The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-01-16 00:00:00

GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.

We have much gratification in informing our readers that,
'during the past week, the first trial of the locomotive 'engines
has been made upon a portion of this railway at the London
end, and with a most satisfactory result. We need not inform
those who have paid any attention to the construction of rail-
ways, that, in the formation of the Great Western' line, Mr.
Brunel has boldly deviated from the practice hitherto followed
in the north in some of its. most essential features. Not only
has he introduced a perfection of levels hitherto unequalled in
any railway, but, by adopting a greater width (or
,y4u,ye) of
track for the locomotives, by increasing the diameter of the
working-wheels of his engines, and more especially by his mode
of laying the rails upon continuous bearings of timber, ti.Yanized;
Mr. Brunel has decisively shown that, whilst willing to take ad-
vantage of all improvements introduced by his predecessors, he
has.exercised his own vigorousand original mind upon the pria-
ciples of railway construction, and has nobly vindicated his dia.
rafter as a disciple of, what Macauley eloquently calls, " the
philosophy of fruit and progress." it was, of course, a matter
of grave consideration to the directors of the Great Western
Railway, hoW far they would be justified in sanctioning such ex-
tensive changes upon the established mode of construction, but,
after mature examinat ton of Mr. Brunel's plans, they felt so
strongly convinced a the soundness and sagacity of his views,
that they did not hesitate to adopt them in the formation of the
important line entrusted to their charge. There are so many
. persons, however, who form theirjudginent on these Points only
by the results, that the directors have hitherto had to contend
with a very general and natural prejudice in favour of the old
system. The time is now come for determining the merits (A-
Z.. Brunei's innovations, and we have little doubt that in a
short time the principles involved in his system of construction
will be universally adopted, even by those who are most pre-
judiced against it. The portion of the line upon which the per-
: manent rails have been yet laid is not sufficient to allow of a
trial that will be considered as absolutely decisive of the advan-
tages of Mr. Brunel's system, but so far as the experiment has
been made, nothing, we understand, can be more.satisfartory,
Two locomotive engines, of great power and weights, have been
running for several hours during the past week upon a portion
of the line, about t,‘o miles in length, and close attention proves
that much greater ease and smoothness of motion is the result
of the new mode of construction. A speed of 45 to 48 miles per
hour, was several times attained, notwithstanding the precau-
tion necessary to stop the engines in a short distance; and had
the tails been laid further upon the line, there is no doubt that
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We have received the following additional particulars from
a correspondent : •
It is with the greatest satisfaction we are able 'to announce
that' a full trial was made, during the whole of- Wednesday, in
running the engines on two or three miles of this, line, near
West Drayton, between London and Maidenhead.
The object of the trial was to -prove the rails, and most sans-
factory was the result, both as to the increased 4vidth of gauge,
and the use of continuous hearers of K)anized wood confined
by piles, on which plan the line is constructed.
An engine with 8 feet drawing uheels, made by Messrs.
Tavleur and Cn., of Warrington.—weight, 23 tons, with the
tender, water, coke, &c., and another engine made by Messrs.
Mather and Dixon, of Liverpool—weight, aborit 19 tons, with
tender, 8:e , ran the whole day without producing the slightest
vibration, Other on the rails or the r&orid uUder them. The
rails are, in fact, so beautifully firm, smooth, and true, that the
engine glided over them more like a shuttle through a loom,
or an arrow out of a bow, than like the effect on any previous
railway; there is literally no noise—no apparent effort; nor
can there ever be discovered any difference between the centre
and the joints in the rails.
A maximum speed was not attempted, as, on so short a piece,
the momentum would be no sooner attained than it would
require to be lowered, in preparation for stopping the engine
A speed of 45 to 50 miles per hour was attained; and when the
engines are run, as they will be either next or the following
week on an 8 or 10 mile length, there is no doubt they will as
easily ruu at a very much higher speed. -
We congratulate Mr. Brunel on the high practical science
evinced in his every step in this great undertaking; and we
feel convinced that the Directors and Engineers will now have
the high gratification of seeing the eyes of all Europe fixed on
a successful opening of this great undertaking to Maidenhead
in March next.—Bristol Mercury.

NEW CARRIAGES FOR THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.—
We have been favoured with a view of the new bodies building
for the carriages of this railway by Mr. Davis, of Wigmore-
street, and were highly gratified with their excellent build and
accommodation. They are 12 in number, Bof them being 18
feet long, and 8 feet wide, and the remainder 21 feet long, and
8 feet wide. They are fitted up in an elegant style, and have
the appearance and almost the accommodation of the saloon of
a steam-packet. The 18-feet carriages have 9 separate seats,
resembling sofas; 5 on 'one side and 4 on the other, for two
passengers each, separated by scroll-cut standards; the seats
and backs are stuffed with horse-hair, and covered with hand-
some mohair velvet, and underneath is ample room for passen-
gers' luggage. The windows are over the back of the seats, and
occupy the whole width in one sheet of plate-glass, and fur-
nished With spring silk blinds; the floor is covered with Brus-
sels carpeting. The center part of the roof or ceiling is raised
to give headway, and is sufficiently high for a tall person to
walk upright; on each side of the raised ceiling are copper
gauze wire pannels for ventilation, regulated by Wood slides or
shutters: at each end of the carriage is a small table for the
accomodation of the passengers; this table is ingeniously con-
trived to turn upon its edge, when not in use, by means of a
hinge-joint and double brackets, turning upon two iron standards
fixed to the floor. A lamp is provided at each end. No expense
has been spared to render them worthy the name, of first-class
carriages, and much credit is due to Mr. Davis fur their excel-
lent workmanship. It is estimated that they will cost £4OO
each, for the bodies only, exclusive of the cart iages,''which are
being made by the engineers. The tat ger or 21-feet carriages,
are divided into three compartments, and' fitted up'similar to
the others, except that the centre compartment will contain
accommodation for 10 passengers, and those at either end for
4 more each, forming imall cabins, particohidy suitable for
families wishing to go by themselves.—Civil kygineer, and
Architect's Journal, Jau., 1838.