The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-04-16 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE GLASGOW .0017 WIER.

Friends of the CALEDONIAN RAIL-
WAY have been attempting to 'fix a charge of incon-
sistency against the Gentlemen of the county of Renfrew
because three years ago they pronounced an opinion in
favour of the Caledonian line as compared to the East
Coast or North British Railway, the only other project
then before the public, an opinion which was given on the
ground of its being, of the two, the most beneficial fcr
Renfrewshire, and the West of Scotland, and " to prevent
the alternativeof tracing the inferior line by the East Coast
of Scotland substituted." Even" lovers of consistency"
can hardly find fault with the, same gentlemen still more
strenuously advocating a 14e. possessing the same advan-
ts;e with the Caledontatr-M uniting the West of Scotland
with England, and, in addition, passing through their own
'county.

I take the liberty, for the special benefit of " A Lover
of Consistency;" to subjoin a few extracts from a report
addressed to the Directors of the Grand Junction Railway
as to the best means of uniting London and 'Glasgow
through Lancashire, and as the opinion there expressed on
a direct comparison of the Beatock, or Caledonian, with
the Dumfries line is most unqualified in favour of the
Dumfries, and as, moreover, it proceeds from a gentleman
whose capability to jodge, and freedom from bias in its
favour, cannot be called in question, being signed by no
other than Mr... Joseph Locke, Engineer of the Caledonian
Railway, the testimony thus given is fully stronger in
favour of its superiority than anything that has yet been
adduced during the present controversy.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
JUSTITIA.
Glasgow, April 10, 1844.

LONDON & .GLASGOW RMLWAY, TIIRCUGH

LANCASHIRE.

TO THE DIRECTORS OF THE GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY

COMPANY.
[As the first part of the report details the line from
Preston to Carlisle, it is unnecessary to quote it.]
" The shortest and best road now existing between
Carlisle and Glasgow is that traversed by the mail, and
was, I believe, laid out by the late Mr. Telford. lat
'first directed my attention to this route, which, as far as
Beatock Bridge, near Moffat, I found tolerably favourable.
In proceeding farther, however, the valley for several miles
Isise very rapidly, until reaching the summit near Elvan.

IV where it attains the height of nearlyl,ooofeet above level of the sea, Beatock Bridge, which is only ten
miles distant, being only 300 feet above the level of the
sea: in ten miles, then, the rise is nearly 700 feet, which,
supposing it to be uniform the whole way, would give an
inclination of lin 75. Not wishing to recommend a line
having such a plane es this, I was under the necessity of
departing from the straight course which, in the former
part of the line, I had preserved. In making this detour,
however, a very considerable improvement in the levels is
obtained, besides passing through a district decidedly
more populous than any other route that can be found.
" This line will pass from Gretna, leaving Annan to the
south-west to near Dumfries, where it will enter the valley
of the Nith, in which it will 'continue to Thornhill, San-
quhar, Kiricconnel, to New Cumnock, a little beyond
which is the:summit level. It will then pass near to Old
Cumnock, Mauchline, and Kilmarnock, westward of
Stewarton, and Dunlop, to near Bith, thence round by
the banks of the Calder, near Lochwinnoch, to Johnstone,
Paisley, and Glasgow.
" Of the advantage to all the towns in Scotland through
or near to which this line will pass, no adequate idea can
be formed. They exist in the most favourable part of
Scotland, requiring only a cheap means of transport to
develope the many resources they possess. Several of
these towns have already grown into some importance;
and it should be an object withlhe proprietors of the soil,
and with the manufacturers of the district, to encourage
the formation of a road like the one proposed, so as to
extend to them the benefits which it is capable of affording.
(Signed) "JOSEPH LOCKE.
" Liverpool, January 27. 1836."