The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-22 00:00:00

PROGRESS OF NEW RAILWAYS.

BEAKS AND HANTS RAILWAY.—This line, which is to
connect the Great Western and South-Western Railways,
has been laid out under the superintendence of the Com-
pany's engineer, Mr. Beecham. In length it is upwards of
thirty-nine miles, branching off from the Great Western
Railway near Reading, passing adjacent to the towns of New-
bury, Hungerford, to near the station of the South-Western
Railway at Basingstoke. The purchase of land is nearly
completed, and in every quarter operations are going on
rapidly. The directors of the Great Western have let the
whole of the works (between Hungerford and Basingstoke)
to responsible and most experienced contractors, whose work.
men are engaged in shaft working, in order to ascertain the
nature of the soil to be worked through.

SHEFFIELD AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY. —The works
upon this line of railway are for the most part comr leted. and
the rails laid; the tunnel, however, remains unfinished, but
nearly 2,060 workmen are engaged, fixing the masonary.
PRESTON AND WYRE BRANCH RAILWAYS—The report
by the engineer, Mr. Bidder, as to the state of the works
of the Preston and Wyre Branch Railway and the Black-
pool, Lytham, and Lytham Docks is as follows :—The Ly-
tham line, the length of which is four miles and six fur-
longs, I fully expect, should the weather keep favourable,
will be completed in about three weeks. There is no work
of any magnitude on this railway; the quantity of excava-
tion is 100,000 cubic yards. The highest embankment is
eleven feet, and the deepest cutting twenty-seven feet. Along
the line there are three timber bridges, also one of stone,
and another constructed of bricks. The station is also fast
approaching completion. The Blackpool line will be com-
menced as soon as the harvest is over, and we are in hopes
it will be accomplished for traffic by the Ist of March next
Visitors can then visit their favourite watering-places from
Leeds, Manchester, and all intermediate stations, without
leaving their carriages, and in a very short space of time.
We are laying down the electric telegraph on thift line, and
have every reason to believe that early in the Spring there
will be a communication throughout the lines from Fleet-
wood, a distance of two hundred and forty miles ; and as our
packets do not exceed ten hours in their voyage to Belfast, a
message to London from Belfast will be made in a few mi-
nutes more of that time. The capital is 50,0101.
ASHTON BRANCH RAILWAY.—The works connected with
the Ashton, Stalybridge. and Liverpool Junction are ad-
vanced considerably, and already branch into the Sheffield
and Manchester line. The electric telegraph is likewise
being laid down on this undertaking.
LANCASTER DEVIATION.—The Lancaster Deviation of
the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway, which is three miles
in length, will, when finished, connect the two with the
Carlisle and Newcastle Railway. The most important work
on the line is the Lime Viaduct. This consists of three
timber arches, of 120 feet span, over the river Eden, and
seven smaller land arches in masonry. The land piers and
the river abutments are well advanced, all these piers hay-
ing been founded nearly twenty feet below the surface of the
ground, and are now built about eight feet above the sur-
face. There are five other bridtres in progress in other parts
of the line, and the earth-works are commenced at several
points.
OXFORD AND RUCIBY.—The arrangements for the con-
struction of the Oxford and Rugby, in length fifty miles and
a half, are in a very advanced state. The preliminary ope-
rations for surveying, sectioning, shaft-sinking, and staking
out are complete. The capital, according to the parliamentary
return, is 600,0001.
BRIGHTON, LEWES, AND HASTINGS RAILWAY.—This line
is progressing rapidly, particularly between Willingdon and
St. Leonard's, where the rails are laid for a considerable dis-
tance, over which a locomotive is running to convey ballast
trains. There are between the above-mentioned place: no
fewer than eleven embankments, the most important of
which are the following :—Pevensey-marsh extends three
miles and a half in length, for the formation of which it re-
quires 50,000 cubic yards of earthwork; and the quantity
already removed amounts to upwards of 30,000; Stonecross
embankment, as also the Marine Cottages, the Bulace-
Glynde Gap, the Chinting, and Redditch, average from 19
to 23 feet in height. The cuttings in that particular part are
almost as numerous. There are ten cuttings, called the
Bulverhithe, Galley-hill, Bexhill, Fatland, White Little
Common, Couden, Westham, Redditch, and the Stonecross,
The most laborious are the Bulverhithe, the Galley-hill, and
the Stonecross cuttings ; the latter is 40 feet in depth, and
the quantity of earthwork already removed is 54 000 cubic
yards. The quantity required to be excavated before com-
pleted is 106,000. There are several bridges completed;
among them may be enumerated the Hailsham and East-
bourne turnpike .roads, which pass under the railway ; the
span of the arch is 35 feet. The works exhibit great solidity.
and in their construction show much judgment on the part
of Mr. Kirby, the resident engineer. The Hastings, Rye,
&c., Railway, an extension line to the above, for which an
Act of Parliament was obtained last session, is not yet com-
menced. The termini are to be at Hastings and at Ashford.
LANCASTER AND CARLISLE RAILWAY.—The important
works on this line of railway, under the superintendence of
Mr. Errington, the engineer, are fast completing. The
lengthy embankment near Carlisle is formed, and a loco-
motive is employed on it. Eamount bridge and Lowther
bridge are finished. They have a noble appearance. Re-
specting the viaduct at Docker Gatthil and the embankment
at Clifton, its progress is most favourable. The engineer's
attention is now directed in removing the ponderous mass of
stone in various parts of the line by forcing gunpowder.
This operation is excessively tedious.
NEWPORT AND PONTYPOOL RAILWAY.—This line, which
will be thirteen miles in length, with termini at Pontypool
and at Newport, has been commenced. Working surveys
are in progress, and the line is being set out preparatory to
letting contracts for works. Trial pits have been sunk to as-
certain the nature of the cuttings. The cuttings and em-
bankments will not be any great obstacle—the country being
undulating, they are consequently frequent, but of no great
height. They vary from forty feet in height and under. One
tunnel is proposed, which will not exceed 100 yards in length.
Through the town of Pontypool the railway will occupy the
site of a canal, which will shortly be drained for that pur-
pose. The capital of the Company is 119,000/. Mr. Thomas
E. March, the engineer, has the construction of the under-
taking. •

On Friday, at a meeting of the merchants, traders, and in-
habitants of Liverpool, resolutions were passed in favour of
the Newry and Carlingford Railway, as calculated to pro-
mote commercial intercourse between Liverpool and the
north-west and north-pact of Irolancl.

Surveyors and their assistants are busy on the South
Wales line, prior to the issuing of contracts. The borings
for the foundation of the bridge at Chepstow have been com-
menced.

Operations are being commenced upon a large scale for
the construction of the proposed high level bridge over the
Tyne, in connection with the Newcastle and Berwick Rail-
way. The borings in the bed of the river for the pier
foundations have been commenced as a preliminary requisite.
Melton is said to be besieged with surveyors, and fears
are entertained that, should one-half of the proposed projects
be carried out, Leicester will entirely lose its prestige for
hunting sports.
A direct line, shortening the existing route by five miles,
is projected between Darlington and Hartlepool.
The progress of the works on the Chester and Holyhead
is said to have had a remarkable effect on the number of
applicants for parochial relief in the Comray, Bangor, and
Beaumaris Poor-law unions.

The works on the Middlesborough and Redcar, a line to
connect those places with the north and south, have been
commenced, and the road is expected to be opened in three
or four months.