IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hadden Young, of 66, Great College Street,
Camden Town, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 16th February 1855, and dated the 23rd August 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hadden Young
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd August 1854.
I, JAMES HADDEN YOUNG, of 66, Great College Street, Camden Town, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF RAILWAYS" to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to reduce the weight of wrought iron. used
for the constructing of railways. And the Invention consists of so constructing
a railway as to take advantage of the tensile property of the iron used, in place
of simply depending, as at present, on the property which the rails have to
resist bending; for which purpose the rods or wires used are kept in a state
of tension, by being stretched over posts, sleepers, or other fixtures, according
to the inequalities of the ground, the two end posts which hold the wire in
tension being securely fixed in the ground, whilst the intermediate posts may

page_text: be less firmly secured, as they only serve to steady the rods or wires. On these
stretched rods or wires I propose the vehicles to run, as on the rails in ordinary
use. Besides the usual flange to the wheels, I aflix guide wheels to the vehicle,
to prevent it going off the rods or wires.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Hadden Young in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th February 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HADDEN YOUNG, of 66, Great College Street, Camden Town, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Hadden Young, Her special licence that I, the said James Hadden
Young, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Hadden Young, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Hadden Young, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Hadden Young, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is to reduce the weight of wrought iron used
for the constructing of railways. And the Invention consists of so constructing
a railway as to take advantage of the tensile property of the iron used, in place
of simply depending, as at present, on the property which the rails have to

page_text: resist bending; for which purpose the rods or wires used are kept in a state
of tension, by being stretched over posts, sleepers; or other fixtures, according
to the inequalities of the ground, the two end posts which hold the wire in
tension,being securely fixed in the ground, whilst the intermediate posts may
be less firmly secured, as they only serve to steady the rods or wires. On
these stretched rods or wires I propose the vehicles to run, as on the rails in
ordinary use. Besides the usual flange to the wheels, I affix guide wheels to
the vehicle, to prevent it going off the rods or wires.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same...
The object, as above stated, of this Invention is to take advantage of the
tensile property of the iron used in the construction of the permanent way of
railways, in place of simply depending, as at present, on the property which
the rails have to resist bending, by. which improvements the number of
sleepers, weight of metal in rails, and cost of levelling and ballasting, may be

page_text: forming the rails, are attached, in order that their deflection may allow of the
expansion or contraction of the rods m, m.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hadden Young, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
WILLIAM YOUNG,
66, G College Street,
Camden Town.
JAMES H. YOUNG. (L.S.)