Railway Intelligence - The Broad Gauge The Black Bridge and its Place in

to do you have still to learn; for owing to one of those accidents which will accompany experiments of this character, the pumps of the locomotive got out of order in the neighbourhood of Slough, but for which a much higher speed than that which has been reached would have been attained. I may observe, that a higher velocity than is shown by the working of the engine today has been attained by it.

Gentlemen, give us but and a fair field, and I have no doubt that the broad gauge will ultimately triumph (cheers). Leave it to itself, and it will vindicate itself. It will break through the cobweb trammels sought to be thrown around it; it will give to this great commercial country all the advantages it requires and it will afford those advantages not only to one but to all classes of the community. (cheers). Gentlemen, I beg leave to propose to you "The Broad Gauge” (cheers).

The toast was drunk with three times three.

Captain Claxton proposed the health of Mr. Brunel, which was drunk with three times three and one cheer more.

Mr Brunel, with characteristic brevity, said emphatically , Gentlemen, I am very much obliged to you ."

The health of the Chairman was next proposed with three times three.

The Chairman said - l can assure you that since I have had the honour of presiding over the Great Western Company, it has been my most anxious desire to promote, by every means in my power, the convenience of the community at large. Gentlemen, I believe we have succeeded in our endeavours to promote that convenience (cheers). I may venture to say so, because it is not to me that the merit of having done so is to be ascribed. I have had the advantage of able and kind and considerate colleagues.

I have had the inventive genius of my friend Brunel (loud cheers). I have had the administrative talent of my friend, Charles Saunders (loud cheers), and I have had the practical knowledge of Mr. Gooch (cheers), by whom the Great Western engine was constructed. I should be a bad workman, indeed, if I could not work with such tools (cheers). Gentlemen, if I have any merit it is that I know their value and their worth; though I may lay claim to one other merit—a cordial, sincere desire to promote the interest and prosperity of the Great Western Company (cheers).

The company then broke up and proceeded to the experimental train, which was in readiness for them.

The speed of the engine over the up journey was, from Bristol to Paddington ' exclusive of 16 minutes lost while at a state of rest at Swindon and Didcot, about 50 miles per hour.

The consumption of coke for the day's work, of 237 miles was equal to about 42lb. per mile. The cost of coke pre mile, taking the coke at 20s. per ton, would be about 4d per mile. Taking the other expenses, as stated in the returns exchanged between various railway companies, and given in evidence before the gauge commissioners, the items would stand thus:-

Per mile.

Coke 4 pence

Engine and firemen's wages 1.3

Cleaning engine and other general charges 1.9

Repairs 2.5 9.7 pence or about 9¾d per mile for 100 tons, at the above high velocities. The cost of working the new narrow-gauge engine that ran on the Great North of England line is stated to 1s. 7d. per ton per mile, or more than twice the expense of the" Great Western."

The notion of the carriages, at the maximum velocity – viz 70 miles per hour, was perfectly easy. There was not anything approaching the unpleasant oscillation too frequently experienced while travelling in the express trains on the narrow gauge, particularly when the outside cylinder engine is employed.

Railway Intelligence - The Broad Gauge

Six years later, the Sun reported on Friday 9th January1846 about the following trials with much heavier loads.

On Thursday further experimental trips were made on the Great Western, to test the tractive capacity of the broad gauge engines with the heaviest goods trains. The trains were extraordinary tonnage, and the speed and power attained remarkable. The down trip train was 200 tons, exclusive of engine and tender, and consisted of about 28 trucks, weighted to a gross load with coal. It was drawn by the Hercules (1842-1870), 22 tons weight, with six wheels all coupled, and seven foot driving wheel, cylinder 16 inches, stroke 18 inches, firebox 97 square feet, tube 60 feet. The Ixion, lately used in the experimental passenger train trips, followed in the rear, also weighted with coal to a gross load of 200 tons, so as to furnish the Hercules, on its return trip to Paddington with a gross load of 400 tons. The Ixion, from being overworked in her late trip, broke her piston rod on the road soon after passing Slough, and was relieved by the engine Pollux. The down train started with fair weather and light south-west wind from the first milepost at 10h. 27m. 55s., and arrived at Didcot, 52 miles, at lh. 5m. ls., making the time occupied in the down trip 2h. 37m. 6s. ; but deducting the time for seven stoppages, amounting altogether to 42m. 20s., the trip was accomplished in 54m. 46., being at the

rate of about 27 miles an hour. The following is a table of the working and mean practical results:—

Table 1. Down trip with 200tons, exclusive of engine and tender.

Number of Mileposts Time of passing each Mile Post. h. m. s.

1. 10 27 55

2 3 10 31 40 10 33 53

4

10 35 53 5 10 37 51 6 including stoppages 10 49 0 7 10 39 42 8 10 50 43 9 10 52 42 10 including stoppages 11 1 24 11 including stoppages 11 11 53 12 11 14 40 13 11 16 40 14 including stoppages 11 26 32 15 11 28 45 16 11 30 40 17 11 32 20 18 11 34 10 19 including stoppages 11 45 35 20 11 47 45 21 11 49 44 22 11 51 30 23 12 1 5 24 including stoppages 12 4 58 25 12 7 2 26 12 8 56 27 12 10 45 28 12 12 30 29 12 14 12 30 12 15 57 31 including stoppages 12 26 44 32 12 29 52 33 12 31 38 34 12 33 26 35 12 36 43 36 37 12 28 20 38 12 40 0 39 12 41 38 40 12 43 20 41 12 45 5 42 12 46 53 43 12 48 35 44 12 50 18 45 12 51 58 46 12 53 38 47 12 55 23 48 12 57 15 49 12 59 15 50 1 1 15 51 1 3 10 52 (Didcot) 1 5 1

Table 2 Up trip with 400tons exclusive of engine and tender

Number of Mile Posts. Time of passing each Mile Post. h. m s.

53 52 51 50 4 5 36 0 12 23 0 15 55 0 18 36

49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 0 21 3 0 23 23 0 25 37 0 27 51 0 30 5 0 32 16 0 34 26 O 36 41 O 38 53

40 O 41 3

39 O 43 9

38 O 45 16

37

O 47 23 36 O 49 35 35 Missed post from 36½ to 34. 34 0 54 24 33 0 57 0 32 0 59 27 31 5 1 47 30 0 4 0 29 0 6 6 BECAME TOO DARK TO SEE POSTS Passing Slough Station 0 29 15 Passing West Drayton 0 44 46 Passing Southall 6 56 48 Passing Hanwell 0 0 36 Passing Ealing 0 4 22 At West London Junction 6 10 36 Arrived at the 1 Mile Post 0 13 56

The return train, with the same engine, and a leviathan load of 400 tons, started at 4h. 5m. 36s. from Didcot, and arrived at Paddington, exclusive of stoppages, at 6h. 13m. 56s., having accomplished the distance in 2h. 8m. 20s., or at the rate of 24 1/3 miles per hour. The following are the tabulated results from the table of speeds attained by the narrow gauge, in the recent experiment on the York and Darlington, with a 400 tons train, reported in our impression of Monday. It appears that the journey of 43 miles was performed in 2h. 15w. 205., or at an average speed of about 19 miles an hour, being a less speed of 5 1/3 miles an hour than the Great Western, and with 10 miles less ground to work over.