The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-22 00:00:00

NORFOLK RAILWAY.—THIS DAY.
The Proprietors of this Company held their hal-
:44Y meeting, at the offices, Guildhall-buildings, this
; Adam Duff, Esq., in the chair.
The Secretary (R. TILL, Esq.), having read the ad-
tertheraent convening the meeting, laid before the Pro-
rietnra the report, in which the raising of 220,0001.,
°r altering and extending the line, was recommendei.
The CHAIRMAN moved that the report as read be
received; adopted, printed, and circulated among the
Shareholders.
thA PROPRIETOR inquired whether the clause respee•ing
e construction of tramways along the pier at Yar-
mouth. which was to have been inserted in the Lowcs-
toue Railway Bill, had been expunged, as a very general
te,"je tion existed at Yarmouth that the interests of that
had been sacrificed to those of Lowestoffe.
edlit BIDDER (the engineer of the Company) attribut-
e,nY want of accommodation to Yarmouth, to tl e
-ry`-'Bltion raised by the inhabitants of that town to all
°tenures, even those fur their decided benefit.
tPROPRIETOR said that before the report was adopted
i° wished to put a question to the Chairman respecting
It.t late accidents on the Northern and Eastern line.
`ae subject was one of the very greatest importance,
4141,1„ha trusted that some explanation would be afforded.
'tie CHAIRMAN said that he was very happy the
Ilnestion had been mooted, as it was a source of great
tiloalety to the Directors, and had met with their most se-
us consideration. As their engineer was more competent
th
he to deal with the matter professionally, he would
011 that gentleman to make an explanation.
tilatr. BIDDER said that they might all easily imagine
feit° these accidents were sources of deep regret. He,
orst, had been almost unable to account for them,
th°l the circumstance of their being ut.precedented
beran their line, and every possible precaution
112 R taken. He as engineer to the Company,
aa wade a most rigid investigation, and he believed had
tel;e to of right conclusion. It was said that these
con-
ed
st rom the railway being newly con-
trneted. Now on the Northampton and Pe-
rhorough, which was a perfectly new line, not
Zlngle accident had happened. The same might be
se' of the Yarmouth and Norwich, where, note
b....lthstanding that a great many ballast trains
I;7d over the line last winter, when perfectly new,
bee:ltahs ualty whatever had oecurred. It, therefore,
*be,'" a matter of the deepest interest to discover
erip.ee and how the accidents on their lines
attd. He believed that the cause was to
ser,'',und in a new class of engines having
the," Introduced. All the accidents had occurred while
Ijelaw_iere used, none having happened in the old class.
• o seen those engines, and could testify to the
iteellence of their manufacture and the apparent perfec-
ri of their parts; nevertheless a very great oscillation
,balt observed invariably upon them, and though the
irteat and most experienced drivers were placed
r°4 them, this objection still existed. Mr. Ste-
secBoll had, immediately after the occur-
eae of the first accident, examined these engines,
hjer:llly, and he attributed it to the centre of gravity
helng higher in the new than in the old engines. After
h accident at Waterbeach, Mr. Marshall also
h:;estigated the matter, and the conclusion they
from all now arrived at was, that the accidents occurred
and therefore
the flange not being bevelled, nor sufficiently deep,
01;4 therefore mounted from instead of keeping steady
see tha rails. These wheels were made by a gentle-
-41,14 who was in the habit of constructing wheels for the
14'4 Western Company, where wheels precisely similar
%re used, but as a difference existed in the kind of rails
fored by each Company, flanges which were adapted
144 ?ne were unsuited for the other line. The engines
,uten taken off the line, the manufacturer was re-
be tins the objectionable, and fitting proper flanges ; and
_
11,0 listed sincerely that these accidents, so painful to
pee% connected with the railway, would never again
--(Hear, hear.)
Ite "a report was then adopted, resolutions embodying
recommendations passed, and the meeting separated.