Chap. VIII.
5S9
Heck and Wentbridye is 7£ miles from its commencement at Heckbridge to Wentbridgc,in the West Riding of the county of Yorkshire .
Liverpool and Manchester , opened throughout on the 15th of September, 1830, is in length38 miles 23 chains; its termini are Lime Street, Liverpool, and Hunt’s Bank, Manchester.The gauge of its way is 4 feet 8 inches, ruling gradients 1 in 89, rise in feet per mile 59,and its cost per mile 50,923/. The total sum expended to June, 1845, was 1,798,500/., andthe cost of working for six previous months was 65,610/.
Canterbury and Ifliitstable Railway: its total length is about G‘J miles; there are a numberof inclined planes, at far too great an angle to permit the use of locomotives, except on avery small portion of the line, consequently, two stationary engines of 25-horse power, andanother of 15 are made use of. Near Canterbury is a tunnel mile in length, 12 feet inwidth, and the same in height; and the highest elevation of the line is midway, 220 feetabove the level of the sea at Whitstable .
Johnstone and Ardrossan Railway is 22| miles in length, it commences at the canal wharfat the first mentioned place, ami terminates in the harbour at the latter.
Bristol and Gloucestershire . — This railway is in length 22 miles 10 chains ; it commencesnear the floating dock at Cuckold ’s Pitt, on the east side of Bristol, and terminates atGloucester. The gauge of its way is 7 feet, the ruling gradients 1 in 330, and the cost permile 22,700/. It was opened throughout on the 8th of July, 1845.
Bolton and Leigh is a part of the Liverpool and Manchester line ; its length is 9 miles.
Bridgend Railway is 4.^ miles in length, and in that distance rises 190 feet. It proceedsfrom Bridgend to the village of Ceffn Gribbwr, in Glamorganshire .
Llanelly Railway , in the county of Glamorgan.
Clarence Railway commences at Samphire Beacon, on the river Tees, and after a courseof I5£ miles unites with the Stockton and Darlington railway. There are also six brancheswhich together extend more than 30 miles.
Warrington a?id Newton is attached to the Liverpool and Manchester line; its length is4^ miles.
ffishaw and Coltness Railway commences at Chapel, and at Old Monkland unites theMonkland and Kirkintilloch railway ; it has several branches to the neighbouring col-lieries.
Leeds and Selby , in length 20 miles, forming a portion of the York and North Midland.
Leicester and Swannington is 15$ miles in length. At its commencement is a tunnell=j miles in length; it forms a portion of the Midland railway.
Dublin and Kingstown. — This railway is 6 miles and 4 chains in length; at its com-mencement, the rails are placed at an elevation of 20 feet from the ground, and are carriedacross the streets of Dublin upon flat arches of an elliptical form. The breadth of thisviaduct is 60 feet between the parapets, and contains four lines of rails, which, after passingthis arched road, are brought to the level of the ground, and the boundary on each side ismarked by a green sod bank, protected by a quickset hedge and a deep ditch.
From Mercon to Blackrock, the road is elevated across the strand at high water, ithaving the appearance of a long mole stretching across the sea; it passes through a deepcutting among the granite rocks, and along the edge of the cliff. The cost of the work,including the locomotive-engines and carriages, was upwards of 40,000/. per mile. Thewidth of the gauge is 4 feet 8.J inches, ruling gradients 1 in 440, and rise in feet permile 12. The total sum expended to February, 1845, was 359,000/.
London and Greenwich was the first railway which started from the metropolis ; its lengthis 3 miles 60 chains ; the rails are laid throughout on a viaduct composed of more than a1000 brick arches, each of 18 feet span, 22 .feet in height, and 25 feet in width from sideto side. The termini are at London Bridge and Greenwich ; the gauge of its way is 4 feet8^ inches on a level, and it was opened throughout 24th of December, 1838. It cost permile 266,322/., and the total sum expended up to June, 1845, was 986,682/. ; and the costof working for the previous six months was 15,384/.
Grand Junction Railway is in length 82^ miles, and the whole passes without a tunnelfrom Birmingham to Newton in Lancashire , where it unites with the Liverpool and Man-chester line. Its course is through or near the towns of Walsall, Bilston, Wolverhampton ,Penkridge, and Stafford, the Potteries, Nantwich , Middlewich, Northwich, and Warring-ton. The cost is stated to have been 1,500,000/. sterling, or 18,180/. per mile ; it wasopened throughout, 4th of July, 1837. The Birmingham terminus is 371 feet 5 inchesabove the level of low water at Liverpool, which difference of level is increased in thefirst 15 miles to 422 feet, giving a rise of 3 feet 6 inches per mile.
From Wolverhampton to Stafford is 15 miles, in which distance there is a fall of 157 feet,or 10 feet 6 inches per mile. From Stafford to the Whitmore station is 14 miles, in whichlength there is a rise of 116 feet, or about 8 feet per mile. From thence to Warrington is35 miles, on a descent of 331 feet, or 9 feet 6 inches per mile. The remaining 4^ miles toNewton is again a rise of 60 feet, or 1 2 feet 8 inches per mile. The greatest inclination isill the 3 miles between Madeley and Crewe, where it is 1 in 180.