Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-02-19

the London and North Western Companies. The
relative speed of the fastest trains between London
and Bristol, and London and Birmingham, are as
follows:
G Great Western Western Railway 4 4s mile: per hour.
Difference in favor OF Great
Western,
The speed of all the mixed trains between Lon
don and Plymouth, and London and Liverpool. is
North North ", Western S s63 mile. per hour.
In favor of North estern,
The average fares are:
Great Western. LIST class, 3.o6sd per mile.
I'd class, 2.5O2d
North Western, LIST class, 2.676d
I'd class, 2.I7sd
A comparison of the time occupied, and the
fares charged on a journey of 3464 miles on both
lines shows that there is difference in time in ia
vor of the North Western Of
81 minutes by first-class train.
IL 81 '' second do.
IS IS. Id ID. BY a 65s',ea IS
By the ordinary trains the average speed per
hour is
N Western asa miles.
In favor Of North Western, II "
1t is, however, worthy of remark, that the
Great Western Railway there are second-class car
rages to the express trains, while the North
Western this is not the case.
The first pair of the new magnificent express
engines for the London and North Western Rail-
way to to Birmingham in two hours which
were designed by and made to the instructions of
Mr. Mcconnell, the locomotive superintendent of
that company have been delivered, one from the
mandatory of Messrs. Farbairn of Manchester
and the other from Messrs. E. 3. Wilson and Co.,
of Leeds. These engines have attracted much at
tention from the excellence and novelty of the de-
sign as we'll as from the beauty and finish of their
workmanship. No pains have been spared by the
makers to do full justice to the plans.
The driving wheels of these engines are seven
feet six inches in diameter, the stroke is twenty
four inches. The tubes 800 in number, and
inches in diameter, and the fire box contains
26O square feet of heating surface These enrines
are fitted up with Mr.. McConnell's patent solid
wrought iron piston, which, in addition to superior
strength and durability, is one-third lighter than
those hitherto used so that at a speed of sixty
miles per hour momentum will be saved on the
two pistons equal to 80 tons. They have also tu-
bular axles under both engine and tender, which.
by saving dead weight, and at the same time Civ
ING stronger form, also not so liable to heat
as the ordinary solid axle. This improvements in
troduced also by Mr. Mcconnell, is rendered COM
plete by the new 1ndian-rubber springs which are
found to be very easy and durable.
The chief peculiarly, however, in these engines,
is the combustion chamber, which Mr.. Mcconnell
has arranged by introducing the fre-box or direct
heating surface, into the cylindrical part of the
boiler to the extent of four feet nine inches This
is most important step, and will tend to great
economy; the result of nine months trial of an
ordinary engine altered shows a saving of nearly
80 per cent. of fuel used for the work DONE and as
fuel forms more than half the expenditure the
economy must be very great AS an evidence of
the superiority of the method thus employed, it
may be mentioned as remarkable fact, that with
in forty-ive minutes of the time that the furnace
is first lighted, pressure Of steam equal to hun
bred pounds on the square inch may be indicated
The estimated power of the new engine when run
ming at high velocity is no less than $50 horses,
and it is confidently hoped that long-sustained
speeds of seventy miles hour will be obtained.
This arrangement Mr. Mcconnell has further i'm
proved, by "recessing the underpart of the boiler
for the crank shaft which lowers the centre of gray
ty upwards of ten inches.