American watchman and Delaware advertiser., 1826-02-28


a Description ef Me Heston RailIocd in England BY Wll
liam Strickland, Esq. Civil Engineer.
The He,ton Railroad extends from the town Of
Sunderland on the River Weir, to the Hel,on Col.
eres Its length from the pit the staith, is seven
miles five furongs it has an ascent of two hundred
and sixty six feet and series Of descents equal to
five hundred and forty.sx feet; making in the
whole, 8l2 feet of elevation and depression, over
come by series Of leuets and inclined planes. The
first portion of the road, from the pit to the foot of
The ascending plane, is one mile seven and half
urlongs in length; and its general descent is one
ninth of an inch to the yard, with portion of it,
FIVE sixteenhs,) which is equally favorable for load
ened and light carriages. A single locomotive en-
sine, with twenty four Wagons in train, has drawn
six hundred tons per day. going nine gaits, equal to
thirty five miles forwards, and returning.
On another portion of the way, in length two and
half miles and sixty yards, with descent, Tor the
greater part, between four and hvesixteenths of
inch to The yard, on which the loaden Wagons tend
to move OF themselves, and consequently produce
less stress the light train, two loco motive
gines, in use at the same time, have conveyed the
quantity above mentioned.
Stationary reciprocating engines. are placed at
the submits Of the inclined planes. These engines
draw ioaden, and light Wagons, alternately each
way and each successive station performs its ope-
ration in the same time the relative speed OF the
Wagons, being according to the distances between
the Engines, so that their respective journies may
be completed in similar times, and maintain uni
form succession Of carriages each way, by means OF
ropes, alternately winding and unwinding upon
drum wheels, eight feet in diameter.
On one OF the inclined planes, the ropes are up
wards OF two miles in length, being supported BY
light cast iron concave rollers, fixed at distance
OF forty or fifty feet apart in the centre of the way,
between the rails. and as the ropes are acound on
and Oft the drum, the small rollers reyolve, and
keep them from coming in contact with the soil oil
the road.
Where the roadway deviates from straight line,
In plan. or where the plane winds to the right or
left, the axes of the rollers placed in nearly
vertical direction; in order 10 keep the line Of
draught midway between the rails.
This road is formed over an undulating, or hilly
country; and the transportation of all the articles
from the coeres and its neighborhood, is made to
surmount series of very considerable ascents. by
means Of fixed engines, placed on their SUBMITS );
and the motion given by these machines to the wag-
gons reciprocally, is equal to nine miles an hour.
The rails are made OF castron, four feet in length;
and are known generally, by the denomination OF
the edge, or round top rail- OF Losh & Stephenson.
The loco motive engines are made OF thick sheet
iron, and are obviously of the high pressure kind
they are only made TO ply upon terel lines Of road
for the engine itself, in any material ascent con
sumes great portion of its power in the movement
of its own weight, and that of its fuel, and any sud
den rise would annihilate its object and use.
From the " fixed engines" at the summit OF each
elevation, extend ropes each way, which on one side
draW up the train of Wagons, on the other to,rer
them to a level, upon which they are conveyed by
the locomotive engine, until they reach an ascent
or Descent when the ropes from another reciproca-
ting engine are attached.
A Locomotive Engine, 1s horse power, weighs
TONS Cost In England 6OOni