The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-25 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

• BROAD AND NARROW GAUGE COMMISSION.
The Commissioners have been considering the merits of
the gauges during the last three days. Mr. S. Clarke, su-
-- perintendent of the traffic on the Great Western line, was
asked by Sir Frederick Smith whether he had formed any
opinion of the comparative merits of the broad and narrow
gauges. Mr. Clarke replied that he had, and that it was in
favour of the broad gauge. His reasons for forming that
2% opinion were the steadiness of the trains, diminution of the
wear and tear, the strength of the carriages, the greater
speed which is performed upon it, and at a less cost. The
carriages on the broad gauge were heavier, and the motion
in consequence steadier. Sir Frederick Smith inquired
whether if the broad gauge were reduced to six feet
six inches, any advantage would be lest, to which Mr.
Clarke replied that the increase of safety was pro-
-- portioned to the increase of base within reasonable
limits. No difficulty was experienced in going round
85 curves. The great oscillation on the narrow gauge had a
4% tendency to throw the carriages off the rail. A gauge of six
feet six inches would answer every purpose for the present
speed. The speed they aimed at was sixty miles an hour.
•Mr. Gooch, being questioned, said a seven feet gauge was
preferable to one of six feet six inches. No greater width
of the pavement would be • required for safety. The
.great superiority of the Great Western consisted in the con-
- struetion of the engines, and the poWer given to them by the
driving-wheel. The gradients did not operate in their
_ favour. They had worse gradients than on the narrow
—. gauge. They bad more power concentrated in one engine
with one driving-wheel. With a seven-feet wheel they
would lose six miles an hour. The back pressure would be
equal to 21 per cent. With a six-feet wheel it would be 25
per cent., with one of five feet six inches it would be 27 per
cent., and with a five. feet wheel it would be 30 per cent.
• They had also advantage from the larger size of the fire-hose
in their engines. One square foot of arena in the fire .hose
was equal to two feet cubic of evaporation in the boiler.
They could not obtain a similar advantage on the narrow
• gauge. They would not gain the same power to their
engines. The larger the fire-box, as compared to the boiler,
the greater was the power obtained. Professor Airey then
entered into a long examination of the witness with re-
- ference to the ratio cf evaporation consequent on the
larger size of the fire-box in the engines on the Great
Western. The narrow gauge would gain an advantage
by corrugating their fire-boxes. That would increase the
power of their engines. They had, after much trouble,
succeeded in getting plates corrugated fur the construe-
- tion of fire-boxes. It was very difficult to induce parties
to undertake the manufacture of them, on account of the
expense it would involve for the necessary machinery to
effect it. Mr. Clarke's examination lasted the whole of one
day, but nothing very material was elicited. Mr. C. A.
Saunders, secretary of the Great Western Company, was
-_-_- then examined. In answer to a question from Sir Fre-
derick Smith, whether it was contemplated from the
-. beginning to form the seven-foot guage on that line, Mr.
23% Saunders said it was not. The intention was not formed
16 until after the Act had been obtained. The company was
projected in January, 1833 ; went before Parliament in
1834 for a line from London to Reading, and from Bath to
Bristol. They applied for that limited length of line in
consequence of difficulty in completing their subscriptions.
It was thrown out in the Lords on the second reading. The
opposition was a combined one ; they were opposed by the
South Western, Etou College, and the canal owners. In
the interval between 1831 and 1835 they completed their
subscription. After a protracted contest they obtained their
)7- Act for the whole line. In other cases the width of gauge
was fixed by the Act of Incorporation. That clause
was omitted in the Act of the Great Western. Could not
say whether it was the first instance in which the clause
fixing the gauge was omitted. Sir Frederick Smith—Do
you know what objects Mr. Brunel had in adopting the broad
gauge? Mr. Saunders—l do. They were in order to obtain
- a greater power in lever-motion engines and greater speed;
2% to be enabled to place the wheels on the outside; to obtain
greater strength in the construction of the engines, and to
effect greater safety at a high speed, which Mr. Brunel looked
forward to as an object to be accomplished. These were the
main objects which he had in view. Sir Frederick Smith-
- Do you consider that these objects have been attained? Mr.
Saunders—Yes. If the line was to be re-constructed, they would
again adopt the broad gauge. It gave increased speed and safety
in proportion to the increased weight required to be carried.
4% They would carry a greater weight at a greater speed than could
be done on the narrow gauge. Sir Frederick Smith—Was
there greater economy by adopting the broad gauge? Mr.
Saunders—There was; he formed that opinion from an ex-
,
amitiation of the returns made by other companies, and a
close inspection of the accounts of the Great Western. The
accounts were drawn out upon uniform principle, in order
' that the different companies might reciprocate informa-
tion, and therefore form a standard of comparison. Sir
.Frederick Smith—Jll,r, Gooch, when examined, stated
t-ErGd.rand Junction ; by one-
nd Gloucester; by four-tenths
'
- thattwiiasithird
d theless
less .Frederick_ Smith—
no onfteh- eh tractionaßl
fs than
Bristol
•
than the South-Western ; and by one-half than the London
and Birmingham. Mr. Saunders—He had no reason to
doubt the accuracy of that statement. There was in some
- items, in the construction of the locomotives, an increased
- cost; in others it was the same. In reply to further ques-
tions, he stated that the adoption of the broad gauge did
not necessitate a greater width of way. They had none
_ on the Great Western thirty feet. Sir Frederick Smith-
- Is the Great Western under an obligation to run a
- narrow gauge from Oxford to Rugby? Mr. Saunders-
- There is a clause in the Act of Parliament which ren-
ders it obligatory, should ' the Board of Trade require it.
Sir Frederick Smith -Assuming a narrow gauge line from
----- Rugby to Oxford? Mr. Saunders—There should be a
change of carriages whenever there were converging lines,
in any case. There could be no question about that, both
on the score of economy and convenience. A change of
carriages would promote greater speed and give greater cone
- venience to the passengers ; and with regard to goods, the
body of the carriages should be removed, as on the Paris and
Orleans line. No greater delay would arise from adopting
the loose hose system. Sir Frederick Smith—Can you'state
what branch and extension lines the Great Western Corn-
-
patty proposes to construct, in order to accommodate the
public with the broad gauge? Mr. Saunders—He could;
but lie should consider such communication private and con-
-- fidential. The information was-then communicated to the
Commissioners privately. After some further examination
2% the Commission adjourned, and lit is understood that there
will not be another meeting for some days.

THE SOUTH AND MIDLANDS JUNCTION RAILWAY
MEETING AT BAMPTON, OXON.
On Wednesday afternoon a very numerous and highly re-
spectable, as well as influential, meeting of the landowners
and residents in the town of Bampton and its neighbour-
hood was held in the Town-hall, at which Le Forrestier,
Esq., presided, for the purpose of receiving and hearing from
a deputation of the Committee of the South and Midlands
Junction Railway Company, a full explanation
Bofuitihene,mEersi:
of their project, especially in so far as it was proposed to
benefit that town.
Amongst those present were the Chairman, Dr. Whittaker,
F. Whittaker, Esq., G. Whittaker, Esq.,
R
—. Price, Esq., W. Bradshaw, Esq., E. Wright, Esq., ---
Cooperl_Esq., B. Holloway, Esq., F. Hunt, Esq., IL Turner,
Esq., -11. Morris, Esq., G. Holloway, Esq., T. Holloway, Esq.,
James, Esq., 11PMurdie, Esq., Sic.
The CIIAIRAIAN said that as the meeting were aware they
had been called together to hear what effect the proposed
South and Midlands Railway was likely to produce on their
town—(Hear)--it was a most important project, as far as
thetown of Bampton was concerned, because it would thrn
open to its inhabitants a direct railway communication,
amongst other towns, with Bristol, Bath, Poole, and South-
ampton on the one side, and Liverpool, Manchester, and Bir-
mingham on the other. Some gentlemen were in attendance
from the Company, by whom an explanation would be given
of the peculiar operation of the line ; but ere that was done,
he should be happy to hear the opinion of any of his neigh-
bours as to the expediency of their having a railway to their
town.
Dr. WHITTAKER thereupon said he did not, in the present
day, consider that it was necessary for him to point out to the
meeting bow very beneficial a railway must be to any town
to which it came.—(Hear.) This was quite clear, however,
that as railways were becoming so general—indeed they were
going over all parts of the country—it was absolutely neces-
sary that they should have one brought to their district, in
order that they might participate in the advantages which
all other towns possssed. That being so, he would move
as a resolution, " That this meeting is of opinion that a rail-
way communication to Bampton will be productive of great
advantage to the town and its neighbourhood."—( Hear.)
Mr. G. HOLLOWAY, with much satisfaction, would second
the proposition, which was then unanimously carried.
Mr. WMURDIE said he had the honour to appear before
the meeting as the representative of the South and Mid-
lands Junction Railway Company—the Company which
proposed to bring a railway communication to Bampton
and through its neighbourhood. Before, however, he en-
tered into a statement to show what would be the
effect of the proposed line in reference to it, he should ex-
plain why it was that so few members of the deputation ap-
peared in that room on that occasion. It was no intended
_disrespect that such : was the case.—( Hear.) A meeting o f
the inhabitants of the town of Bicester, as they no doubt
were aware, had been called for the 17th. At the last mo-
ment, however, the solicitor of the Company received a re-
quisition from some of the inhabitants,asking that the
meeting might be postponed until the following day. The
arrangements of the deputation would not admit of this, and
therefore a reply was sent stating that fact, accompanied with
an intimation that the meeting would be held on the 20th in-
stead of the 17th, to accommodate them. On that day, ac-
cordingly, the deputation arrived at Bicester, but nothing
was done, because they found that on the 18th some parties
who were connected with other Companies, finding that they
were unable to carry resolutions in favour of their respective
projects, had in the end induced the inhabitants to pass a re-
solution declaring that they would not entertain any of
the projects which proposed to pass through their town
until after the 30th of November, so that they might see
which of the schemes were likely to go before Parliament,
as by that period they must have deposited their maps and
plans, &c.—(Hear, hear.) The majority of the deputation
returned to London, whilst others remained and went over to
Woodstock on the following day. The deputation now came
to Bampton with the hope that they should obtain the ap-
proval and support of the inhabitants of that town.—(hear,
hear.) Those gentlemen had already, by the resolution they
had just. agreed to, declared in favour of a railroad
being brought to their town, and it would therefore be
for -him, on behalf of the Company, to explain how it
was proposed, that a benefit should be bestowed upon all
those connected with that district.—(Hear, hear.) They