The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-19 00:00:00

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.

(SATURD A.Y•)

Group E.
THE NORTHUMBERLAND AND NEWCASTLE AND
BERWICK LINES.
The Committee met this morning at eleven o'clock, and the
cross- examination of Mr. Robert Stephenson, the eminent
engineer, was resumed by Mr. Sergeant WaaasGusim.—lt
appears from one of Mr. Samuda's experiments that there
is a greater tenuity produced at that end of the pipe next the
engine than at the other. The barometer rises as the pipe
becomes exhausted ; and in one of his experiments referred to
the barometer was falling and the fluid was consequently be-
coming less rarified In the experiment tried by carrying 64 tons
17 miles in an hour by the atmospheric principle, the mean
velocity on the last quarter of a mile was slightly augmented.
It must take some time before 64 tons could be put in mo-
tion. tint the space of time depends upon the amount of force
applied. In the experiment just alluded to, the barometer
was raised to 24 inches. It was remarkably uniform; and
commenced at 22 inches, or 1 llb per square inch, and 24 4.10
at t.e close. It rose to 24 inches during the first quarter of
a mile, and the speed continued to increase slightly. On
the atmospheric line a stoppage of 15 minutes must take
place at every point, and in his experiments 17 minutes were
taken up, consequent on the impossibility of attaining an
uniform velocity ; and even assuming that Mr. Brunell is
correct in stating that 2i minutes are sufficient for exhaustion
in every mile, it would be impossible to calculate the stoppages
with reference to uniform speed at less than 15 minutes, when
proceeding at the rate of miles an hour. To go over a
distance of three miles, I 1 minutes are required from the
moment the train is attempted to be moved until the three
miles are gone over. He is now speaking of a4O ton train,
and he is of opinion that the general rate of traveling will
not exceed seventeen miles an hour, but it may gt, at a some-
what greater speed as the train approaches the engine. Mr.
Brunel maintains, that by means of this tank and by working
the motive power half the vacuum is obtained, but this only
reduces the time in pumping, but as there is but one engine
to work the two tubes, there is no gain in point of time
and :speed after the vacuum is obtained. Thinks that
from the great pressure on the reservoirs, they must be made
of iron. The pressure on them would be 1.200 tons, or 73i1b.
per square inch, or half a ton to a foot. There is great dan-
ger to be apprehended from trains on atmospheric railways,
uhether the trains go right through or stop at particular
stations. sibs the case of a train going right through, and no
other traff coming upon the line, then accidents are to be ap-
hended at the level crossings only. Does not recollect
any accident having occurred on the Great Western and
the London and Birmingham from trains going through
when they arrived at the level crossings, but then there
are few level crossings to be met with on either line. On
the Blackwell line the switches at the Minories are
locked, and the danger is thereby in some measure
obviated. The accidents on the Blackwall, where the
switches are placed at the Minories, arose from mo •
mentum, which he anticipates would be a cause from
which danger would be greatly to be apprehended
on an atmospheric railway. Tlie engine man at
the station should, if possible, be aware of the approach of a
train, but he is not necessarily so from the working of the
pump, because the pumping goes on when perhaps there is
no train on the line. It is ridiculous to suppose that the
engineman, whose attention is absorbed by watching the
working of' a large machine, could attend to the moving of
the switches on the approach of the trains, and he thinks it
would be most improper to devolve such a duty on a per-
son who has otherwise enough to attend to. has known
of accidents occurring from self-acting switches, from going
back after having been properly opened. The Peterborough
line, although a single line railway, is unobjectionable with
the present traffic, but if the traffic increases much, two rails
will become absolutely nener;sary. His experience of the
running of large monster trains is not that they are always
behind titre, on the contrary, they are generally punctual.
Delas s might arise when monster trains are run, from a desire
to accommodate the public. Is aware that there is an ob-
jection entertained at the Board of Trade against monster
trains, but not against excursion trains. Has always recom-
mended the South-Eastern line to divide these monster
trains. The.large engines which he has lately constructed,
and which he believes to be the largest in the world, are ca-
pahle of carraing 600 or 700 tons at a speed of from 12 to 15
miles an hour, and he has tried one in which it pro-
pelled 500 tons at 18 miles an houa, and he con-
aid ra the engine capable of carrying lio tons
at the rate of ten miles an hour. They are of 300-horse
power. The goods trains are dispatched at night for the con-
venience ot carriers and the public, and not for any particular
object which a railway company has in selecting night trains
far carrying goods. It is, of course, cheaper to a railway
company to concentrate the goods and forward them in large
tr tins, than if they were to forward them by smaller trains.
The 300 horse power engines are not used to carry passengers,
but for goods only.
Again examined in chief by Mr. Hrtaavanni—Resistance is
Cmitp;,,e(l of three elemera s—the first, is the mere friction,
which is 81b. per ton ; the next, is the resistance arising
from gravity when the rail is not level, and that resistance
is. of course, variable; the force of gravity on 1 in 100, being
221 b per ton; and the third arises from the atmosphere,
which varies with the velocity. Gravity contains two
haws, weicht and bulk. The experiments made by
Me-srs. Locke, Wood, and the ether engineers, at
the request of the British Association were made on
trains varying from thirty to thity-five tons, which
is about the tonnage :proposed to be carried on the at-
mospheric lines; aid in drawing my deductions from these
experiments, I bore in mind a particular part of their re-
port. It is that atmospheric resistance depends upon the
number of carriages of which a train is composed—the re-
sistance varying according to the number, or the resistance
to two carriages is double that to, one carriage. On the
Peterborough line only two trains meet in one day, and the
line has been purposely constructed to have two rails, and
there is a clause in their Act which empowers the Board of
Trade to compel them to have two rails whenever that is
deemed necessary. There is an electric telegraph on this
Inc.i It is much easier to pull up with a locomotive than
with the atmospheric power, because when the steam is
tvrned off there is only the momentum to contend with,
and even this can be counteracted by moving the engine
backwards; but on the atmospheric line the train continues
to advance by the power by which it is propelled, besides
the momentum, until it has had time to be controlled by
means of the valve. If two thousand men were to be sent
from one place to another by an atmospheric rail-
way, it is evident, from the diagram, that the line would
be entirely stopped, because it appears that between
many of the trains there is an interval of an hour and
a halt. Recollects when a large body of troops and a great
quantity of material were fbrwarded by the Birmingham
Railway, three or four years ago, and they were dispatched
with great expedition.
MI . Hililyard—Yes ; and I remember that a French officer
who was present. told me that he was so much surprised with
it that he considered that railways must effect a revolution
in military science.
Mr. ALEXANDER, Q.O They have at last got a good
witness it. the case—(Laughter)—and as he is so ready to
give his testimony to the Committee, I hope he will not
forget to recommend the French officer to the favourable
attention of Marshal Soult.—(Laughter.)
The Committee then adjourned till twelve o'clock on Mon-
day.

Group X.
The Committee met again this day at twelve o'clock, Lord
Courtenay in the chair, and proceeded with the adjourned in-

quiry into
THE LONDON AND YORK RAILWAY.
Mr. T. Walker, of the firm of B. W. Cooke and Co., bankers,
at Don sister, examined by Mr. Dension—The London and York
line would confer considerable advantage on the town of Don-
caster. The inhabitants were all favourable to the scheme.
The London and York line would not only enable the mer-
chant 4 and traders to keep their present trade, but it wculd
materially increase that trade. There were three meetings held
at Doncaster in favour of the line. The first was not so
strongly in favour of it as the last two meetings. The
second meeting- was liehl on the sth of March last, and the
feeling was unanimous in favour of the undertaking. The
last meeting was held on the 17th of March, which was sub-
sequent to the report of the Beard of Trade reporting against
the line. The town was in a great state of excitement.
Never remembered so strong a feeling in favour of any other
public undertaking. The meeting came to very strong reso-
lutions, and the town resolved to memorialise the Board of
Trade on the subject. The London and York was the only line
that cou I ! confer advantage on Doncaster. It was not unfavour-
able in any one point. There is a sweeping extension of an-
other hoe inteinied. whieli is known as the Leeds and Selby,
and tie Direct North MSfland line. It would cross several
im7,oitain tborinighfar s, u hich would greatly impede the
tr.ffie i.f the highway and endanger the safety of the public.
That line would not confer anything like the advantage of
the London and York line.
Cross-examined by Mr. TALBOT—Between Selby and
Rotherham there was a considerable traffic. There
are coaches from Doncaster to and from Swinton and
Sheffield. The railways, however, left them but a very few
coaches. Never took a !eating part in fay. or of a line be-
t wren Gainsborough and Swinton. Attended a meeting in
1844, at Gainsborough. It was a meeting called for the pur-
pose of forwarding a line of railway from Gainsborough, there-
by connecting that place, the city of Lincoln and Donca.ster,
with the North Midland Railway at Swinton. Did not
support resolutions passed at the meeting. Was sent there
to watch the proceedings en the part of the Town Council of
Doncaster. Did not go there in a postchaise—went on his
own horse, and alone.
Mr. TALBOT—YOU say you took no part in the proceedings ;
nc.w, is not this extract from the local paper a correct report,
as it more materially affects you :
" William Sharpe, Esq., moved—' That the verbal report
made to this meeting, by George Stephenson, Esq, of a line
of railway from Gainsborough, southward to the city of
Lincolnst and westward by Doncaster to Swinton on the
North Midland Railway, be approved and adopted by this
meeting.'
" Mr. Stark seconded the motion, and in doing so recited
Dome of the preliminary proceedings referred to by the
Chairman, and in which he, Mr. S., with others, had taken
an active part. After so much labour, to see so respectable
a meeting afforded him great satisfaction. He believed not
only that the railway would be of great service to the town,
but that it would be the oily means of saving it from that
decay with which it was threatened, and which had already
commenced.

" Mr. Bellwood thought the present meeting was prema-
ture; that Gainsborough had no right to take a decided step
until Lincoln bad pronounced in favour of one or other of the
lines, and he moved as an amendment, that a Committee be
appointed to watch the proceedings of the various railway
projects connected with Gainsborough.
" John Walker, Esq., banker, of Doncaster, claimed tle
attenti, al of the meeting.
" Chairman—Are you going to second the motion? •
" Mr. Walker—No, .•Sir John.—(Laughter.)
" Mr. Bellwood—The town is not here. The meeting has
not been properly convened.
" Chairman—lt has been advertised.
" Mr. Bellwood—lt 14 self-elected.—(Laughter.)
" Chairman (pleasantly )—Surely the gentlemen here can
pledge themselves if they choose, to any particular line. The
meeting is not illegal, I presume?
" Mr. Walker—l understand Mr. Stephenson to say there
are two peint•, of junction with the North Midland proposed,
theioie at Darfield, the other at Swinton. I would suggest
thatitl-I,l44ato!pear,Swinton.
, isaar,Xtrt., supported the proposition, which
was aPpfOirarythe-reeeting.
•, Mr. Stephenson, in reply to Mr. Walker, said he proposed
•
1 ,Darfieid with the vievr di making a more direct cernmunica-
ftion with:t ncliesterand Leeds, and entirely to obviate he- Ma
-the ntee96ll•V,foEttle Lincoln and Wakefield line. Taking
.1. -the interests -parties into consideration,.. it is their
interest to,!go-to DartieiOnstead Wakefield.
" The Chairman—The resolution now stands at or near
Swinton.' a ,
Mr. Stephenstas—lf the other line is persevered in, we
cannot go to Darfield. But I want to do away with that line

altogether.
The resolution, as amended, being adopted."
I believe you will allow that to be a fair report.
Witnems—lt is correct, as far as I can remember.
Mr. TALBOT—I believe the press materially increased that
szcitement of the town of Doncaster which yeti told us had
taken place after the report of the Board of Trade against