The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-10 00:00:00

CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD
RAILWAY.

-
Operations on this line will be commenced almost imme-
diately. On Wednesday the contracts are to be let, when
there will be thirty miles put in hand, taking a direct line
from Chester to Baghilt, and the Penmaen Bach Tunnel,
which is 440 yards in length, and is to be made at the instance
of the Admiralty. In another month the entire distance, 84
miles, with the exception of the Bangor portion of the line,
approaching the Menai Straits, and the passage over them,
which stands in abeyance at the request of Government, will
also be under contract. It was originally contemplated by Mr.
Stephenson, the engineer, to carry the railway over the pre-
sent Menai bridge, but this was objected to by the Woods and
Forests, and by Mr. Walker, the Government engineer. He
now recommends the Directors to construct a permanent
bridge over the Britannia Rock, to be used exclusively for the
transit of the trains, and application for the necessary powers
will be wade in the ensuing session. The works at this point
will be the weightiest on the line, and the proposed bridge over
the straits of stupendous construction. There will be two arches
of 350 feet span, the segments of the arch to be formed of iron.
They are proposed to be built without centerings, and of such
a nature as to prevent any obstruction to the navigation ;
fear of which was the principal reason for not granting this
portion of the line last session. Within the last few days
engineers have been taking plans and soundings at the
Britannia Rock, with the view of giving evidence before the
House on the subject. The line was originally laid out by
Mr. George Stephenson in 1838. In 1839 Commissioners
were appointed by Government to select the best lines, and
the best harbours to be adopted, so as to furnish a better and
more direct communication between England and Ireland.
The harbours to which the attention of the Commissioners
was directed were those of Holyhead and Portdinnlaen.
The lines were four, viz., from Holyhead to Bangor and
Chester ; from Portdinnlaen, rid Carnarvon, to Bangor and
Chester ; from Portdinnlaen, by Bala and Shrewsbury ;
and the fourth from Ormshead to Chester. The latter lines,
from Portdinnlaen and Ormshead, were rejected by the
Commissioners, who conceived that, being open road-
steads, they could not be well adapted for mail-packet
stations. The Chester and Holyhead starts from the Birken-
head line, runs parallel for five miles with the Dee,
and sweeps on to Mostyn, Flint, Abergele, Baghilt, and
Liandowlais, skirting the seashore until it arrives at the pro-
montories of Penmaen Bach and Pamaen Mawr, where the
chief engineering difficulties occur. Owing to their extreme
steepness two plans were proposed by Mr. Stephenson, either
to carry a ledge along them, or to perforate them by a tunnel.
The former, he thought, would be the cheapest, but he had
been induced to adopt the latter, as it will prevent the trains
from exposure to the sea, which beats powerfully at those
points. The line sweeps by a viaduct over Bangor, and
through Anglesea on to Holyhead. From Chester it will
run for thirty-five miles on a level, which, in an engineering
point of view, is almost unprecedented. A deviation, with the
concurrence of the landowners, is proposed to be made in tne
route at Bangor, in consequence of opposition from the bishop,
whose palace it originally proposed to pass on a viaduct. The
proposed modification will entail an increased expense of
50,000/. We understand that arrangements have been made
with Colonel Pennant, one of the principal landed proprietors,
that the works between the Ogwm river, near Bangor, and the
Menai Straits, may be proceeded with immediately. The line,
when constructed, will be employed in the conveyance of the
Government mails, troops, and ordnance stores. It will cost
2,100,000/., and bring the metropolis within 270 miles of Holy.
head, by a journey of ten hours. Ten thousand tons of rails
have already been contracted for.