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

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 Wtst Indies. It also commands all the
traffic to Glouce,tershire, and when opened to Bristol will
comprehend all the Devonshire and Cornish traffic. The Bristol
and Exeter Line unites with it, and will 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 arc
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 learning.-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 secoudary for.
mation, successively interest us. The Act of Incorporation was
obtained on August 3lst, 1835 ; four Acts have been subsequently
obtained, and the sum of 5,750,000/. anthorized 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 sleepers. There is
only one summit-level, which is at Swindon, near the Chelten-
ham Branch, and here it is 253 feet above the London depot,
and 275 feet shove 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 Let per mile. or 1 its 320. Thence to Swindon it
continues to rise with a maximum inclination of 6 feet per mile,
or of lin 880. From Swindon to Bath the general gradient is
six feet per mile, or 1 in 880, 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 half miles ; the curves are chiefly of four, five, or six
miles radius, and are as gentle as possible, one excepted, which
has a radius of not more than three quarters of a mile.
There are eight tunnels upon this line, the first at Box, ninety.six
miles from London, which is the longest on the line, as it is about
one mile and three quarters in length ; the railway is sixty-nine
feet six 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 quicksands,
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 fcct ifilength, 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-covered tunnel. The western entrance is fancifully
made to represent an old castle, and 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-
cliffe Viaduct, passing the Hanwell Asylum, 886 feet long; an.
other at Bath, 306 feet 43L 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 and Birmingham Railway at Harrow ; but the adoption
of a wider gage made an independent terminus indispensable. The
stations arc :

Paddington
Ealing
Hanwell
Southall
Drayton
Slough
Maidenhead
Twyford
Reading
I'angbourn
Goring
Moulsforcl

Wallingford Road
Steventon
Faringdon Road
Swindon
Wootton I3asset
Chipponham
Evesham
BATH
Twerton
Saltford
Keynsham
BRISTOL

Hull 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 upon 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 scot' 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, hens Hull to Selby, carrying about 300 pas-
sengers daily; the Railway now carries 674 passengers per diem, and
the steam-bOati are as•well filled as' before. "Ile return for, the

first six months, exclusive of the amount paid for conveying the
mails, was nearly 17,0004

The Act was not obtained until July 21, 1836. The sum autho,
rised to be raised is 533,3331. Length of the line, 30 idles 65
chains, the gage is 4 feet St inches, and the Railway is prhicipally
laid upon embankments ; ii.deed, 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
Bessle Bowden
Fcrriby 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 Union Railway, Dock-street, at Preston, to the station at
Lancaster; its length is 20 miles and a. 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-
-Ist Class, 45.; 2d Class, 2s. 6d.; 3d Class, 11, 6d.
Leeds and Selby Railway.

Leeds and the towns around it are the principal woollen ma-
nufactories 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 tributary 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 landed at Hull, and warehoused at Leeds,
within two hours' time. Although the line, from the calculations of
the traffic sho wed 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
and .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, 1835. The Railway was
opened on the 22d of September, 1834. It is twenty
miles long ; the capital is 340,000/. ; the number of
shares 2,100, of 1001. each ; the gage of the way
is 4 feet 8 inches ; there is a tunnel at Leeds 700 yards long ;
and 51 bridges, and 23 culverts. The Railway was constructed
under the direction Messrs. Walker and Burgess, and is of suffi-
cient width to admit of laying down four lines of way. The
statns are—
Leeds, Marsh-lane York Junction
Garforth Hambleton
Mucklefield Selby
Milford
There are four trains each way daily, and three daily on Sun-
days. Fares :—I st Class, 4s. Second Class, 3s.