UNIFORMITY OF GAUGE.

Report of Her Majesty's Commissioners in favour of _National Uniformity of Railway Gauge, with Extracts front the Evidence of the Witnesses.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY,

We, the Commissioners appointed by Writ, under your Majesty's Privy Seal, bearing date the 11th of July, in the ninth year of your Majesty's reign, to inquire whether, in future private Acts of Parliament for the construction of Railways, provision ought to be made for securing an uniform Gauge, and whether it would be expe- dient and practicable to take measures to bring the Railways already constructed, or in progress of construction, in Great Britain, into uniformity of Gauge, and to inquire whether any other mode could be adopted of obviating or mitigating the evil apprehended as likely to arise from the break that will occur in Railway communications from the want of an uniform Gauge, beg dutifully to submit, that we have called before us such persons as we have judged to be, by rea- son of their situation, knowledge, or experience, the most competent to afford us correct information on the subject of this inquiry, and we have required the production of such books and documents, from the various Railway Companies, as appear to us to be the best cal- culated to aid our researches.

We have personally examined into the usual course of proceeding on various Railways both at home and abroad, especially those which are incident to a break or interruption of Gauge ; and we have per- sonally inspected several locomotive engines, as well as mechanical contrivances invented, either for the general use of Railways, or for obviating the special difficulties presumed to arise from the break of Gauge, or otherwise connected with the subject of our inquiry ; and, as we believe we have now carried our investigation to the utmost useful limits, we feel in a position dutifully to offer to your Majesty the following Report.

I. ON THE BREAK OF GAUGE.

Our attention was first directed to ascertain whether the break of Gauge could be justly considered as an inconvenience of so much importance as to demand the interference of the Legislature. Gloucester is the only place where a break of Gauge actually exists at the present time. It is caused by the meeting at that place of the broad or 7 feet Gauge with the narrow or 4 feet Si inch Gauge. There are other points, however, where a transfer of goods occurs similar to that which must result from a break of Gauge, and persons well acquainted with Railway traffic have no difficulty in foreseeing the nature of the inconvenience that would arise from any further intermixture of Gauge ; and we humbly submit the observa- tions that occur to us as to the whole of this important part of the question.

We will divide the subject of the break of Gauge under the follow- ing heads :— 1st, As applying to fast or express trains; 2ndly, To ordinary or mixed trains; 3rdly, To goods trains; 4thly, To the conveyance of your Majesty's forces.

1st. Fast or Express Trains.

Webelieve that the inconvenience produced by abreak of Gauge will, in some respects, be less felt in these than in other trains, because the passengers travelling by fast trains are usually of a class who readily submit to many inconveniences for the sake of increased speed on the journey, and who are, perhaps, generally less encum- bered with luggage than persons travelling by the slower trains; and, as it is understood to be the general practice that no private carriages or horses are conveyed by these trains, the inconveniences of a break of Gauge are reduced in this instance to the removal of the passengers and a moderate quantity of luggage; and although such removal must create delay and some confusion, as well as per- sonal discomfort, especially at night and in the winter season, be- sides the risk of a loss of luggage, yet we do not consider the break of Gauge, in this instance, as being an inconvenience of so grave a nature as to call for any legislative measures, either for its removal or for its mitigation.

2ndly. Ordinary or Mixed Trains.

In these trains the passengers considerably exceed in number those who travel by the fast trains, and they have generally a much greater quantity of luggage. To such travellers a change of carriage is really a serious inconvenience; and it is a well-known fact, that persons travelling by Railways in communication with each other, but under different managements, endeavour to make such arrange- ments as to admit of their travelling by those trains which afford them the accommodation of occupying the same carriage from the beginning to the end of their journey. The managers and directors of Railways are well aware of this feeling, and in some instances where they do not allow their carriages to run through, yet with a view of diminishing the inconvenience to which this exposes their passengers, they send a luggage van from terminus to terminus, to prevent the evil of a removal of the passengers' luggage ; and some Railway Companies incur consider- able expense in running trains of return empty carriages, in order to accommodate the public by enabling travellers to avoid a change of carriage on the journey. It is by the ordinary or mixed trains that private carriages and horses are conveyed; and the removal of either from one truck or horse-box to another, at any part of the journey, would be attended with inconvenience and delay ; and, with regard to the horses, it would involve considerable risk.

We arrive, therefore, at the conclusion, that the break of Gauge would inflict considerable inconvenience on travellers by the trains now under consideration, and that this inconvenience would be much increased at points of convergence of more than two lines. The change of carriages, horse-boxes, and trucks, and the trans- ference of luggage of an entire train of much extent, must, even in the daytime, be an inconvenience of a very serious nature ; but at night it would be an intolerable evil ; and we think legislative inter- ference is called for to remove or mitigate such an evil.

3rdly, Goods Trains.

From the statements made to us by carriers on Railways, and from our own observation, we are induced to believe, that not only a considerable degree of care, judgment, anti experience is neces- sary in the stowage of merchandise in Railway waggons, but also that it is desirable, that, when properly packed, the articles should, generally speaking, not be disturbed until the journey is completed. We find that in the arrangement of merchandise the heavier goods are placed at the bottom and the lighter at the top of the load, and so secured as to prevent friction, as far as practicable, from the jolt- ing of waggons ; and it is considered very desirable, with a view to prevent loss by pilfering, that the sheeting, which is placed over the load, should not be removed till the completion of the journey. In- deed, acting upon this principle, carriers find it profitable to send their waggons partially filled from various stations on the line, thereby increasing their toll to the Railway Company, rather than incur the risk of loss by theft, to which they would be exposed by uncovering the waggons on the journey, to fill up, with intermediate local goods, waggons that may have started with light loads from one of the termini.

The stations for re-arranging the goods trains are therefore as few as possible : thus, between Leeds and London, the points for unslieeting the goods waggons are only Derby and Leicester, and between Liverpool and London the re-arrangement is only confined to Birmingham and Rugby ; and even at those stations the propor- tion of waggons which are uncovered is very small ; indeed it is stated that at the important town of Birmingham five-sixths of the waggons pass without re-arrangement. In the conveyance of machinery and articles of a similar class, which are both heavy and delicate, it is of the utmost consequence that the load should not be disturbed between the beginning and the end of the journey : a change of carriage, such as would result in all probability from a break of the Gauge, would altogether pre- vent the transport of such articles by this mode of conveyance. We believe that the traffic upon the line of Railway between Bir- mingham and Bristol has been greatly restricted by the interruption of Gauge at Gloucester. In respect to the conveyance of minerals, the inconvenience of a break of Gauge would be very serious ; the transfer being attended with an expense which would be sensibly felt in consequence of the low rate of tolls charged on such articles; moreover, many descrip- tions of coal, such as a considerable proportion of that of the Mid- land Counties, are subject to great deterioration by breakage.

In regard to various articles of agricultural produce, the loss by removal would be less than on other classes of goods; much incon- venience, however, would be found in the transfer of timber; and the difficulty of shifting cattle would be so great as to present an insurmountable obstacle t a such RH arrangement, from the excited state of the animals after travelling by Railway, anti the resistance they in consequence offer when it is attempted to force them a second time into a Railway waggon.

4thly. Conveyance of Troops. There is another use of Railways which we have deemed it neces-

stay to consider; we allude to the transport of your Majesty's troops, with their military stores, &c., either in the ordinary move- ments of corps through the country, in the time of peace ; or in the more pressing and urgent case of their movements for the defence of the coast or of the interior of the country.

We have carefully weighed the important information given to us by the Quartermaster-General of your Majesty's forces, as well as by the Inspector-General of Fortifications, both officers of great expe- rience; and we deduce from their opinions, that although a break of Gauge, on the line of route, would produce both delay and confu- sion, yet, that as in time of peace it is usually practicable to give

notice of the intended movements of a body of troops, the inconve- nience of the break of Gauge might be so reduced as not to be an

evil of great importance; but, in the event of operations for de- fensive objects against an enemy, the inconvenience would assume a serious character.

It would appear, that, for the defence of the coast, the proper course would be to retain the great mass of troops in the interior of the country to wait until the point selected by the enemy for his attack should be ascertained with certainty, and then to move upon that point such an overwhelming force as should be adequate to the emergency.

It is obvious that the success of such a system of defence must depend upon the means of conveying the troops with great despatch, and without interruption on the journey.

The troops should be carried with their equipments complete in all their details, and with their artillery and ammunition; and it therefore appears indispensably necessary, in order to ensure the requisite supply of carriages, where perhaps little or no notice can be previously given, that the whole should be conveyed in the same vehicles from the beginning to the end of the journey.

The effect of a break of Gauge might, in this view of the case, expose the country to serious danger. To all classes of merchandise, as well as to all military operations connected with Railways, one general remark will apply,—that, in starting from any one point, it is usually practicable to obtain a suf- ficent number of waggons for whatever may be required to leave that point, however irregular the traffic may be ; but at the con- vergence of several lines, where the greater number might be of a Gauge not corresponding to the Gauge of the other lines, if it hap- pened that all were unusually loaded at the same time, it would probably be impossible to provide on the latter an adequate number of waggons to carry off all the loads thus brought : the alternative would be, on the one hand, to submit to great confusion, delay, and inconvenience, on all the converging lines having the majority on the same Gauge ; or, on the other hand, to maintain on the lines being in the minority a very extensive stock of carriages, which in general would be totally useless. There is one point which forcibly presses on our attention, and the truth of which must be readily acknowledged, but of which the importance is not at first equally obvious ; it is, that the greater part of the inconveniences to which we have alluded are not in- conveniences of rare occurrence, and which would affect only a small number of persons, but, on the contrary, that many of them would occur several times in the course of every day, to a great number of persons, at each point at which a break of Gauge might exist. The cumulative amount of such inconvenience would of ne- cessity be very considetable, and we feel bound to sum up our conclusions by stating that we consider a break of Gauge to be a very serious evil.

II. REMEDIES FOR THE EVILS OF BREAK OF GAUGE.

We are now brought to the second stage of our inquiry, which is, to discover the means of obviating or mitigating the evil that we End to result from the break of Gauge. The methods which have been laid before us, as calculated for this purpose, are as follows :- 1st. What may be termed Telescopic Axles; an arrangement of the wheels and axles of carriages, permitting the wheels to slide on the axle, so as to contract or extend the interval between them in such a manner that they may be adapted to either of the Gauges. 2ndly. A form of truck adapted to the Broad Gauge, but carrying upon its upper surface pieces of rail 4 feet 81 inches asunder, so that a Narrow Gauge carriage may be run upon these rails without any disturbance of its wheels.

3rdly. A method of shifting the bodies of carriages from a plat- form and set of wheels adapted for one Gauge, to a different plat- form and set of wheels adapted to the other Gauge. 4thly. A proposal to carry merchandise and minerals in loose boxes, which may be shifted from one truck to another, and of which one only would probably be carried upon a Narrow Gauge truck, while two would be conveyed on a Broad Gauge truck.

1. Telescopic Axles.

Of these various methods, the first, if it admitted of being used safely and extensively, would be, in its application, the easiest of all. By the operations of detaching the wheels from one limiting hold, of pushing the carriage along converging or diverging rails, until its wheels were brought to the required width, and of then connecting them by another limiting hold, the transformation of the Narrow Gauge carriage to the Broad Gauge carriage, or vice versa, would be completed. But this construction is liable to grave objections. It is stated to us as a matter of experience (and we believe it admits of satisfactory explanation), that a very small unsteadiness of the wheels of a Railway carriage upon the axle renders the carriage liable to run off the rails. A far more serious

objection, however, is, that the safety of a carriage, and the whole train with which it is connected, would depend upon the care of the attendant, who has to make the adjustments of the axle-slide. It is true that there are other cases, as in the attendance on the switches and signals, which depend upon the care of the person who is stationed to work them: but the circumstances differ very widely. In these cases the attendant has a single act to perform (or, at the utmost, two acts only); he is not hurried, and his whole attention is concentrated on very simple duties. In respect to the shifting axles, the attendant would have to adjust a great many carriages in succession (as there are sometimes a hundred waggons in a goods train); the adjustment must be made hurriedly, and often in the night; and the attendant's thoughts would probably have been partly occupied with the loading of goods, and other station arrangements.

On the score of danger, therefore, we think that this construc- tion must be at once abandoned. But we think it proper to add, that, if even there were no such essential ground of objection, a construction of this nature could not be adequately useful unless it were extended to every carriage which is likely to pass the station where the break of Gauge occurs. Under the existing system of interchange of carriages, which is adopted by all the Railway Com- panies whose lines communicate, and of which the advantages are recognised in special clauses of the Acts of Parliament applying to several Railways, carriages belonging to distant Railways will fre- quently be found at the place of junction of the two Gauges. This construction, therefore, would lose much of its utility unless every Railway carriage were made in conformity to it, that is, unless a vast expenditure of capital, and a corresponding annual expense in replacing worn-out carriages, &c., were incurred even on Railways very distant from the break of Gauge.

2. Broad Gauge Trucks for Narrow Gauge Carriages.

The plan of placing a Narrow Gauge carriage upon the top of a Broad Gauge truck has, on the face of it, this obvious difficulty, that a Broad Gauge carriage cannot be placed in the same manner upon a Narrow Gauge truck ; and therefore, unless not only the Broad Gauge Railway, but also all others communicating with it, be furnished with trucks proper for carrying Narrow Gauge waggons, and with Narrow Gauge waggons also, and unless the loads travel- ling towards the Narrow Gauge be placed only in these Narrow Gauge waggons, the system effects nothing as regards the passage in one direction. But even with regard to the passage from the Narrow Gauge to the Broad Gauge, the system will not bear exami- nation. If the trucks are supported on springs, there is practically a difficulty in running the waggons upon them ; and if they are not supported on springs, they will sustain great injury on the journeys. If they are loaded singly, there will be a great delay ; if they are placed in a row, and the Narrow Gauge carriages are run through the whole series, very great caution will be necessary to secure each carriage both in front and in rear. When heavy loads are thus placed in elevated positions, and when the security of each depends upon adjustments hurriedly made, there will be the danger to which we have alluded in noticing the first proposed construction. Finally, an enormous amount of dead weight will be carried on the Broad Gauge line. We reject this proposal as entirely inapplicable to the traffic of Railways.

3. Shifting Bodies of Carriages.

The system of shifting the bodies of carriages from road wheels to Railway wheels is practised successfully in France, where the diligences from Paris to distant towns, proceeding on road wheels from the Messagerie of Paris to the Railway station, are carried on a peculiar Railway truck as far as Rouen and Orleans, and are then again placed on road wheels to continue their journey. At the low speeds of the French Railways this system is safe, but we doubt whether it would be safe with the speeds of the English Railways. Moreover, it deprives the Railway system of one of its greatest con- veniences, namely, its readiness to receive almost any number of passengers without warning, and to carry them to any distance, small or great. Carriers' carts are also conveyed (but to no great amount) in the same manner. In France, as we understand, it is not thought likely that the system will be in any degree retained when those Railways shall have been extended further. The same remarks, we conceive, would apply entirely, or in a great measure, to similar proposals for the shifting of the bodies of Railway car- riages; but, as this plan has never been strenuously urged, it is un- necessary to criticise it more minutely.

4. Loose Boxes for Goods.

The system of conveying goods in loose boxes, carried upon Railway trucks, has been seriously discussed. It has been re- peatedly tried, and we are able, therefore, to give an opinion on it, founded on experience. The result of this experience is, that in one instance of a tern porary character, where the whole operation was under the control of one engineer, it succeeded ; in other instances, although always under the control of one engineer or one company, it has usually failed; and these failures have occurred where, from the deteriora- tion, caused by hand-shifting, to the mineral conveyed, it was mat- ter of anxiety to avoid transference of the load, from one box or waggon to another, and where no expense was spared in the erec- tion of machinery proper for the transference of the loose boxes. These failures, it is to be remarked, occurred in a traffic which is comparatively regular, viz., that of coal; in traffic of a less regular character the causes tending to produce failure would be very much more numerous. We consider that this method is totally inapplicable to remedy the inconvenience of a break of Gauge.

Some of the witnesses whom we have examined are of opinion that there would be less difficulty in unloading the waggons of one Gauge, and placing the articles in waggons of the other Gauge by having two rows of waggons on the different Gauges, marshalled alongside of each other; but, having witnessed this process at Glou- cester, we are of opinion that such a system is totally inapplicable to an extended traffic.

We sum up our conclusions on this head, by stating our belief that no method has been proposed to us which is calculated to remedy in any important degree the inconveniences attending a break of Gauge.

III. POLICY OF ESTABLISHING UNIFORMITY OF GAUGE.

Considerations on the general Policy of establishing an Uniformity of Gauge throughout the country.

We approach this momentous question with a full conviction of its importance, and of the responsibility that rests upon us.

That an uniformity of Gauge is now an object much to be desired there can, we think, be no question. In the earlier period of the Railway history of this country, the great trunk lines were so far separated as to be independent of each other, and, as it were, isolated in their respective districts, and no diversity of Gauge was then likely to interfere with the personal convenience, or the commercial objects, of the community; but now that Railways are spreading in all directions, and becoming interlaced with each other in numerous places, that isolation is removed, that independence has ceased, and the time has arrived when, if steps cannot be taken to remove the existing evil of the diversity of Gauge, at least it appears to us im- perative that a wider spread of this evil should be prevented.

If we had to deal with a question not affecting the interests of parties, who are not only unconnected, but who are opposed to each other in a spirit of emulation, if not of rivalry ; or if we were deal- ing with the property of the public, and not of private trading com- panies; we should merely have to consider whether that uniformity of Gauge which we deem to be so desirable would be too dearly purchased by an alteration of one Gauge to suit the other, or of both to some fresh Gauge which might be considered preferable to either, if any such there be.

But our position is different from this, since we have to consider not only the relative length of the different systems, the comparative mechanical efficiency of each, the general superiority of one above the other, their adaptation to the wants of the country, and the possibility as well as the policy of a change, but also the pecu- niary means of effecting it. We have further to look to the con- sequences of an interruption of the traffic during the progress of an alteration.

There is still another view of the question, and that is, the ex- pediency of having, on lines of Railway, additional rails, so as to afford the facility of using engines and carriages on both Gauges.

This expedient, in whatever form adopted, cannot be considered as free from difficulties. If two rails, forming a Narrow Gauge-way, are placed between the two rails which form a Broad Gauge-way, carriages of the different gauges may run in the same train, without alteration even of their buffers, which in the ordinary construction of the carriages correspond exactly on the Broad and Narrow Gauges. But the expense of such an insertion would probably be not less than that of an entire change of Gauge, including, in the latter, the change of engines and carrying stock ; and the complication which it would introduce at the crossings might produce danger to rapid trains, unless their speed were diminished at approaching such points. The difficulty of packing the rails, if longitudinal sleepers were used, would also be much greater than if rails of only a single Gauge were employed. If a single rail were inserted eccentrically in a Broad Gauge-way, so as to form, in conjunction with one of the Broad Gauge rails, a Narrow Gauge-way, the expense of the insertion, and the danger of the crossings, as well as the difficulty of packing the rails, would be somewhat diminished, but it would be imprudent to run carriages of the different Gauges in the same train; and as it would probably be the policy of the Railway company to adopt for their own stock of engines only one of the two Gauges, and to in- terpose those difficulties which amount to a prohibition of the use of other company's engines, the inconveniences of a break of Gauge would exist in almost all their force at every junction of a Branch Railway on a different Gauge.

We consider, therefore, that the general adoption of such a system ought not to be permitted. We remark, however, that the difficulties to which we have al- luded may be greatly diminished on any Railway where the system of combined Gauges is cordially taken up by the company; and we

think that great respect ought to be paid to the rights which the companies may be supposed to possess in the methods or systems which they have devised or adopted. At the same time, we lay it down as the first principle, that intercommunication of Railways throughout the country ought, if possible, to be secured. If, to obtain the last-mentioned object, it should be necessary to alter or make a change in any existing Railways, we think that it may be left as a matter of ulterior consideration for the Legislature, whether in these limited instances the combination of Gauges may not be allowed.

WHAT IS THE BEST GAUGE.

Whatever may be the course which at the present time circum- stances will permit, it will appear, from the opinion we have ex- pressed, that we think, abstractedly, equilization desirable; and we shall, therefore, proceed to consider what Gauge would be the best, in such a system of equalization.

We shall examine this part of the question under the following

heads—

1st. Safety.

2nd. Accommodation and convenience for passengers and goods. 3rd. Speed.

4th. Economy. 1. Safety.

We will commence with the question of Safety.

We are of opinion that experience will, in this matter, afford a better test, by which to compare the systems of the Broad and the Narrow Gauge, than any theory ; and we, therefore, have made in- quiry into the nature of the accidents recorded in the official reports of the Board of Trade, as well as of such as have happened since the last Report was published. We find that Railway accidents arise from collisions, obstructions on the road, points wrongly placed, slips in cuttings, subsidence of embankments, a defective state of the permanent way, loss of Gauge, broken or loose chairs, fractures of wheels or axles, Sze.; and, lastly, from engines running off the line through some other cause.

Of these several classes of accidents all except the last are ob- viously independent of the Gauge ; and, with reference to this last class, we have thought it right to endeavour to determine whether the advocates of either Gauge could fairly claim, in regard to these accidents, a preference for their respective systems, on the score of greater security to the traveller. In these lists we find only six accidents, of the kind we are considering, recorded from October 1890 to May 1845; whereas there have been no less than seven within the last seven months, and these are all attributable to ex- cessive speed, the majority having happened to express trains. Of the whole number of these accidents, three have occurred on the Broad Gauge and ten on the Narrow ; the former, however, differ in their character from the latter, the carriages only, in the last two eases, having been off the line, whereas, in all the ten Narrow Gauge cases, the engines have run off, and the consequences have been more fatal. We must here observe, however, that the extent of the Narrow Gauge lines is 1,901 miles, and that of the Broad only 274; therefore, the comparison would be unfavourable to the Broad Gauge if considered merely with regard to their relative length ; but it must be borne in mind that the general speed of the Great Western considerably exceeds that of many of the Narrow Gauge lines, and that some consideration is on this account due to the Broad Gauge.

The primary causes of engines getting off the rails appear to be overdriving, a defective road, a bad joint, or a badly-balanced engine. If, in consequence of heavy rains or other unfavourable circum- stances, any part of the road becomes unsound, the engine sinks on one side as it passes along such part of the rails, suddenly rises again, and is thus thrown into a rocking and lateral oscillatory motion, with more or less of violence according to the rate of speed; and a very similar effect is produced in passing at high speeds from one curve to another of different curvature. A suc- cession of strains is thus thrown upon the rails, and if, before the rocking subsides, the wheel meets with a defective rail or chair, which yields to the impulse, the engine and train are thrown off as a necessary consequence : but, as far as we can see, such casualties are equally likely to happen on either Gauge, other circumstances being similar. It has indeed been stated by some of the witnesses whom we have examined, that the Broad Gauge is more liable to such accidents, from the circumstance that the length of the engine, or rather the distance between the fore and hind axle, is less in proportion to its breadth than in the Narrow Gauge engines, and that therefore the Broad Gauge engine is liable to be thrown more obliquely across the lines, and, in case of meeting with an open or defective joint, more liable to quit the rail : but we cannot admit the validity of this objection against the Broad Gauge lines. It may be that the proportion between the length and breadth of the engine has some influence on its motion, and that the motion is somewhat less steady where the difference between the length and breadth is considerably diminished; but practical facts scarcely lead to the conclusion that the safety of the trains is endangered by the present proportion of the Broad Gauge engines ; for it appears that on the London and Birmingham Railway, where the engines hitherto employed have been, generally, short four-wheeled engines, the distance from axle to axle not ex- ceeding seven feet, or seven feet six inches, no such accident as we are considering has been reported; and we are informed by Mr. Bruyeres, the Superintendent of that line, that no such accident has ever occurred. The same remark applies to some other Narrow Gauge lines; and if, as has been stated, exemption from these acci- dents has resulted from the close fisingef the engine and tender adopted on this line, the same system mightlie adopted on any other line, whether on the Broad or Narrow Gauge. Au evil may also sometimes arise in six-wheeled engines, by the cent,TA rof gravity of the engine being brought too much over the driving wheels, and the springs being so adjusted, for the sake of the adhesion of the wheels to the rails, that the front wheels would have little or no weight to support, and would be thus in a condition, by any irregularity in the road or other obstruction, to be more easily lifted off the rails. But here, again, if this fault in the construction or adjustment has been anywhere committed, it is a fault or defect wholly unconnected with the breadth of Gauge. Another cause of unsteady or irregular motion, dangerous to the safety of the train, has been stated to be the great overhanging weight beyond the axles of some engines of recent construction, and

Narrow Gauge. But I am not aware that there has been lately any par. ticularly great increase in the means of conveniently putting a large power upon the Narrow Gauge.

4128. Mr. M'Connell has stated to the Commissioners, " At one time it was considered that from 12 to 13 inch cylinders was a good average size for working Railways. Now, we find from experience that economy. of working is very much assisted by taking the train by one heavy engine in- stead of two light ones, that is to say, you save the wages of two men ; and I think the expense of repairs is very much reduced ; and materials, for instance, oil and tallow, Sm., and the consumption of coke in the one engine is not stall equal to the consumption of the two, which would only do the same amount of work. Now I believe the practice has become general on Narrow-Gauge Railways to adopt 15 inch cylinders instead. of 12 inch, and even higher than that. There are at present engines .being made at Messrs. Sharp's manufactory at Manchester, with 18-inch cylinders of nearly the same size as the one I have at work at Broms.grove, but with 24 inch stroke. 4 feet 6 inches driving-wheels. They are intended for the Sheffield and Manchester Railway, and the Manchester and Birmingham, and it is calculated they will be of very great service with heavy goods trains, and enable them to carry at a very low cost indeed. I have no doubt those engines will be equal to take 800 tons, and travel with ease when they are at work." And he elsewhere mentions travelling with con- siderably greater speed ?—I should wish to point out this distinction, that in speaking of powerful engines I am speaking of engines of great capacity of steam ; I aria not speaking of engines wit h 15 inch or 24 inch cylinders, both of which may have the same boiler, but I am speaking of engines of great capacity, of steam capable of exerting a large quantity of power in a short time ; and although there has been a great increase on some Railways in the dimensions of their cylinders, and they have all gradually increased their boilers, yet I do not know of any new system of engine introduced latterly which has admitted or which has led to engines of greatly increased power as a class, because I think that in the power should be taken into consideration the question of time as well as the mere force exerted. All parties on all Railways have improved their engines of course, and gradually increased the amount of power expended by them in a certain time ; but I do not think there has been any particular advance in that respect lately.

THE BREAK OF GAUGE-REMEDIES.

4029. It has been represented that serious impediments to the internal traffic of the country are likely to arise from the break of Guage that will occur in Railway communications from want of uuiformity ;—will you be so good as to state whether you think that any serious inconveniences are likely to arise from the break of Gauge ? —1 think some inconvenience will occur. The amount of it will depend very much upon the particular line of country upon which the change takes place, and upon the interests of the parties on either side, either to increase or diminish the amount of that in- convenience. I think that if the change took place across the country, so as to separate London from the North, that would be a case of the greatest interruption, and would, of course, produce a good deal of inconvenience. If that change took place as between one portion of England and the other, leaving London open to both, I think the inconvenience would be small ; and I think that, if it is the interest of the parties on both sides of the neutral country (if there is one between the two) to effect a transit through it, I be- lieve that it will be very small indeed. It will be diminished even with the extension of the Railway system ; because, if a network of Railways as has been referred to over England is made, I think it will be impossible that the passenzer carriages can be running in all directions over that network without changing, and I du not think it would be for the advantage of the public that they should. I think the spirit of emulation and competi- tion kept up between different great Railway interests, both as regards the comfort and the construction of the carriages, and the times and mode of travelling, will do much more good to the public than that uniformity of system which has been so much talked of the last two or three years ; and I believe that, as the number of Railways extends over the country, it will become more and more impossible to send individual passengers by sepa- rate carriages to the exact place of their destination, and that a change of carriages must, in a great many cases, take place ; and, if that change takes place over a general line of country, it will gradually influence the mode of travelling throughout all the directions in which lines may be carried, and will then, I think, amount to a very trifling inconvenience. As regards goods, it is, of course, a mere question of money ; and if there is a considerable stream of goods on one line, and it is the interest of two par- ties meeting at. a certain point to interchange those goods, I believe the in- convenience and expense will be so trifling that it is hardly worth con- sideration, if there are other important considerations in the question of the change of Gauge. 4030. You are of opinion that it would be a great public inconvenience to have a change of Gauge at Rugby for passengers going northwards from London, or coming southwards to London ?—Yea; I think it would be ex- ceedingly to be desired that all the mass of passengers going from London northwards, should be able to go without changing at Rugby, where there can be, in all probability, no great reason for their changing, if they are going northwards upon the same line. 4051. Supposing that the system of unloading should not be adopted, to which of the other systems should you give the preference?—It would de- pend entirely upon the extent of the trade, and upon the nature of that trade. If there were large quantities of goods in hulk, I think the tran- shipping of the body of the waggon would be a very convenient way of doing it ; if there were frequently waggons with various goods, and no assistance whatever afforded to us by the other Companies. and assuming then that we did not unpack, I think taking waggon and all would be one way that we should adopt.

4052. Upon another truck ?—Upon another truck. 4053. To which you see no practical difficulty ?—No ; it is merely the useless weight carried that would be the drawback.

4054. Are you inclined to think that the introduction of another pair of rails, or another rail to diminish the Gauge, would be a less objectionable mode on the whole ?—No ; I should say that on that line it would be more objectionable. I do not think the object to be attained is sufficiently great there to make that the most economical way of doing it. 4055. It would diminish your number of station men and porters at Rugby very considerably, would it not, and the expense of your machinery there, as well as the expense of trucks ?—The machinery would be nothing ; it would not bear, I mean, any proportion to the cost of the original capi- tal; and, as regards the number of porters, I do not think myself it would amount to any very large number in a general way. 4077. Jima understood that many of the Broad Gauge trucks which pick up lends at the small stations on the Bristol and Gloucester Railway are not above half filled ; are you aware whether that is the case or not ?--I dare say it may be ; in fact, if it is so stated, I cannot, of course, have an opinion to put in comparison with the statement of those who actually conduct the traffic.

4078. Of course, in a case like that, there is an actual loss from the con-

veyance of a heavier carriage upon the Broad Gauge ?—Assuming, of course, that there is a quantity of goods which is not sufficient either for a Broad or for a Narrow Gauge waggon, if you put that into a Wide Gauge waggon there is some proportionate loss in weight : the amount of loss is very small, because the Broad Gauge waggons are not heavier than the Narrow in the exact proportion to their width, all other things remaining the same : the wheels are the same, the buffers are the same, the springs are the same, the side plates are the same ; and if you are content with the same sized wheels, and carrying the same load per wheel, in a Broad Gauge waggon or a Narrow Gauge waggon, the difference of weight is not worth considering ; it is a little in the axle and something in the floor and frame of the waggon, but the amount is very small.

UNIFORMITY.

4307. Do you think that any great public convenience would result from bringing the whole of the Railways of the kingdom into one uniform Gauge?—! believe most firmly that the public advantage generally would be injured by it. There would be an advantage, of course, in similarity of Gauge, inasmuch as it would get over any difficulty experienced through changing from one Gauge to another ; but, on the other hand, I believe that a great deal of the progress that has been made in Railways has arisen from the fair emulation that exists between the promoters either of two Gauges or of four-wheeled and six-wheeled engines, or of six-wheeled and four-wheeled carriages, and of all the other varieties, and that the system of generalizing, whether the Gauge or anything else, wouLd do harm rather than good. 4038. As cramping genius ?—Yes ; and, without reference to the genius of parties, it is interfering with that feeling and spirit which does bring " about all the improvements of the day in this country. There can be no question, I believe, in the public mind, that the express trains, if they are an advantage, arise entirely from that question of competition between the two Gauges. 4039. Have you no fear that the rivalry between the various Companies may induce them to aim at a degree of speed which would do great mischief? —No ; I think not. I think there is a much stronger check upon that, than any check that can be invented, viz., that of their interests ; the public confidence is quite as necessary, or more necessary, for their receipts, than even the public desire to go quickly.

ACCIDENTS.

4040. Do you find that there is much loss of revenue resulting from acci- dents occuring upon your line, for instance ?—It is impossible to say that there is a loss of so many pounds, shillings, and pence, but I have not the slightest doubt, from what I see before me, that there is a loss of revenue arising from every acccident, or every reported accident, though more may have occurred.

9041. I supppose that really can be ascertained by examination of the accounts ?—No ; because there are so many varying causes that you might, very likely, see a totally opposite result sometimes in the accounts from that which you know must be produced by such and such a cause. I have no doubt, however, that after the accident on the Great Western Railway with the express train, you will find there was a diminution in the receipts of that train ; and a knowledge of the working of Railway traffic tells us that that which is taken off one train is not entirely thrown upon another, so that it is a positive loss.

DEAD WEIGHT-COST.

4079. There is more dead weight in proportion in the Broad than in the Narrow, if you come to examine the construction of the waggon ?—Just so ; hut that requires to be explained. We have thought it worth our while to have 4-feet wheels, to have heavier axles in consequence of the 4-feet wheels, to have a stronger and more massive construction altogether, quite apart from any question of Gauge, or any question of strength of framing ; we have thought it cheaper, and we have by experience found it to be cheaper, to put good massive parts into the waggons, and to have 4- feet wheels, which make a great difference ; there is a very great difference between 3-feet wheels and 4-feet wheels. All those things together make a Great Western waggon, which it should be called, rather than a Broad Guage waggon, heavier than a London and Birmingham waggon ; but there are two or three causes for it besides the question of Gauge, and they should be taken into consideration, of course, separately from the other.

4080. In fact the Gauge does not, of necessity, involve a greater dead weight ?—It involves some, but a very trifling increase in the dead weight. If you take a Narrow-Gauge waggon, cut it in two in the middle, and widen it by putting in a piece between, that waggon will be perfectly fit to run upon the Broad Gauge. I say that deliberately, knowing that it is fre- quently assumed that the dimensions of the parts must be increased, because the Gauge is increased. Now, not only a theoretical investigation, but the result of all one's experience, proves that it is not so ; that the axle need not be of larger dimensions ; that the strain upon it is not greater on the Wide Gauge than on the Narrow Gauge ; that the transoms of the waggon need not be perceptibly stronger ; and that the flooring of the waggon need not be a bit heavier ; and those are the only parts that you do touch in making a longitudinal section of the waggon.

4089. We have had a return sent in to us showing a much smaller cost for the locomotive power upon the Great Western than for the Narrow. Gauge lines ; can you tell us at all what proportion the locomotive power bears to the general working expenses of the line of the Great Western ?— I can only give it to you of course by referring to papers and documents, and giving you the exact returns. My firm conviction is that that is the case, making of course proper allowance upon different Railways for the cost of coke, with reference to the locality of their coal; that of course has nothing to do with the Gauge. I believe myself there is a diminished cost upon the Great Western. I did not know that it amounted to what I should call much, but I believe there is a diminished cost upon the Great Western Railway as compared with the principal Narrow-Gauge lines.

4090. I see that in goods Mr. Gooch has told us it is just half the cost of the London and Birmingham 1—In any comparison of that kind, the same as in the comparison 1 stated just now as to the waggons, you must try and separate as much as possible the effects of other circumstances ; I should have thought it was more felt in passengers than in goods, but I do not remember the comparative statement. 4091. Mr. Gooch has given us the relative coat of the locomotive power for the goods trains on the Great Western '06, and upon the London and Birmingham '12 ?—Then I should think there must be some circumstances operating in that result quite independent of the question of construction of the two Railways 4092. And on the Grand Junction '13, which is more than that of the

London and Birmingham, giving a decided superiority in each case to the Great Western, as regards economy of working; therefore I am desirous of knowing what proportion the locomotive power bears to the general work- ing expenses of the line of the Great Western, if you would furnish us with the return1—What we call the cost of locomotive power in our books will amount to a certain proportion, which is correctly stated in qur half-yearly

•

reports; but then "locomotive expenses" is a very vague term, it may in- clude or exclude a great many things, and in comparing one with another you must dive into the details and see what they are.

4093. The cost depends very much then upon the way in which the re- turns are made up by different Companies, some including and some excluding various items ?—Yes ; which appear then in some other shape, and it is very difficult to compare in that way.

WHEELS.

4094. With regard to the history of your engines, your driving-wheels are reduced in their diameter considerably, are they not ?—No. The original proposal on my part was 7 feet and 8 feet for passenger engines, and the result is that 7 feet may be considered as our diameter at present, with some of 6 feet ; but I am not by any means sure that the result of our experience is not to bring it back pretty nearly to the 7 feet and even 8 feet. I do not mean to pretend that in the year 1834 I was able to say exactly the diameter which has turned out to be correct; that I believe to be chance. 4095. Of course my question is rather for information generally with re- gard to the diameter of your wheels ?—About 7 feet and 8 feet was the diameter which we proposed to attempt when we began the Great Western. Two or three engines were made for 10 feet. The idea did not originate with me, but it was proposed by certain manufacturers, and, although I expressed some fear of the feasibility of constructing 10 feet wheels, I thought it worth the trial. They were made, and it so happened that the three engines to which they were applied totally failed in other respects, and the whole engine was cast aside ; still, although the failure of the engine had nothing to do with the wheels, yet I should not attempt a 10- feet wheel now for an engine. I do not know what we may come to.

• 4096. Those 10-feet wheels were made for engines intended to go to America, were they not ?—No ; the first engines we had from Mr. Stephen- son were, I think, intended for America, but those had only 7-feet wheels ; the engines to which I refer were a pair made in Liverpool by a maker there, who was also making other engines for us. I take the whole re- sponsibility, of course, of having allowed the 10-feet wheel to be made ; but the engines, from other circumstances, were not successful, and the construction of the wheels was one which we should certainly never again adopt ; it was an entire plate, and that with such a diameter is heavy, and offers such an enormous surface to the side wind that it certainly would not do to adopt it. In the other engine, which was tried with a 10.feet wheel, the wheels worked very well; but accidental circumstances threw the engine out of use, the wheels got broken by an accident which would have broken any wheels, and no further attempt was made to use it ; but we have every reason to think that for the high speeds the 7 feet, as compared with the 6 in our own establishment, is almost essential to the good working of the engine.

4097. So that you consider that your original views, without entering into details as to precise numbers, are confirmed by experience ?—Yes, unquestionably.

CHARLES ALEXANDER SAUNDERS, ESQ.

3811. You are the Secretary of the Great Western Company ?—Yes. 3812. How long have you held that office ?—For 12 years, since the formation of the Company. 3813. Are you aware whether, when the line was first projected, it was intended to have a 7 feet Gauge ?-1 think not at the original formation of the Company. The question of the Gauge was brought by Mr. Brunel before the Directors subsequently to the passing of the Act, but with his intention to recommend a change of Gauge I became very early acquainted. 3820. Can you inform the Commissioners what were the main objects of the change of Gauge ?—I should perhaps convey a very imperfect idea of them in any answer I might give to that question ; but, if you will accept it in the general terms in which I can give it, I would say that the great objects that Mr. Brunel contemplated were these : to acquire greater power and greater speed ; to improve the construction of locomotive engines ; to place the wheels either outside, or as nearly as possible outside, of the carriages and waggons, in order that he might enlarge the wheels and diminish the friction ; he expressed a belief that a larger proportionate stowage could be obtained ; and that, upon the whole, it would be a decidedly safer and more secure mode of travelling at the high speeds, which he always looked forward to as being likely to be required by the public. He thought that the speed of that day was one which would after- wards be thought slow. Those were some of his main objects. 3821. Is it your opinion that those objects have been attained ?—I firmly believe that they have been attained in a very high degree. 3822. And from your present experience are you disposed to conclude that if the thing were to be done over again you would adopt the Broad and not the Narrow Gauge?—! think, unquestionably, if it were left to me, I certainly should. 3823. Have you increased speed and increased safety ?—I think we have increased speed in proportion to the weight we carry, and decidedly increased safety. I cannot think that there is a doubt upon the subject, as far as my experience goes. I do not pretend to mechanical knowledge, or any engineering skill ; I merely speak as one who has had a great deal to do with the working of Railways, and from the comparison I have made I am convinced that upon the Broad Gauge we can carry greater loads at a much higher speed and with greater smoothness and safety than they can carry upon the Narrow Gauge.

3847. Are you prepared to admit that there is any evil in there being two Gauges in this country, seeing that there are likely to be frequent junctions of Railways of different Gauges t—There is an incovemence naturally which must be assigned to that, but I cannot call it an evil. I should call it a much greater evil to have them all upon one Gauge, that Gauge being the inferior of the two. There is inconvenience, no doubt, where two Gauges meet, but I believe that inconvenience to be, in com- parison, very trifling indeed ; if there is a disposition to obviate it on the part of those who are the managers of the traffic where the two lines meet, I believe the inconvenience would be scarcely felt by the public. It is one that may be magnified very much, of course, by any desire to throw impe- diments in the way. 3848. If the Legislature should authorise any line of Railway to the north or south of the Great Western Railway to be made by an inde- pendent Company, but still forming a junction with the Great Western Railway, would it not conduce much to the interest of that Company, as well as to the interest of the Great Western, to form such a line with the Broad Gauge ? and would it not also conduce to the convenience of the public ?—Yes ; I think, of course, that a line of Railway that is running into the Great Western Railway, would be better, unquestionably, on the Broad Gauge than the Narrow : I am now speaking irrespectively of the question of Gauge itself.

3885. Is there any published paper to which reference can be made for a general statement of the supposed advantages of the Broad Gauge, or do you adopt generally the statement which was furnished by Mr. Brunel

in 1838, on the occasion of the reference of the subject to Mr. Hawkshaw and Mr. Wood ?—Yes, I think that, as far as it went, was Very good, and has proved, in the main, very true. I tun not aware of any published document that gives an authentic account of all the advantages of the Broad Gauge.

3886. In Mr. Bruners paper, just referred to, considerable importance was attached to the break of Gauge ?—There was this importance attached to it, that it was one argument used against the change of Gauge at all ; and Mr. Brunel, to that extent, when lie was very much pressed by objectors generally to it (of which he had an immense number), admitted that the break of Gauge would be inconvenient ; but I do not think he dwelt upon it, or attempted to argue that it either was or was not an incon- venience to be surmounted.

3887. His statement was in these words : " Difference of Gauge is undoubtedly an inconvenience ; it amounts to a prohibition to almost any Railway running northwards from London, as they must all more or less

depend for their supply upon other lines or districts where Railways already exist, and with which they must hope to be connected ; in such cases there is no alternative" ? —That Mr. Brunel has explained already during the present Session ; of course he was speaking there of a line running directly north from London. It was no part of his proposilion to make a line direct from London northwards which was to be upon the Broad Gauge, and in reading that you must make allowance for him, and for the position in which he stood at that time, when almost every engineer in the country endeavoured to assail him in every possible way with every imaginary objection that could be raised to it, which to my mind is one of the strongest proofs of the great advantage of the Gauge itself, if it were allowed to be carried out. Mr. Brunel stated. that he did not propose to carry the Gauge into the northern part ot the country which was then occupied by the Narrow Gauge. Ile defended the Gauge upon its merits. He said I am not proposing a direct line to the North by the Broad Gauge, but into the West country, which is not an occupied country, and certainly hitherto we have not found any inconvenience from it. If there is anything in the world that would tend to prove the real value of that Gauge, and what it is capable of doing, I would point to the fear and apprehension shown by the London and Birmingham Company. and the Midland Counties Company, as to its being carried anywhere in the direction up to their lines, from a conviction that we can go faster and better, and cheaper, and carry heavier loads than they can upon their Narrow Gauge, and they know it, and they fear that the better Gauge may be carried on beyond their lines, and in competition with them. It the inconvenience of change was what they really credit as an objection, they would rejoice to see it, as a means of keeping traffic away from us. 3888. Shall we be able to test the accuracy by our detail accounts of Mr. Gooch's return ?—I should think so.

3889. The statement being one of great importance, it would be the duty of the Commissioners to go into every part of the account with the greatest care ?—I am very glad to hear that : I sin sure that no labour, or pains, or trouble shall be spared in giving to the Commissioners the fullest means of testing it. It is one of the things we wished to do before the Committee of the House of Commons, when the Gauge question was introduced into that dissuasion : it was impossible to do it in that form ; but the Great Western Directors would consider it of the highest importance that the Commissioners should have an opportunity of testing it throughout. 3890. When Mr. Brunel spoke of a difference of Gauge as amounting to a prohibition to a Railway running northwards, do sou think that has no bearing upon the formation of the Rugby and Oxford line ?—I think the two things are entirely distinct. I am sure that Mr. Brunel at that time had not given his attention to the actual mode by which the trade of other parts might be carried ou by a mixed Gauge. It was simply an admission on his part that he was not proposing to take this Gauge into a country which was then occupied, but into a country unoccupied, and he explained to the Committee of the House of Lords, that in using the word " pro- hibition" he meant a prohibition to the extent that be would not have been prepared, if it had been meant to carry a line from London direct to the North, to urge them at that time to put down the Broad Gauge when that country was occupied by Narrow-Gauge lines. 3'891. There is another sentence in the same report, with reference to which you are requested to state whether your views are modified Many way at the present time, with regard to a connexion at or near London. " At the London extremity, from the moment the junction, as originally pro- posed with the London and Birmingham Railway, was obliged to be given up, there existed no possibility of a connexion with any other line. . . . They (i. e., two such lines) will have no such connexion with each other at this extremity." Now, several schemes have been proposed for establishing a connexion at or near London. Do you consider that such schemes at all modify that argument ?—Not at all. My impression is that it would be very inconvenient, setting aside the whole question of Gauge, that two lines of Railway like the London and Birmiughatu and the Great Western should attempt to carry on their business near London or in London on the same line or at the same terminus.

3890. You are of opinion that the idea of a central station in London is quite utopian ?—I am, I do not think it would be convenient for the public • every day's experience shows that we want space more than any- thing else for the convenient management of business that has to be con- ducted by a Railway Company. 3397. The different stations now are almost too large for the convenience of the public ?—Yes, you must have an enormous space to do the business. The confusion which would take place, from attempting to concentrate the business into a small compass would be so great that you would be obliged to expand them and separate 3898. Is it not found in Derby that there is some confusion and incon- venience resulting from having so many trains corning in ?-1 believe there is confusion occasionally arising from it. With respect to the space in London, where you have to provide ft.r passengers passing into every sort of vehicle, carriages, cabs, hackney-coaches, and omnibuses, it occupies so large a space that you cannot do it in any contracted station ; and if you have trains frequent, as you must have hereafter with lines expanding as they are in the country, you will find that the difficulty of getting one train cleaeof another is such that you cannot dolt in the space of time necessary, so much so that I have no hope or expectation that we shall do better than maintaining our ground at Paddington, where we have a large space, yet not enough ; and that any prolongation of the line must be by a separate system of traction upon it, so that instead of putting people into omnibuses and cabs you would put them into carriages going to a particular part of London, if you can get a line extending into London in that way. But I am perfectly convinced that the idea of bringing all the traffic from all the different lines into one spot in London is a mistaken notion. In the first place, the number of people that want to go from one line to another by each train directly through London is not very large ; people that come to London have something to do in London: there are very few that want to go directly through. Gauge to weigh about 9i tons ; and therefore there would be seven carriages to make up the 67 tons above specified. The most com- modious carriages on the Narrow Gauge lines, such as those on the South-Western, weigh less than 5 tons; seven such carriages would therefore weigh about 34 tons; and being capable of containing 126 first-class passengers, weighing, with their luggage, 124. tons, the total load would be only 46A tons. Now, we find that, even with a traffic as large as that of the London and Birmingham Railway, the average per train would only be 84.9 passengers, weighing about 8 tons ; so that, under the supposition of a traffic of this extent, the load of this seven Narrow Gauge carriages so occupied would only be 42 tons.

But Mr. Gooch estimates, from his own experiments, the relative powers of traction of the Broad Gauge engines, and of the Narrow gauge engines of the South-Western Railway when working at the same speed, as 2067 to 1398, or as 67, the load of the Broad Gauge in tons, to 45 tons, which would be the corresponding load for the Narrow Gauge; so that the Narrow Gauge engine has more power over the 42 tons it would have to draw than the Broad Gauge has over its average load of 67 tons, both exclusive of the weight of the engine and tender—the Narrow Gauge carriage in this supposition being supposed to contain 84.9 passengers, and the Broad Gauge only 47.2.

If, however, it were necessary, 224 first-class passengers might be placed in the seven Broad Gauge carriages, and, as it has before been said, 126 in the seven Narrow Gauge carriages: but it appears likely that this extent of accommodation would only be called for on such rare occasions, that the question of providing for it, except by as- sistant power, cannot be taken into consideration in the present comparison.

It is obvious from the foregoing statement, that the Narrow Gauge engine of the class we have been considering has more power over the seven Narrow Gauge carriages, and a load of 126 passengers, than the Broad Gauge engine has over the seven Broad Gauge car- riages, and the load of the same number of passengers ; and that, therefore, if the Great Western had been a Narrow instead of a Broad Gauge line, the South-Western engines would have had the same com- mand over the existing passenger traffic of the Great Western as its own engines now have with the present construction of that Railway.

We mils: remark, however, that this calculation is for trains con- sisting exclusively of passengers and their personal luggage. In the Great Western average trains of 67 tons there is an allowance of about 16 tons for passengers and luggage, including gentlemen's carriages. Allowing the same weight of luggage on the Narrow Gauge line, the train would still not exceed 50 tons, which is con- siderably within the power of the Narrow Gauge engine. For it appears, by the experiments that have been recently made on the Great Western Railway, the details of which are given in the Ap- pendix to the Evidence, that the Great Western engine is capable of propelling S3 tons at a greater speed than the average speed of that line ; and consequently, by the proportion above stated, the Narrow Gauge engine would be capable of propelling 55 tons at the same rate. We conclude, therefore, that the work would be performed at about the same expense for locomotive power. That there may be cases in which not only the full power of a Broad Gauge engine is required, but even the assistance of a second engine, is quite certain ; but such trains form the exception and not the rule in Railway passenger traffic; and we doubt the soundness of a principle which involves a great expense in construction, for the sake of possessing capabilities so seldom called into action.* It is proper to observe, that the foregoing comparison would have appeared to stand more in favour of the Narrow Gauge, had we taken for the engine of comparison one of those engines of whose increased capabilities some of the supporters of the narrow gauge system have informed us; but we have preferred the comparison afforded with the South-Western engine, from its being the one on which Mr. Gooch, of the Great Western Railway, superintended the recorded experiments,—hence our deductions are made from data furnished by the advocates of the Broad Gauge system, without drawing anything from the evidence on the other side; and as these deductions sufficiently demonstrate that there is no economy in the locomotive expenses for passenger trains resulting from working a line on the Broad Gauge system, even on such lines as those which have at the present moment the most abundant passenger traffic, any analysation of the evidence offered in support of the Narrow Gauge system appears to us to be quite superfluous.

There is one point, however, stated in Mr. Gooch's comparative table, and repeated in his evidence, which appears so much at va- riance with the results we have obtained from other data, as to re- quire explanation.

Mr. Gooch has asserted that the Great Western Company work their passenger trains at half the expense per ton at which the Lon- don and Biraangham Company work their passenger trains. The fact is, however, that Mr. Gooch's calculations refer to the gross and not to the net loads ; and, therefore, the comparison is not ap- plicable, as far as regards the profits of these Companies, and affords no proof of economy in working the passenger traffic on the Great Western system.

There can be no doubt, judging both from Mr. Brunel's evidence given to us, and from his report to the Directors of the Great West-

* It appears that during the half-year ending the 30th June 1845, the number of miles run by coupled and assisting engines for passenger trains on the Great Western Railway amounted to 11,628, and for goods trains to 51,155. The total number of miles run by the former trains being 761,483, and of the latter 159,324.

em Railway Company, that he originally expected there would be on the Great Western Railway a demand for carrying great numbers of passengers at high velocities ; but from his own evidence it ap- pears that the only heavy passenger traffic upon that Railway is be- tween London and Reading, and between Bath and Bristol, being a total distance of about 50 miles, out of 245.

On the remaining part of the line the passenger traffic, per train, is small.

If the convenience of the public would admit of the whole of the passenger traffic of this portion of the line being conveyed daily by two or three large trains, Mr. Bruners views would have been per- fectly correct in providing such powerful means ; but experience has proved that the public require passenger trains to be run many times during the day; and, with this frequency of trains, such num- bers of passengers as Mr. Brunel has provided for cannot be ex- pected even on Railways of the largest traffic, so that practically there is a waste both of power and of means. In the case of "goods traffic" the circumstances are not the same. Railway conveyance for merchandise seems only to be required a few times in each day, and the trains are generally large. The "through" waggons have for the most part a full load, and the disproportion between the gross and the net weight is consequently much less than in the passenger trains : still, however, it appears from the evidence of Mr. Horne, and of other persons connected with the carrying trade, that on the London and Birmingham Railway it frequently happens that waggons are forwarded to a considerable distance, to "roadside stations," containing not more than a ton of goods; and there can be no doubt that this must happen on any long line of Railway. The same also occurs in waggons coming in from branches along the trunk line, and in all such cases the heavy large waggon of the Broad Gauge must be disadvantageous : but although the evil is not so great with goods waggons of the Broad Gauge as with their pas-. senger carriages, still the loss by dead weight is greater with these than with smaller waggons, and we do not perceive any advantages in the Broad Gauge to counterbalance it, for where speed is not an object, and this is the case with goods trains, we believe, from the evidence we have received, that engines of nearly the same tractive power are to be found on many Narrow Gauge lines as those in use on the Broad Gauge. Thus far we have considered the question with reference to the Railways as they now exist, and composed in a great measure of trunk lines of considerable traffic; but the Railways to be made in future will in some degree be branches or lines in districts having traffic of less magnitude than is to be provided for in the existing Railways ; and hence, if for the greater trunk lines a superiority were due to the Broad Gauge system, that superiority would be less for lines yet to be constructed of a smaller amount of traffic; and necessarily, if the preference were given to the Narrow Gauge for the existing lines, that system would be still more entitled to the preference for the Railways of smaller traffic to which we look for- ward.

Experiments on both Gauges.

We must here add, that, towards the close of our inquiry, Mr. Brunel requested, on the part of the Broad Gauge Companies, to in- stitute a set of experiments to test the power of their engines ; and Mr. Bidder, on the part of the Narrow Gauge Companies, undertook, in consequence of such application, to make corresponding experi- ments on the Narrow Gauge. After sanctioning these trials, and being present at the performance of them, a record of which will be found in the Appendix, we may observe, without entering into a minute detail of the results, or the discrepancies between the returns as furnished by the two parties themselves, that we consider them as confirming the statements and results given by Mr. Gooch in his evidence, proving as they do that the Broad Gauge engines pos- sess greater capabilities for speed with equal loads, and, generally speaking, of propelling greater loads with equal speed; and, more- over, that the working with such engines is economical where very high speeds are required, or where the loads to be conveyed are such as to require the full power of the engine. They confirm, also, the evidence given by Mr. Bidder as to the possibility of obtaining high evaporative power with long engines for the Narrow Gauge, but under somewhat peculiar circumstances. It appears, moreover, that the evaporation thus obtained does not produce a corresponding useful effect in the tractive power of the engine ; a circumstance that would probably be differently explained by Mr. Gooch and by Mr. Bidder ; but, as we do not refer to the power of this description of engine in the deductions we have made, it is unnecessary for us to allude further to them.

Conclusions.

After a full consideration of all the circumstances that have come before us, and of the deductions we have made from the evidence, we are led to conclude- 1st. That as regards the safety, accommodation, and convenience of the passengers, no decided preference is due to either Gauge; but that on the Broad Gauge the motion is generally more easy at high velocities.

2ndly. That in respect of speed we consider the advantages are with the Broad Gana. ; but we think the public safety would be en- dangered in employing the greater capabilities of the Broad Gauge much beyond their present use, except on roads more consolidated and more substantially and perfectly formed than those of the ex- isting lines. dully. That, in the commercial case of the transport of goods, we believe the Narrow Gauge to possess the greater convenience, and to be the more suited to the genera.' traffic of the country.

4thlv. That the Broad Gauge involves the greater outlay; and that we have not been able to discover, either in the maintenance of way, in the cost of locomotive power, or in the other annual ex- penses, any adequate reduction to compensate for the additional first cost.

Therefore, esteeming the importance of the highest speed on ex- press trains for the accommodation of a comparatively small num- ber of persons, however desirable that may be to them, as of far less moment than affording increased convenience to the general com- mercial traffic of the country, we are inclined to consider the Narrow Gauge as that which should be preferred for general convenience; and, therefore, if it were imperative to produce uniformity, we should recommend that uniformity to be produced by an alteration of the Broad to the Narrow Gauge, more especially when we take into consideration that the extent of the former at present in work is only 274 miles, while that of the latter is not less than 1901 miles, and that the alteration of the former to the latter, even if of equal length, would be the less costly as well as the less difficult operation. We are desirous, however, of guarding ourselves from being sup- posed to express an opinion, that the dinaension of four feet eight and a half inches is in all respects the most suited for the general objects of the country. Some of the engineers who have been ex- amined by us have given it as their opinion, that five feet would be the best dimension for a Railway Gauge ; others have suggested five feet three inches, five feet six inches, and even six feet ; but none have recommended so great a depth as seven feet, except those who are more particularly interested in the Broad Gauge lines. Again, some engineers of eminence contend that a Gauge of four feet eight and a half inches gives ample space for the machinery of the engine and all the Railway requirements, and would recommend no change to be made in the Gauge.

We may observe, in reference to this part of the question' that the Eastern Counties Railway was originally constructed on a Gauge of five feet, and has since been converted into a Gauge of four feet eight and a half inches, to avoid a break of Gauge ; and %Ye have been informed that some lines in Scotland originally on the Gauge of five feet three inches are about to be altered to four feet eight and a half inches, for the same reason.

Whatever might be the preferable course were the question now to be discussed of the Gauge for an entire system of Railways, where none previously existed to clash with the decision, yet under the present state of things we see no sufficient reason to suggest or re- commend the adoption of any Gauge intermediate between the Nar- row Gauge of four feet eight and a half inches and the Broad Gauge of seven feet : and we are peculiarly struck by the circumstance, that almost all the Continental Railways have been formed upon the four feet eight and a half inches Gauge, the greater number having been undertaken after a long experience of both the Broad and the Narrow Gauge in this country : nor must the fact be lost sight of, that some of these Railways have been constructed as well as planned by English engineers, and amongst that number we find Mr. Brunel, the original projector of the Broad Gauge. Mr. Brunel was also the engineer of the Merthyr Tydvil and Cardiff line, which is on the four feet eight and a half inches Gauge ; and we think that the mo- tives which led to his adoption of the Narrow Gauge in that instance would equally apply to many English lines.

We are sensible of the importance, in ordinary circumstances, of leaving commercial enterprise, as well as the genius of scientific men, unfettered: we therefore feel that the restriction of the Gauge is a measure that should not be lightly entertained ; and we are willing to admit, were it not for the great evil that must inevitably be experienced when lines of unequal Gauges come into contact, that varying gradients, curves, and traffic, might justify some dif- ference in the breadth of Gauge. This appears to be the view which Mr. Brunel originally took of the subject ; for the Great Western proper is aline of unusually good gradients, on which a large pas- senger traffic was anticipated, and, as it touched but slightly on any mineral district, it embraced all the conveniences and advantages of the Broad Gauge system, and was comparatively free from the in- fluence of those defects on which we have commented : but such a breadth of Gauge, however suitable and applicable it may have originally been considered to its particular district, appears wholly inapplicable, or at least very ill-suited, to the requirements of many of our Northern and Midland lines.

In reference to the branches already in connection with the Great Western Railway, we may observe, that the greatest average train on the Oxford Branch, for two weeks in July and October, was only forty-eight tons; on the Cheltenham Branch, it did not exceed forty-six; between Bristol and Exeter fifty-three ; and between Swindon and Bristol, it was under sixty tons. With such a limited traffic the power of the Broad Gauge engine seems beyond the re- quirements of these districts.

We find, from an estimate furnished to us, and the general grounds of which we see no reason to dispute, that the expense of altering the existing Broad Gauge to Narrow Gauge lines, including the alteration or substitution of locomotives and carrying stock, would not much exceed £1,000,000: yet we neither feel that we can recommend the Legislature to sanction such an expense from the public monies, nor do we think that the Companies to which the Broad Gauge Railways belong can be called upon to incur such an expense themselves (having made all th-ir works with the authority of Parliament), nor even the more limited expense of laying down intermediate rails, for Narrow Gauge traffic. Still less can we pro- pose, for any advantage that has been suggested. the alteration of the whole of the Railways of Great Britain, with their carrying stock and engines, to some intermediate Gauge. The outlay in this case would be very much more considerable than the sum above men- tioned ; and the evil, inconvenience, and danger to the traveller, and the interruption to the whole traffic of the country for a con- siderable period, at almost at one and the same time, would be such that this change cannot be seriously entertained.

RECOMMENDATIONS OP THE REPORT.

Guided by the foregoing considerations, we most dutifully submit to your Majesty the following recommendations :-

First. That the Gauge of four feet eight inches and a half be de- clared by the Legislature to be the Gauge to be used in all public Railways now under construction, or hereafter to be constructed, in Great Britain.

Second. That, unless by the consent of the Legislature, it should not be permitted to the Directors of any Railway Company to alter the Gauge of such Railway.

Third. That, in order to complete the general chain of Narrow Gauge communication from the North of England to the Southern Coast, any suitable measure should be promoted to form a Narrow Gauge link from Oxford to Reading, and thence to Basingstoke, or by any shorter route connecting the proposed Rugby and Oxford line with the South- Western Railway.

Fourth. That as any junction to be formed with a Broad Gauge line would involve a break of Gauge, provided our first recommenda- tion be adopted, great commercial convenience would be obtained by reducing the Gauge of the present Broad Gauge lines to the Narrow Gauge, of four feet eight inches and a half ; and we therefore think it desirable that some equitable means should be found of producing such entire uniformity of Gauge, or of adopting such other course, as would admit of the Narrow Gauge carriages passing, without in- terruption or danger, along the Broad Gauge lines.

(Signed) J. M. FREDERIC SMITH, (L.S.)

Lieut.-Colonel Royal Engineers.

G. B. AIRY, (L.S.)

Astronomer Royal.

PETER BARLOW, (L.S.)