592
HISTORY OF ENGINEERING.
Book I.
of gunpowder and the same weight of candles were consumed every week for 2^ years,1100 men and 250 horses being constantly employed.
The rock is freestone, and the water poured in with such violence that, notwithstandingthe constant use of the pumps, it filled the tunnel, and rose to a height of 56 feet in theshaft ; this difficulty was at length overcome by means of an additional engine of 50-horse-power, discharging 92,000 hogsheads per day.
The inclined plane through this tunnel is 1 in 100; instead of the ordinary rails thinplates of iron are substituted, their inner edges being supported upon a thick felt, whichcauses the rails to bend under the weight of the passing engines, and retard its progress.
The bridge at Maidenhead, crossing the Thames , has 10 brick arches; the two principalare 128 feet span, the others are from 15 to 25.
The gauge of the way is 7 feet, the ruling gradients 1 in 100, rise in feet per mile 52.It cost per mile 56,372/., and the total sum expended upon the entire work to June, 1845,was 7,717,043/., and the cost of working for the previous six months was 158,367/.
The cost to the 30th June, 1841, when the railroad was opened, was thus stated : —
£
s.
d.
Expenses before the act
-
89,197
11
3
Land and compensation
-
720,523
16
3
Works -----
-
- 3,427,429
12
3
Permanent wav, timber rails, &c.
-
926,052
9
11
Premises in Princes Street, Bank
-
19,600
4
5
Engines and carriages ...
-
386,900
8
4
Engineering, surveying, &c. &c.
-
139,859
3
0
Land valuers, &c. ...
-
16,528
10
10
Law charges, conveyancing, &c. -
-
- 55,815
9
6
Parliamentary expenses ...
-
29,104
5
4
Stamps for debentures -
-
10,357
6
0
Office expenses, direction, salaries, &c. -
-
55,751
10
0
£5,877,120
7
8
Preston and Wyre Railway, for the purpose of connecting the town of Preston with themouth of the river Wyre, is 19.^ miles in length, was opened on the 16th of July, 1840.The gradients nowhere exceed 7 or 8 feet per mile. The gauge of the way is 4 feet inches,the ruling gradients are 1 in 264, rise in feet per mile 20, and the cost per mile 22,261/.The total sum expended to February, 1845, was 490,030/., and the cost of working for theprevious six months 7,581/.
North Union has its termini at Preston and Peak Side station, on the Liverpool andManchester railway ; its length is 46 miles 30 chains, and was opened throughout the 31stOctober, 1838. The gauge of its way is 7 feet 8£ inches, its ruling gradients 1 in 100, itsrise in feet per mile 52, and its cost per mile 27,326/. The total sum expended to June,1845, was 1,060,550/., and the cost of working for the previous six months 27,010/.
London and Croydon Railway was opened on the 1st of June, 1839, the whole distancebetween the two termini being 10.J miles. This railway may be said to commence whereit unites with the London and Greenwich , at Corbett’s Lane, although it has an independentstation at the London terminus. The distance from the station to Corbett’s Lane is l mile60 chains, and the rails branch off in a curve of 90 chains radius ; the railway then proceedsalong an embankment, 20 feet in height, to New Cross, where it enters a deep cutting ; atNew Cross is a station, occupying three acres of ground, where there are numerous offices,stationary pumping engines, workshops, and sheds for the carriages, and locomotives.The high Dover road here crosses the railway by a bridge of one arch, 30 feet span, anda height to the crown of the arch of 14 feet 6 inches.
The railway from this station rises up an inclined plane for the length of 2 miles and50 chains, and during its course passes under six brick bridges; the cutting is in someplaces 60 and 80 feet in depth. After arriving at the Dartmouth Arms station, the line isnearly level, the greatest deviation from the horizontal being 1 in 660.
The Croydon station occupies an area of seven acres, and contains offices, waiting-rooms,sheds, &c. The gauge of its rails is 4 feet 8^ inches ; ruling gradients 1 in 100; rise infeet per mile 52 feet. The cost per mile was 80,400/., and the total sum expended to July,1845, was 842,592/., and the cost of working for the previous six months was 18,722 1
Brandling Junction connects Gateshead with South Shields, in Durham ; it was openedto the public the 5th of September, 1839; this railway now forms part of the property ofthe Newcastle and Darlington Junction railway.
Hull and Selby Railway is 31 miles in length, and commences at the Humber dock, andcrossing the Ouse by an iron bridge joins the Leeds and Selby line, on the east side of theDoncaster road; this line is said to be the most level of any hitherto executed, and wasopened throughout on the 1st of July, 1840. f