The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-01-06 00:00:00

THE BROAD AND NARROW GAUGE

We have already published the result of the experimen-
tal trip on the broad gauge, when, it will be remembered,
the Great Western party ran experimental trips with
weights, exclusive of the engin e and tender, of 811 tons,
711 tons, and 61 tons respectively, and with those weights
attached the greatest speed attained were a mile in 61,
58, and 59 seconds. The narrow gauge, on Thursday,
aexperimentalized with a train of only 50 tons weight. The
engine selected was a new one, uilt by Mr. Robert Ste-
phenson, with six wheels. The driving wheels, 6 feet 6
inches in diameter, were behind ; the top of the boiler was
about 7 feet 4 inches above the rail, and the cylinders
were outside.' It bad not been running above a week, and
had been engaged only on experimental trips.
Before enterine more into detail relative to the speed
attained, it may be well to observe, that had it really been
so great as that which was achieved by the Great Western,
the experiment could not be regarded as a fair parallel,
owing to the difference in the weights carried : since, in
the case of the narrow gauge, the gross weight was ten
tons lighter than the lightest attached in the case of the
broad gauge. Mr. Brunel, as well as Professor Barlow,
expressed surprise that a weight of only 50 tons should be
applied to the engine. Mr. Bidder, however, stated that
he was desirous of showing first what could be accom-
plished on the narrow guage with light trains; afterwards
he would experiroentalize with heavier ones. All the
preliminaries having been arranged, and the carriages,
eight in number, having been attached, the train started
from the first mile post at 12 minutes 17 seconds past 9
a.m. It arrived at the 44th mile at 26 minutes 10 seconds
past 10, having performed the whole distance of 43 miles
in 1 hour 13 minutes and 53 seconds. The shortest time
occupied in performing a single mile was 68 seconds.
The return trip was made in 1 hour 23 minutes 53
seconds, a delay of some four or five minutes having oc-
curred half-way in taking in water ; and the average speed
not being so great as that of the down trip.
From the above it will be seen that the utmost speed
attained at any time, with the train of only 50 tons, was a
mile in 68 second's, and that even that pace was not main-
tained for above one mile. Oa the Great Western a
speed of one mile in 61 seconds was attained, with a train
of 81 tons attached, whilst the general average was con-
siderably above that of Thursday's work. In extenuation
of this disparity in speed, it is only fair to state that a high
wind prevailed. It blew a perfect hurricane from the
west, and beat with immense violence against the sides of
the carriages. This, of course, materially retarded the
progress of the train. Indeed, the difference between the
speed on embankments and on cuttings was perfectly pal-
pable. When on an embankment, wholly unprotected by
hedges or side slopes, the wind was so powerful that little
more than a mile in two minutes was the result; whereas
the instant a train descended into a cutting, where the
slopes protected it from the wind, the speed increased
to a mile in 68 to 70, to 90 or 100 secones ; and it is but
just to observe, that the Great North of England line
seems to have been constructed with very little cutting,
and that it is consequently much exposed to wind.
Mr. Bidder estimated the high wind as an additional
weight of 100 tons added to the train. The engine, he
said, consumed as much water, generated as much steam,
and employed as much power,:as had been consumed, ge-
nerated, and employed on the Great Western, with the 81
ton train, and the superior speed. What, he argued, had
become of that power, if it had not been employed in
overcoming the extra resistance of the wind ? When the
advocates of the narrow gauge were regretting that the
wind should have caused them such a retardation, Mr.
Brunel turned reund, and humorously observed, " You
can't complain ; it's Hudson's fault ; he's the fellow that
raises the wind."
On Thursday, an engine with four carriages, engaged
on these trips, left the York station, and on reaching a
point about half a mile beyond the Thirsk station, (being
a distance from York of about 22 miles,) the engine
leaped off the rails, owing, it is supposed, to too high a
pressure, it being proceeding at the time at the rate of
about 70 miles an hour. The consequence was, that all
the carriages were broken to pieces, and the stoker was
so much injured that there is little chew e of his recovery.
All the other parties with the train escape I without seri-
ous injury.