Class V.]

RAILAYAY CARRIAGES—AA'IIEELS, TIRES, Ac.

187

breadth and the inside of the flange are formed of a hardiron fitted to resist the greater wear of these parts againstthe rail, while a softer and more tenacious iron is used tomake those edges of the tire which are exposed to no wear.The great tenacity of this softer iron supplies the strengthrequired in the tire. Similarly the upper surface of therail is formed of a hard iron, which will not wear away,and which gives strength to the rail by its resistance tothe compression to which its upper surface is subjected,while the lower flange is constructed of a tough andtenacious metal fitted to resist the extension produced onthose parts of the rail. The railway axles are, in likemanner, formed by welding up a tough metal round acentral hard core. The two metals are welded togetherin the course of the manufacture, so as to render the com-bination of the different qualities of iron perfect.

No. G37, p. 246. George WoRSDELLand Co., Warring-ton, Manufacturers, hailway axle and railway wheel-tire,forge-hammered. The iron is carefully faggoted andwelded up, and the excellence of the work is indicated bythe tenacity and strength of the completed axle. Thespecimen exhibited, which has been bent cold under apressure of 84 tons, offers a good sample of the result ofthe process, and is commended as an excellent specimenof manufacture.

No. G4G, p.247. Bkecroft, Butler, and Co., KirkstallForge, Leeds , Manufacturers. Specimens of railway wheelsand axles. Messrs. Beecroft exhibit, among others, a formof wheel peculiarly adapted for express trains, in whichlightness should be combined witli great strength. Thesewheels are constructed entirely of wrought iron, the bossand spokes (single and double) being forged in one piece.The tires are then shrunk on and riveted as usual.Their wrought-iron disc wheel displays a mode of sodovetailing the disc to the interior of the tires as toobviate the necessity of rivets. These wheels have alsowrought-iron bosses. They are commended for judiciouscombination and good workmanship.

No. 682, p.249. P. B. Jackson, Salford Rolling-mills,Manchester, Manufacturer. Locomotive and carriagetires. Tiie carriage tires exhibited by Messrs. Jacksonare rolled in one piece, and are admirably finished. Theexhibit presents a valuable feature in the steeled tires, inwhich the outer and wearing surface is formed of a thinplate of steel welded (by a process said to be peculiar tothe manufacturers) to the iron. By this application it isanticipated that the tendency of the tires to becomegrooved will be diminished, and their durability be pro-portionality increased.

No. 040, pp. 246, 247. Ransomes and May, Ipswich.Water-crane, patent compressed treenails, and wedges forrailways.

No. 507, p 237. J. Lee, Long Acre, Inventor and Pa-tentee. Carriage break. A good example of wiiat hasbeen termed the sledge break. It is analogous to the dragor shoe on common roads. Instead of the resistance neces-sary to stop the train being created by the pressure of thebreak against the periphery of the wheel, an iron shoe orsledge is pressed down before the wheel upon the rail, andthe wheel mounts the sloping surface of this sledge, whichthen slides along the rail until the resistance absorbs thevis viva of the train, and brings it to rest. The resistancecreated by this break being very great, it should not beapplied to all the carriages of a train at once. With thisprecaution it is commended as a useful contrivance.

No. 530, p. 239. C. C. Williams, Glasshouse Yard,Goswell Street. A railway carriage, constructed of Aloul-mein teak, varnished. This carnage is strong, convenient,and neatly executed; in the substitution of varnish forpaint there is an economy, and the carriage may therebybe the more quickly repaired.

No. 532, pp. 239, 240, and Illustrations , pp. 239, 240.Henry II . Henson, Pinner, near Watford. Patent covered■waggon for the conveyance of merchandise by railway;fire-proof when closed, and so arranged that the side orroof may be opened for loading or unloading. The awardis made for the combination of corrugated iron and woodin its construction.

No. 539, p. 240. J. E. McConnell, Wolverton. Rail-way-passenger carriage. This award is made for an ex-

cellent adaptation of corrugated iron to the constructionof railway carriages, and for superior workmanship.

No. 541, pp. 240, 241. John Coopk Haddan, 29Bloomsbury Square. Patent railway carriage. Rewardedfor the application of papier mache to the constructionof railway carriages.

Honourable Mention is made of—

No. G42, p.247. M. Peucival Parsons, G Duke Street,Adelphi, Patentee and Designer . Among the variousexhibits of Mr. Parsons, Nornianville’s patent axle-boxdeserves notice. The bearing is entirely inclosed in acast-iron box, which keeps the axle free from dust orsand, while it preserves the grease, which would other-wise fall on the road and be wasted. This box is cast inone piece, and around the axle is fixed a collar of stiffleather, so as to form a close joint, and prevent the ingressof dirt. As an improvement in the details of the railway; system this well deserves attention.

No. 346, p. 969. Pierre Rodier, Nova Scotia . Work-ing model of a locomotive engine, made by the exhibitor,a boy 14 years old. A paper accompanying this exhibitcertifies the boy to have received no aid, either in draw-ings or workmanship, which display ability and deserveencouragement.

No. 231, p. 1451 (United States ). L. C. Higginbo-tham, Vernon, New York. Miniature model of a loco-motive engine; made by a boy who lived by the side of arailway. The passing of the trains was the only informa-tion within his reach. A remarkable fact, to which theJury would draw attention as a proof of the youth'ssingular powers of observation.

SECTION (F).

Awards in Section F.—(See Table, page 188.)

No. G18, pp. 244, 245, and Illustrations (England).The Council Medal is awarded to T. Dunn, WindsorBridge, near Manchester, for a traversing frame to removecarriages from one line of rail to another.

A strong frame supported on wheels, which are coveredby its sides, travels on a railway at right angles to thelines, from one to the other of which the carriages are tobe transferred. The level of the upper surface of thetransverse rail is a little above that of the principal lines,so that the latter are cleared by the flanges of tlie wheelsof the frame, which therefore freely traverses them. Thetransverse line is broken where it crosses the principallines, space being left for the trains to pass. To receivethe carriage, a rail is placed like a shelf or ledge at thebottom of the sides of the frame, so as just to clear thesurface of the permanent rails; and to raise the carriageupon this shelf a switch is provided, which, turning upona hinge, may be brought, when the frame is properly-placed, into the direction of the principal line. The uppersurface of this switch forms an inclined plane, up whichthe carriage may be raised until its wheels rest upon theshelf. The frame, with its burden, is then pushed side-ways along the transverse rail, to the rail to which thecarriage is to be transferred, and the switch supplies aninclined plane by which the carriage descends. Thistraversing frame, supplying (for many purposes) the useof the turn-table, is commended as a useful invention,affording increased facilities for railway traffic.

The Prize Medal is awarded to the following exhibitors:—

No. 602, p. 242. AY. II. Barlow, Midland Railway,Derby, Inventor . Wrought-iron permanent way for rail-ways. The rail in Air. Barlow's invention is made to formits own continuous bearing. In section the rail somewhatresembles an inverted V Gy), with the ends considerablyturned outwards. This portion forms the surface bywhich the rail bears upon the ballasting, the apex of theV being formed with flanges in the ordinary form of rails;and the rail therefore beds throughout on the ballast. Itcan be very- easily packed up and adjusted when out ofplace, and all the fittings of sleepers, chains, and keys aredone away with, nothing being required besides the railsthemselves, except a cross or tie-rod at the joints to holdthem at the proper distances asunder, so as to keep thegauge of the line. This rail has been tried on the Alid-land line, and the results, as shown by the diminished