The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-08 00:00:00

BOMBAY, BARODA, AND CENTRAL INDIA.
The consulting engineer of this- company, Lieut.-Col.
Kennedy, has issued a second edition of his report to the
shareholders, .giving an analysis of railway construction,
and explaining the measures adopted by him to secure
for them a good and remunerative railway at a moderate
cost. The information is of a practical character and
very interesting to the shareholders, lie enters at some
length into railway management, the duties of direc-
tors, engineer; and • shareholders, and gives various
details connected with the construction of the railway,
and, when completed, the mode of working the traffic,
so that the shareholders can readily comprehend the
patticulaes andbeariits of the whole undertaking. He
has also embodied a vast amount of information re-
specting the cost of construction of various railways in
the United Kingdom, varying from 292,8971. per mile on
the Blackwell to 4,5901. per mile on the Leven Branch
Rail way. From the table given it appears the average
costper mile of. 145. railways exceeded an average of
33,0001. par mite. Of these 37 railways had cost less
than 11,0001. per mile, and 26 lines less than 8,0001. per
mile. Had there been a proper system of railway legis-
lation and management the 297,000,0001. expended e n
British railways ought to have not only completed the
8,200 miles ire"the Urtited Kingdom, but 16,000 miles of
colonial railway, and, instead of producing on the ave- .
rage about 33, the whole ought to have paid the share;
holders 10 per. cent. per annum. He adverts to the
industrial cepabiiitiee of the flindoos, and tie great ad-
vantages that must arise to Great &Rale from the ex-
teneion of the railway system. in India. The expenditure
of capital in Irrlia on the construction of the Baroda
Railway would amount to only one-fourth of the total
outlay, the other three-fourths being expended in Eng-
land for rails,' sleepers, engines, materials, working
stock, and other matters. He shows that supervision of
Indian railways by the Government would require im-
proyemeret, with a view to afford greater feed ties for
carrying out the works, a: speedily as possible, on the
most approved principles. A table is given showing
that it would require 183 years to eoMplete the Baroda
Railway of 335-miles in length at the rate of progress up
to May, 1:56, of the East Indian Railway ; 25 years at
the same rate of progress as the Great Indian Peninsula
Railway; and 'l6 1-eyears at the rate of progress made
by'the Madrais Railway. The dividends to be advanced
during construction, if the time as prOposed for that pur-
pose be two years, would amount to 125,6251., but if the
time of construction .were expended to 25 years the inte-
rest would amount to 1,281, 3751., the total estimated cost
of the railway being at 6,0001. a mile, 2.010,0001. ; bat
if they were permitted to construct the 335, miles of liue
from Boinbay to Ahmedabad in 2 years the debt to the
Government for interest would be repaid in 3 years
after the opening of the line for traffic, and if four years
the debt would be liquidated in six years. He shows
clearly that it is the interest of all parties that the works
should proceed as repidlye as possible, and the lines be
opened for traffic at the earliest period. Tables shoe-
ing the advantages of running from one to four trains
each way, the ruling gradient being one in 500 ; the
effect of gradients on loads of trains, and the effects of
velocity from 70 miles to 7 miles per hour, are shown by
diagrams. He states that the shareholders of this com-
pany have a guarantee of 5 per cent, per annum, pro-
vided the revehtle is sufficient to pay the working costs
of the railway. It is only their power of receiving divi-
dends beyond 5 per cent. and extending them to the
maximum rate of 10 per cent. that will be limited to the
surplus of revenue over working costs. If the revenue
should not be sufficient to pay the working costs and 5
per cent. dividends during the term of the lease of 99
years, as well as the-debt for advances, the Government
must lose any balance they may pay of the 5 per cent.
dividends, and the interest thereon. He states that if
the revenue be'insufficient to pay working costs and 10
per cent. dividends, the shareholders must lose to the
extent of such *deficiency not covered by their guarantee
of 5 per cent. Hence both the Government and
the shareholders of the company have a common
interest in the investigation and adoption of the
soundest possible principles that shall insure the lowest
rate of working costs in reference. to the highest amount
of traffic. Col. Kennedy shows by means of diagrams
thaterteep gradients are the most formidable enemies to
low. working costs and high dividends, and that high ve-
locity is the second enemy to profitable working. The
ruling gradient on the Baroda line is 1 to 500. He states
that travellers 'in India who have been accustomed to
make long journeys, of which ths rate has been limited
to 1Q or 12 miles a day on their own horses, or 20 or 30
miles a day in palanquins, will be delighted to find those
rates accelerated to 20 miles an hour in railway trains.
The calculaticn in the working-cost tables, given in the
report, is based • upon- a rate of 20 miles per hour for
passenger trains, and 10 milse for goods trains. Pru-
dence suggests that these ratceshould not be accelerated
until experienee shall have proved that the speed of
pagsenger trains' can be increased without bringing the
dividend of the shareholders below 10 per cent., or
the, fares and freights of lowest-class goods and lowest-
class passengers above what would be suitable .to the
present limited means of the Indian population. Should
the.results be arrived at by the careful mode of proce-
dure laid down in the report, be considers that the chief
barrier to the improvement of the Indian empire will
have been removed, confidence will have been established,
and he has no 'doubt that British capital will be freely
invested in constructing Indian railways, without the
necessity for any guarantee. From the results derived
from.the working cost table in the report it appears that
the entire ordinary working cost on the Bombay and
Barieda Dile,' when running one train daily each say,
would slightly exceed. one-half of the guaranteed interest
on the capital of 6,000/. per mile, and if the traffic should
yield onlynne4xth of the full load for one train in each
direction daily, the working expenses and renewal fund
would be thereby covered and the shareholders exonerated
from the only possible contingency that can bring their
dividends:below 5 per cent., fares being for the lowest
class passengers one halfpenny per passengerpermile, and
freight for lowest class goods one farthing per ton per
mile, or about half the .usual rates charged in England.
If the traffic should yield only half a load for one train
daily in each direction the revenue would suffice to pay
working costs, renewal fund, and 5 per cent, dividends
to the shareholders on their capital, thereby exonerating
the Government from further payment of the guaranteed
interest. If the traffic should yield two-thirds of a load,
revenue would suffice to pay all expenses and Miser cent.,
and, if the traffic should yield three-fourths a load for one
train.daily in each direction, the revenue would pay
working costs, renewal fund, and 10 per cent. totbe credit
of shareholders, of which 23 percent. would be paid to Go-
vernment until the liquidation of their debt, leaving the
shareholders 73 per cent. during its liquidation, and 10
per cent. afterwards. The contract limits the amount of
net revenue to 10 per bent. on the outlay ; consequently
a fullload carried daily each way would reduce the freights
and fares to three-fourths of those stated ; if a full load for
two trains a-day each way the fares for lowest class pas-
sengers would be. reduced to one-eighth of a penny per
mile, and goods to one-eighth of a penny per ton
per mile ; and if the traffic approached a load for four
trains each, way daily, the lowest class passengers and
goods would be 'carried at one-sixteenth of a penny per
mile, and per ton per mile respectively. This reduction
would take place in order to keep the net profits of the
railsiay within gip limits of the 10 per cent. dividend.
The report states that the main trunk conceded to the
company lies between Bombay and Baroda, and must, in
time, receive the tributary traffic of at least eight iropor-
tant-branchee. In addition to the trunk portion, the
Government have conceded to the company the impor-
tant Main branch from Baroda to Ahmedabad ; 'bat the
Home Government have stipulated that the remote
portion between Surat and Ahmedabad shall be exe.
cutod before proceeding with the constitution of the most
important part between Bombay and Surat, notwith-
standing that the.directore, sanctioned by the views of
the Governor-General in Council and the Governor -of
Bombay in Council, were strongly in favour of execut-
ing the whole 335. miles simultaneously. The distance
from Bombay to Surat is 180 mile; and from Surat to
•A.hmedabed 155 miles. It appears that the 335 miles
could be as easily 'constructed, and in as short time as
either of its parts taken separately, and if, either should
be done before the other, it ought to be that contiguous
to the great commercial capital of Bombay. The direc-
tors were desirous that the 335 miles should be executed
in two years simultaneously. This principle would have
bad the most beneficial effect upon the traffic returns;
the effect as regards economy of construction would be
still more striking in the saving of engineering and other
expense,' and, more than all, of interest paid in dividends
during construction.
In examining the country for the railway and branches
it appears that 4,000 miles of line were surveyed in order
to ascertain the best lines ilia commercial, engin..ering,and
political point of view. The borings of river beds for
bridges were very-satisfactory, and the mode of passing e. e
Vindiah range to reach the tableland of Mahwah and the
States of Central India was the most favourable that could
be desired ; the direction of the range being parallel, to
the main line would enable the company to obteionc.a
gradual rise on a long line of ascent from eitherF
or Baroda to the summit of Tyrilla Ghat.
point a line had been surveyed by Indore,
ht under the
Jhanei to Agra, which line has been brought BlifrErsam:athnibds
for
consideration of the Governor-General
to forma ap-
proval as an extension line from Bare!
from the junc-
tion with the East India Railway going
north-
west to Calcutta.'
The mode of constructing the earthworks
is explained, as well as .the oremr and fencing
sa,
consisting tion of bridges,
of certain
means of iron piles and iron girders,
.
parts which can be readily fitted together, so as to make
a bridge of any height or length where required. The
best mode of constructing the permanent way became a
question of importance with the consulting engineer.
Several experiments on the suspension girder rail of Mr.
Adams, wheel is laid down on a part of the Great
Northern Railway, over which the whole of the coal and
goods traffic of that company daily pass were made with
a view to test its advantages. Thi:!: plan of rail had
been approved by six engineers, anti appeared to
be peculiarly adapted for railways;in India, from`'its great
strength and uniform surface for the wheels to 1e"."5 over
'for
it, consistin entirely of iron, it was calculated to lam..
24 years without renewal, while the ordinary rail laid on
some of the Indian lines, being supported by ti tuber
sleepers, requires remittal in this respect every three
years, The ravages of insects and the destructive effects
of the climate rendered the wooden sleepers very infe-
rior to the eirepnsed plan or permanent way, an account
of which appeared in the newspapers several montint
A table is given in the 'report showing the advantage
of using the girder rail over the ordinary one, but the
authorities decided against using any other than the old
plan of rail With fish-ioints and timber sleepers. The
estimated cost of the latter for 24 years is stated at
7,9551. per mile, and of the iron girder rail and sleeper
at 3,1951. per mile. The latter being a very much better
road for India than the former, especially as the wooden
sleepers have to be sent from England. The consult-
ing engineer aneertained that the engine best ;suited