scarcely lead to the con-
clusion that the safety of the trains is endangered by the present
provrtion of the broad gauge engines; for it appears that on the
London and Birmingham Railway, where the engines hitherto
employed have been, generally, short four-wheeled engines, the
distance from axle to axle not exceeding seven feet, or seven feet
six inches, no such accident as we are considering has been re-
ported ; and, we are informed by Mr. Bruyeres, the superintendent
of that line, that no such accident has ever occurred. The same
remark applies to some other narrow gauge lines ; and if, as has
been stated, exemption from these accidents has resalted from the
close fixing of the engine and tender adopted on this line, the same
system might be adopted on any other line, whether on the broad
or narrow gauge. An evil may also sometimes arise in six-wheeled
engines, by the centre of gravity of the engine being brought too
much over the driving wheels, and the springs being so adjusted for
the sake of the adhesion of the wheels to the rails, that the front

wheels would have little or no weight to support, and would be thus
in a condition, by any irregularity in the road to other obstruction,
to be more easily lifted off the rails. But here, again, if this fault in
the construction or adjustment has been any where committed, it
is a fault or defect wholly unconnected with the breadth of gauge.
Another cause of unsteady or irregular motion, dangerous to the
safety of the train, has been stated to be the great overhanging
weight beyond the axles of some engines of recent construction, and
of the weight of the outside cylinder beyond the axle bearings. So
far as this construction is concerned, it certainly appertains to nar-
row gauge lines only, but at the same time we must remark, that it
is not essential to their working.
Upon the whole, therefore, after the most careful consideration of
this part of the subject, we feel bound to report, that as regards the
safety of the passenger, no preference is due, with well -proportioned
Engines, to either gauge, except, perhaps, at very high velocities,
where we think a preference would be due to the broad gauge. On j
this part of the subject we would beg to point to the nature of the
evidence of Mr. Nicholas Wood.
2. We have now to advert to the question of the relative accom-
modation and convenience for passengers and goods.
The first-class carriages of the bread gauge are intended to carry
eight passengers in each compartment, and the compartments are I
sometimes subdivided by a partition and inside door. On the narrow ,
gauge lines, the first-class carriages are usually constructed to carry
only six passengers in each compartment, and we find that about the
p
same width is allowed for each asseiger on both gauges. Some of
were adapted to four passengers, and we
the original mail carriages
believe that the public had a preference for these carriages over both
the other descriptions.
ages were altogether more com-
au carriages Until lately, the broad g ge
modious than those of the
thenarrow narrosv gauge lines
nearly
as
lofty
gauge, but recently carriages have
been introduced on several of d
as.those on the broad gauge, and equally On—y commodious; in short, we
now see no essential difference as regards accommodation and con-
venience to individual passengers in the first-class carriages of the
two gauges. on fte
In the second-class
carriages broad gauge six persons sit
/liege being capable of
side by side, each ca
en holding seventy-two
On the narrow gauge, g erally, only four persons sit
passengers. in each carriage;
'by side, the total number being thirty-two : in
side, d
cOnsi er the
this respect we are inclined to latter are more comfort-
ably accommodated.
With reference to the ease of the carriage and the smoothness of
the
contradictory evidence,
motion,
we have had very and it must be
admitted that great difference
is experienced on the same line at
different times, depending upon tile state of the road, the springs of
• the number of persons in a carriage 1,0 bring the springs
into carriage,
the carriage in the train, into action, the position of
which the train is propelled, all which conditions are independent of
the breadth of gauge. We have, however, with a view of making
our own observations on this question, travelled several times over
all those lines having their stations in London, and after making, to
the best of our judgment, every allowance for the circumstances
above mentioned, we are of opinion that at the higher velocities the
motion is usually smoother on the broad gauge.
His now to be considered whether either gauge has a gimp-foray
over the other in regard to the conveyance of
general merchandise.
Under this head we class manufactured goods and their
raw ma-
terials, mineral products, such as coal, lime, iron, and other onto ;
agricultural produce, such as corn, hope, wool, cattle, and timber'_
On these points we have taken the evidence of persons well ac-
quainted with the carrying trade, and from their information, and
our own observation, it does not appear to be of consequence to the
parties sending or receiving goods whether they are transmitted in
the waggons containing five or six tons, or in waggons of larger
capacity, provided that the cost and security are the same, and that
the carriers undertake the responsibility of any damage that may
result from the size of the load. But Messrs. Horne and Chaplin,
and Mr. Harvard, who are largely interested, and have had great
experienee in the carrying trade, have expressed a strong
opinion that the smaller waggon is far the more con-
venient and economical. The same opinion is still more
strongly expressed by those witnesses we have examined
who have expesienct of our mineral districts. These persons state
that the smaller waggon can be more easily handled, and can be
taken along sharper curves than would be suited to a broader
waggon; that such sharp curves are very common in mineral works
and districts, and that the broken nature of theground would render
curves of greater radius inconvenient and expensive.
Another important difference between the two gauges, in this com-
mercial view of the question, would present itself in localities in
which there may be a difficulty of readily obtaining fhil loads for the
waggons at road stations. Here the defect of ..he dead weight,
which we find to apply snore particularly to the broad gauge, would
be greatly increased, unless another evil of still greater commercial
• importance were created, that of detaining the waggons to receive
fall loads. On the whole, therefore, we consider the narrow gauge
Az the more convenient tot tiy in(qchanciihe or the country.