Part 2

In 1839, John Williams, Library of Science and Art, 106, Great Russell Street, London published a book written by S C Brees, C.E &c entitled:

APPENDIX

TO RAILWAY PRACTICE,

CONTAINING A COPIOUS ABSTRACT OF THE WHOLE OF THE

EVIDENCE

GIVEN UPON THE LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM, AND GREAT WESTERN

RAILWAY BILLS,

WHEN BEFORE PARLIAMENT, PROPERLY DIGESTED AND ARRANGED WITH MARGINAL NOTES.

AMONG THE SEVERAL WITNESSES EXAMINED WILL BE FOUND THE FOLLOWING EMINENT CIVIL ENGINEERS: GEORGE STEPHENSON ESQ, CHARLES VIGNOLES, ESQ, GEORGE LEATHER ESQ, ROBERT STEPHENSON ESQ, HENRY R PALMER ESQ, WILLIAM C MYLNE ESQ, I K BRUNEL, ESQ, GEORGE W BUCK ESQ, FRANCIS GILES ESQ, J U RASTRICK ESQ, HENRY H PRICE ESQ, COL G HENDERSON, JOSEPH LOCKE, ESQ, DR DIONYSIUS LARDNER, THOMAS CABREY ESQ, &C &C

TO WHICH IS ADDED

A GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS,

USED IN CIVIL ENGINEERING, EXPLAINING AND ILLUSTRATING EVERY WORD IN ORDINARY USE, AND THE DETAILS OF HAWTHORNE’S CELEBRATED LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE FOR THE PARIS AND VERSAILLES RAILWAY.

GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY Abstract of Evidence given before a Committee of the House of Lords, June 1835

Please note, the spelling, capitalisation, punctuation are those of the original publisher - Ed)

Examined Isambard Kingdom Brunel Esq. C.E

(Continued from pp46-52 of the January 2021 issue of Great Western Star)

I was fortunate to acquire a copy of this book which in 1952 had been in the possession of Harry Withers, Leading Porter, Tewkesbury, ex L.M.R - ed.

We have made all the requisite Borings to ascertain the nature of the Soil, which I should say upon the whole is rather favorable.

The only London clay we have is for a short distance after leaving the Birmingham line ; it is in Cutting and the greatest depth is but 22 feet, which is not sufficient to cause any difficulty. From London to Reading it consists almost entirely of excellent Gravel, at Reading there is some Chalk; in the first hill through Reading there is a small quantity of Clay with the Gravel, upon leaving Reading it is very hard Chalk, which in the neighbouring Quarry stands upright. The Line thence through the north of Berkshire, being upon the surface, the quality of the soil is of no comparative consequence. The Oxford clay, which is as bad as the London Clay, ranges in tat Basin until beyond Swindon, where it is almost entirely Clay, and continues as far as the Avon at Chippenham; upon crossing the Avon it is a Stratafied Stone, rising in beds ;it lies above Oolite of Bath. We wall the sides of our Clay banks, as we shall have Stone at hand. Passing Chippenham the cuts are still in Stratafied Stone; which is very easily worked; they form dry walls of it, in place of hedges, in the neighbourhood. It continues the same until we arrive at Box Hill, wich is in Bath Stone; the entrance of the Tunnel is in Cornbrash, which is Stratafied Stone. We then pass through the bed of Bath Stone, and enter the Clay which lies below it; the first hill after that is in the same Stone, and the next in Clay. The Cuttings are not of any extent until we come to Bath and Bristol; it is principally

Lias Lime Stone and Red Sandstone. Most of these soils will be useful in constructing the Railway : the Cornbrash will be useful : the Gravel would be used for ballasting, it likewise makes good embankments ; Chalk is used for the same purposes. The Soil of the Northern is much superior to the Basing Line, as the valley of the Avon up to Bradford is formed of slippery debris from the hills; they are frequently moving, and a deep cutting through them would be both difficult and dangerous. We have no cuttings in so difficult a soil. A great portion of the Land on the Southern line, at least from Newbury to London, is of inferior value, being principally Heath and Waste Land, which would not influence it much; as there is no surrounding population, it was an object with me to select a direction that would admit of Branches to neighbouring towns and districts.

The Levels, starting from London to Bristol, are as follows : four 4 miles and 32 chains, it rises from the Birmingham Railway at the rate of about 3 feet 10 inches per mile or 1 in 1367, which in reference to Locomotive power is nearly level; then, for nearly a mile, it rises 6 inches per mile or 1 in 9900 ; then, for two m il es, it rises 5 feet 6 inches per mile ; or in other words, For the first 50 mil es from Lon d on , there is nothing above 6 feet 7 inches per mile : it is generally running fro m a Level to 4 or 5 feet per mile, then there are some inclinations of 7 feet 10 inches per mile ; but in the first 74 miles there is nothing above 7 feet 10 inches per mile or 1 in 673; to the 96th mile there is nothing above 11 feet and a fraction per mile ; so that the highest inclination we have to encounter with the Locomotive power is 11½ feet per mile, which is 1 in 473. At the Box Tunnel comes an inclination of 2 miles, 36 chains at 49 feet and a fraction per mile or 1 in 107.

The Levels of the Basing Line a re as follows: about 6 continuous miles and 54 chains , or I in 202, which is about 26 feet per mile, near Devizes ; there is also a Plane near Hungerford, 7½ continuous miles, 1 in 250, which is about 22 feet per mile ; there is another Plane near Burbidge 3¼ miles, 1 in 264, which is about 20 feet per mile ; there are several shorter ones, 1 in 330 or 16 feet per mile.

There are several upon the Southampton line 16 feet per mile.

The Proportion of Power required at those different inclinations, supposing the power of the engines to be the same, would be as follows : taking the friction at 280, or 8lb per ton, which is about what it is in practice, supposing the Weight of the Engine to be 10 tons, and the gross Load drawn upon the Level to be 110tons, it is found to be 1 in 473 ; the gross Load would be 59tons and a fraction ; this is the

Gradients of the Great Western Railway

Distance Total Length Difference of Level Gradients from rise from of Per Mile Proportion Bristol Bristol Gradient Rise Fall to Base Mls chs Ft ins Ft ins Ft ins Ft in

4 53 5 7 4 53 5 7 1 2 1/4409 8 59 21 6 4 6 15 1 3 11 1/1845 11 0 37 0 2 21 15 6 6 10 1/771 11 24 38 6 0 24 1 6 5 0 1/1056 11 45 34 0 0 21 4 6 17 2 1/308 11 75 34 6 0 30 0 6 1 4 1/3960 16 57 77 6 4 62 43 0 9 0 1/586 19 13 199 0 2 36 121 6 49 7 1/106 21 18 176 9 2 5 22 3 10 9 1/48 24 38 140 6 3 20 36 3 11 2 1/473 26 73 140 3 2 35 0 3 0 1 1/51480 27 41 141 6 0 48 1 3 2 1 1/2534 41 17 289 0 13 56 147 6 10 9 1/490 50 4 240 0 8 67 49 0 5 6 1/952 59 11 172 0 9 7 68 0 7 6 1/706 59 53 171 0 0 42 1 0 1 11 1/2772 62 0 157 9 2 27 13 3 5 8 1/931 66 4 126 0 4 4 31 9 7 10 1/673 76 76 105 0 10 72 21 0 1 11 1/2741 77 78 100 3 1 2 4 9 4 8 1/1139 83 31 89 6 5 33 10 9 2 0 1/2658 85 20 96 3 1 69 6 9 3 7 1/1457 88 69 92 0 3 49 4 3 1 2 1/4488 96 40 50 0 7 51 42 0 5 6 1/960 104 77 46 6 8 37 3 6 0 5 1/12766 107 40 61 6 2 43 15 0 5 11 1/893 108 1 61 6 0 41 Level Level 110 0 50 6 1 79 11 0 5 6 1/954 110 75 50 0 0 75 0 6 0 6 1/9900 115 27 67 0 4 32 17 0 3 10 1/1367

greatest Inclination on the great Western, except the Plane near Box, where it is intended to have an Assistant Power of some description to overcome it. At 1 in 202, it would be 1 in 36, and the proportion between those would be as 100 is to 163½ : so that supposing the Engines to go along the whole of the Basing Line, and to carry their load up the long inclination, the proportion of the Load would be diminished in the proportion of 100 to 163, a loss of Power of 63 per cent; but supposing them to have an Assistant Engine upon that Plane of 6 miles, as we have near Box, 2½miles, they having to attain a greater elevation, but doing it more gradually, and as the other Planes that remain upon the line would govern the power of the Engine, the proportion of the Power would be for the Plane of 264, as 100 to 163, or 36 per cent over the power required upon the steepest Plane upon the Great Western ; and supposing them still to have an Assistant engine upon those two Planes, making three long Planes altogether, still the general run of the Inclinations of 16 feet per mile would require and increase of power of 20 per cent, more than would be required upon the whole length of the Great Western, with the exception of the Plane; that is upon a supposition of three Assistant Engines being upon different parts of the Line ; one at the Plane at 6½ miles, another at the Plane of 7 miles and 28 chains, another of 3¼ miles ; all these Planes are between Basing and Bath. By going slower at these Inclined Planes, Engines of less power may be used, but I have supposed Engines of equal power, carrying equal weights, with equal speed ; this induces me to say, that there can be no doubt as to the Northern Line being the best. On the Other, some of the Levels are very steep, whereas we are able to keep them low ; even if the communication with great Towns was equal, I should prefer the Northern.

I stated, that in their long Inclination of 1 in 202, they have to rise a greater total height thanwe have in our short one of 1 in 107. We preferred a short steep Inclination to a long one, and in in 202 would be very steep, and to carry Engines all along the Line of sufficient Power to get up would be very expensive. Our Plane would not be so steep as absolutely to require additional power ; as upon the Plane on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which is steeper, they do not always use an Assistant Engine,

The terminus of the Southampton Railway, as laid down, is about 35 chains along the Turnpike Road, above the foot of Vauxhall Bridge

The Amount of Cuttings upon our Line are as follows : between London and Reading, 2,402, 173 cubic yards ; from Reading and Bath, 6,386,042, making a total of 9,750,156, which includes the Branches : this gives upon an average about 78,000 to the mile.

Spoil Banks are made where there is more earth than is required for the embankments, and land is obliged to be purchased, upon which it is laid in heaps, to save it being carried away. We have no Spoil Banks, they are generally considered objectionable.

Side Cuttings are made to get earth to make embankments, when there is not sufficient ; we have none upon the Great Western. There is but one place where we have any Cutting above 40 or 50 feet dep and that is 70 ; the general run of our deepest cutting is 30 to 40 feet deep ; our Embankments are from 25 to 30 feet ; there is a short one near Box, nearly 40 feet ; it is 37 feet near Chippenham ; over the Brent, near London it is more than 40 feet.

We regulate the height of an embankment according to the quantity of Cutting we have to form it, although it must be regulated by the general level of the Railway, yet that level is regulated by the line of the country.

Our Cuttings and Embankments are nearly equal.

At the Brent there is a Viaduct of nine arches, from 60 to 63 feet high and 60 feet span, the estimated cost of which is £22,000 ; and at one end of the Viaduct, for a short distance, the embankment is at that height, which would be principally in gravel.

The Cuttings upon the Basing Line are as follows: • From London to Basing about 10,000,000 cubic yards as stated by Mr Giles in the House of Lords last year ; • from Basing to Bath I make 11,500,000 (some engineers state it may be reduced to 10,596,000) and • from Bath to Bristol 2,500,000 – that would make altogether 24,00,00 of excavation.

There are several deep cuttings on the Southampton line from London to Southampton : there is a cutting near London of 116 feet, I believe they have reduced it 10 or 12 feet ; there is one of 116 feet through St George’s Hill, near Oatlands ; there is a cutting at Frimley from 60 to 90 feet ; from Basing to Bath there is much heavy cutting ; there is a short tunnel of half a mile near Bradford, where the Cutting is from 70 to 75 feet at one end and 6 feet at the other ; then they come to a hill with a Cutting of 114 feet ; then there is Cutting 100 feet deep, an another 90.

The Tunnel through the hill at Claverton is just upwards of one mile in length, and in 110 feet at one end and 68 feet at the other ; it is laid down level but the Engineer stated he should give it an Inclination probably of 26 feet per mile ; it is intended to be worked without shafts and the soil taken out a the ends ; he proposed carrying a small driftway, and then enlarge it, in order to have a number of places to work at once ; but still the materials must be taken in, and the earth brought out at the ends. The extreme Height of earth above the Tunnel is 375 feet; there is a height of 35 feet for half a mile, it then drops ; it is almost out of the question having shafts, although they are necessary for the Ventilation. This tunnel would occupy about three minutes to pass through. (The Box Tunnel would occupy about 5 to 6 minutes at the same speed).

We might have had all our Tunnels Open Cuttings, except the Box Tunnel, withput exceeding the amount of Cuttings upon the Basing Line.

Estimated Expences (see below)

Excavation and Embankments, 9,750,000 yards at 1s per cubic yard….................. £487,500 Masonry, including Bridges, Viaducts, drains and walling……….............................. 459,725 Tunneling………………………………………………………………………......................... 279,195 Forming the road, fencing, &c at about £5,000 per mile…………….......................... 630,400 Depots…………………………………………………………………..................................... 57,000 Locomotive power, carriages &c………………………………………............................... 57,000 Land and compensation, allowing a large overplus for contingencies upon the land…………......................................................................................280,000 Making a Total of………………………......................................£2,250,820 And leaving something more than 10 per cent for contingencies….............................249,180 Making a Total of……………….....................................………£2,500,000

I consider a deep Cutting through open Pleasure Grounds more objectionable than a Tunnel beneath them, and am embankment still more objectionable.

If I had expunged all the Tunnels, with the exception of Box Tunnel, and a small one near Bristol, it would have raised the Line a little, and made an addition of 2,000,000 cubic yards of Cutting.

A Cutting, 14 to 20 feet, is the most advantageous Cutting, both in reference to the expence (if it was 30 feet, it would make a difference in the cost of a Bridge) and to the convenience of the Landowner ; being just the height of the Bridges, and gives a free communication upon a level ; where Cuttings are deeper, it causes great gashes in the land, and makes a greater number of communications necessary. The same thing applies to Embankments, the higher they are the longer the Arches must be, and it causes greater expence to proprietors should they wish to construct an arch for their private use. The severance of Land is also more expensive where in deep Cutting or high Embankment ; therefore, the Basing Line, independent of expence, interferes more with the country, the amount of Cutting between Basing and Bristol being 14,000,000. ; the expence of the Land alone between those two points is 40 per cent greater than ours, which is under 10,000,000 ; and the Bridges would also be more expensive.

The London and Southampton Railway up to Basingstoke, and from Basingstoke to Bristol, averages about 200,000 yards a mile of Cutting. The London and Birmingham averages about 11,000. The Liverpool and Manchester 100,000 and the Great Western 78 or 80,000.

From London to Basing there are no Tunnels; from Basing to bath one a mile in length, and another ½ a mile. Out total length of Tunneling is 4 miles 54 chains ; we have a few chains less Tunnelling than the London and Birmingham, which is 111 miles long. The total amount of Tunnelling upon our Line, including removal of soil, lining &c amounts to £280,000.

The Tunnelling upon the Basingstoke amounts to about 2,600 yards, of much worse soil than ours; the Engineer of the Line admits it to be Fuller’s Earth, with springs in it, and take it at £40 per yard, which is less than I have put it at, amounts to £104,000, which is much below what it will cost.

The aggregate Amount of Cutting and Tunnelling upon our Line amounts to £767,500. The quantities upon the other Line from Basing to London, at the same prices, although their lead is a mile longer than ours, amounts to £810,000.

The Estimate includes all expences attending the Works, as well as the expence of the Railway, allowing a large amount for Contingencies and unforeseen difficulties. I was not limited to any precise Amount to be expended ; my original statement was about £2,700,000., £2,800,000, or £3,000,000., but I found it would not amount to that sum ; my Estimate has been approved of by several Engineers. The Details are as shown above.

The prices are about the same as are now being paid upon the London and Birmingham Railway. To excavate Gravel, which is a tolerably easy soil, and carry it a distance of three miles, would be very cheap at 1s per cubic yard, which is the price I have allowed for Cuttings and Embankments on our Line ; The average lead being 2¼ miles, (we have leads of 6 miles but the average is 2¼ miles) the leads on the Basing line are longer. One shilling is the price paid on the London and Birmingham Railway. We have allowed about 4 bridges per mile for the Accommodation of the Public and Owners of the Land ; and the annual expence of keeping them in repair is not much.

In the event of their being an Enclosure Act, the expence of Bridges for any new Roads would fall upon the Company ; but the cost of bridges is greater in an unenclosed country than in an Enclosed, because there are a greater number of small narrow rods, than where it is better laid out.

I have examined the country between our Railway and Gloucester, with a view to a Communication, and find to the eastward of Gloucester there is a range called Cottswold Hills, which to a certain extent cut off Gloucester from any Communication ; these hills are that part of the Line between Cheltenham and Oxford : and a Line between Tring and Gloucester would be across the highest part of these hills, where all the Streams run that supply the numerous Rivers both East and West of this part of England ; the Thames is close by, and all the Streams that run

down into the Severn, so I do not consider a Line between the latter places altogether practicable. The branch to Gloucester leaves our Line at Swindon, and there being no break whatever in the before mentioned range of Hills, except one which was taken many years ago the Stroud Canal Company, we should pass through the same gap, the summit Level of that Canal being 90 ft lower than the Kennet and Avon Canal. The water communication between Stroud and Gloucester branches off at Swindon and gets to Oxford North East by East ; it then branches into two, and joins the Wilts and Berks Canal. It is in this same valley that the railway passes, and on the North of the Marlborough downs. If I was employed to point out the best line between Gloucester and London, I should bring it in this same direction, as I do not think that I could carry any Line from Oxford to Gloucester without coming as far as Byberry Colne and St Aldwins, which would bring it within five or six miles of the Canal I am speaking of.

The Great Western is the only Line between Bristol and London which affords the means of Communication with other Towns in that district. Between London and Bristol there is the large Chalk range, that extends from the Bristol Channel a considerable way up to Wantage, and the centre of the County of Berks, and drawing a meridian at Reading, another a little East of Bath, there is a complete table land, very elevated, between the two places ; and there are no large commercial Towns between the two ; so that a railway would be almost impracticable. But there is a valley between Basingstoke and Bath; by following the gap, although you are cut off from Branches to the South, you get into a valley 150 feet lower and have the North open to you. The large Towns west of Bradford and Trowbridge are open equally to one and to the other.

A communication may be made from Bristol to Southampton, by a Branch from our line at Reading or Twyford ; but the communication between the two places is very inconsiderable, as a proportion of two Coaches and a half only leave Bath and Bristol for that direction daily, so that it would never pay for a railway.

I have not yet constructed a Railway, but I have been engaged upon works where Railways have been used.

I was Engineer to this same projected line, during the last session of Parliament. It was then from London to Reading, and from Bath to Bristol only, omitting the part between Reading and Bath.

I calculated it would take about two years to complete that part of the Line between Bristol and Bath.

The Expences incurred in Parliament las year were about £35,000 to £40,000 which will be included in the cost of the work and allowed for out of £200,000 for Contingencies.

I examined three spots with a view to a Terminus in London : one near Waterloo Bridge, one near Millbank and one near Vauxhall Bridge. (I stated before the Committee last year, that the Termination next the River from the Hoop and Toy at Vauxhall, by a Viaduct would cost £180,000, not £800,000 as erroneously reported.) There was also another one near Paddington.

A terminus on the Banks of the Thames certainly would be desirable, if other advantages were combined with it. I thought, and still think, that the Terminus that we had at Vauxhall Bridge was better than joining the Birmingham Railway. I also thought that two large Railroads bringing their Traffic to the same part of Town an objection, besides the difficulty of making arrangements between the two Companies.

The Terminus of the London and Birmingham Railway, according to the Extension is at Euston grove, (I think at an Inclination of 1 in 86 or 90) which situation is convenient. Light goods could be distributed all over London in Carts and Wagons, and Heavy Goods would go down the Regent’s Canal to be carried by the River ; a great increase in Trade is expected upon the Canal. I therefore think it is perfectly capable of carrying our Trade.

I stated last year, when the terminus was intended to be at Vauxhall, that I considered that a Line like the present, by the Paddington Canal and the Regent’s Canal to the pool on the whole objectionable, as there are twelve Locks, occupying seven or eight hours in going down ; and is therefore expensive, and I am still of the opinion that it is objectionable compared with a better.

The main Depot on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway is in the street, above 200 yards from the nearest wharf. There are no means of kifting goods from the ship to the wharf by a crane and therefore anything going by the Railway heavier than a man can carry must be put into a Cart and taken to the Dêpot ;in fact, Vessels that are engaged in the Liverpool and Manchester Trade do not come to that Dock, but stop half a mile off, where the Goods are generally unshipped and taken to the Warehouse of the Consignees, and afterwards sent to the railway. The distance from the Terminus of the Railway to the Wharf is no more than 50 yards. (This same Railway crosses one Turnpike Road upon a Level.)

At Bristol, the Trade is carried on in much the same manner, except to a greater extent, the Warehouses not being at the Wharf.

To sum up, the general advantage of this Line are as follows: the Country is naturally Level, affording an opportunity of making a Level Railway ; there are great facilities for making Branches to many parts of the West of England and the Soil offers very great facilities of Construction, as the greater part of it is in Gravel or Stone, which is valuable and easily worked. (Of course Devonshire and Cornwall are upon both to the Great Western and Basing Lines.)