Chap. VIII.
591
yards, and some dexterity was always required in filling them; if too full, they frequentlytilted on the road; the number of boxes in one train varied from 8 to 16, and the locomotivewhich led them averaged 25 journeys a day, 3 in an hour being the utmost; they workedfrom 6 to 6, two hours being allowed for rest; the distance run was a mile, which was donewith ease in 4 minutes.
Eleven horses were employed to lead the waggons to and fro, from the end of the line,after the engine had left them, a distance of 600 yards. The engine went down a per-manent road, but the boxes passed along a temporary one to the end, the rope beingattached diagonally, to prevent any waste of power: the Scotch fir sleepers employed cost3s. to 3s. Gd., larch sleepers 6s. to 6s. 6d ., oak sleepers at Coventry 7s. 6d. A mile re-quired 3000 sleepers; thus the saving in a double line, if Scotch fir could be used, wouldbe 1200?. per mile, compared with larch it would be 300?., and with oak 600?. Oaksleepers, upon a permanent road, will answer as well as stone, and also upon embankmentsfor the first 4 or 5 years, after which it is advisable to replace them with stone.
Fourpence-halfpenny per cube yard was charged for locomotive power. 'Die locomotivewas let at T 4 C of 1c?. per ton per mile at the Stockton and Darlington Railway, but the firecost the engine-man from 3s. Gd. to 4s. per ton, while at Willesden it cost 2s. 6d. ; atLiverpool and Manchester of a penny was paid for the loan of the engine.
Embankment at Wllesden Green. — The extreme height is 13 feet, the slope 3 to 1 ; at theend were 6 roadways. The expenses of working on dark nights were nearly double thoseof the day, in which period from 1000 to 1200 cube yards of earth were generally thrownout. The Birmingham line is 111 miles long, and contains 12,500,000 cube yards ofexcavation, which on an average may be taken at 14d. per cube yard. The price forfencing was 4s. per double yard, for tunnelling 30?. per yard, ballasting, laying the per-manent way, and rails, 4000?. per mile.
Mr. Robert Stephenson was paid a salary, and an allowance for travelling expenses, pre-paring the specifications, and furnishing an estimate. Only 13 miles of the road is per-fectly level, the rest is by a series of inclined planes, the least favourable inclination being1 in 330, or 16 feet in a mile. The whole length is 164 miles 20 chains, which includesa branch to Leamington and Warwick of 9 miles, and another to Northampton and Peter-borough of 44 miles. The Birmingham station covers 10 acres of ground, and is about250 feet above the level of the London . The gauge of the railway is 4 feet 8J inches; theruling gradients arc 1 in 330; rise 16 feet per mile. Its cost per mile was 52,882?. : thetotal sum expended upon the works to June, 1845, was 6,997,065?., and the cost ofworking for the six months terminating at that time was 192,915?.
Manchester and Birmingham , opened throughout 10th May, 1842, is in length 31 miles;the gauge of its way is 4 feet 2^ inches, ruling gradients 1 in 378, rise in feet per mile 13.Its cost per mile was 61,624?., and the total sum expended to July, 1845, was 2,031,375/.,and the cost of working for the previous six months was 34,789?.
South-Western or LondoJi and Southampton was opened for its whole length on May 11th,1840; its length is 94 miles 10 chains, including the branch to Gosport, of 15 miles 61chains, and there is no tunnel of any extent. The average earthwork per mile was about142,000 cubic yards. The gradients nowhere exceed 1 in 250, being rather more than 21feet per mile, and the gauge of the way is 4 feet 8.J inches.
The report of the company, as made up to June 30th, 1840, was as follows : —
Expenditure in raising the capital and procuring the act
Land, compensation, &c. -
Works of road and station -
Rails, chairs, and sleepers -
Waggons, tools, and stores -
Engines and carriages -
Surveying and engineering -
Salaries, rent, incidental expenses, &c.
Directors’ expenses - - - - -
Debentures, bond stamps, brokerage, &c.
£ s. d.41,467 2 0
291,200 2 5
1,114,605 5 2
340,006 0 7
59,566 4 4
140,325 16 033,448 19 7
24,729 3 6
5,350 0 O
3,687 11 10
£2,054,386 5 5
The cost per mile was 27,874?., and the total sum expended by the company up to June,1845, was 2,620,724?., and the cost of working for the previous six months 83,055?.
Great Western Railway is 205 miles 20 chains in length ; the termini are at Paddington ,London, and Temple Mead, Bristol. Mr. Brunei was the engineer.
The Box tunnel, between Cheltenham and Bath, is in one part 400 feet below the surface;it is 9680 feet in length, 35 in width, and 39 high. There are 13 shafts, varying in depthfrom 80 to 306 feet. The quantity excavated was 414,000 cubic yards, and the brickworkand masonry more than 54,000 cubic vareflJ Thirty millions of bricks were used ; a ton