± ---- s=2 №w << Þæ tae © º- © :: - - ~~~~ º Lichfiel - sº 2- -- º * """. º ºr now, ºrwººd, Hoºpfort (za/ .4/east, es //www.es/owne mºde, /ºworth G|H(Alyſ AND DER BY, -Nottinghaun \O /*g/º º ºstºn º Leicester. Nº o - /**hy ºz /h, rena, wh BIRMINGHAM AND DERBY RAILWAY. Bill Obtained 1836. THE Bill for this Railway passed through Parliament without any opposition. The expense of carrying the works of this Railway into execution will be under the average cost of railways, from the very favourable nature of the country through which it passes. The inclinations of the line are extremely fa- vourable; it may consequently be worked at a moderate expense when compared with most railways. Commencing at Derby, it runs in almost a direct line to Burton-upon-Trent, and Alrewas, through Tamworth, Fazely, near Coleshill, and joins the London and Bir- mingham Railway about three miles from Birmingham. It opens out a communication from Leeds, Sheffield, Derby and York, as well as the North-east of England and Scotland, to Birmingham, Bristol, Gloucester, Wor- cester, Cheltenham, and the South-west of England, and, with the Branch to Stone Bridge, forms one of the Lines from Leeds, Edinburgh, &c., to London. A 2 It does not possess much local population, the interme- diate Towns on the Line not containing more than 20,000 inhabitants; but in consequence of its forming the only communication from . the North-east to the South-west, it becomes an important Main Line of railway, and from its cheapness of execution is most likely to turn out a very profitable undertaking. By making the Branch to Stone Bridge, which place is situated on the London and Birmingham Railway, about ten miles south of Birmingham, the Company propose carrying a portion of the traffic from the North to London, and competing with the Midland Counties Railway for that traffic. I will state my reasons why I think they can do this successfully. The Midland Counties Railway from Derby to Rugby is about 48 miles in length. The Birmingham and Derby (with the London and Bir- mingham) from Derby to the same place, is 57 miles, giving an advantage to the Midland Counties of 9 miles in distance. The Birmingham and Derby have to make only 8 miles of railway to enable them to carry this traffic, and the Midland Counties have to make 40 miles. The former has an easy country to pass through, as re- gards its inclinations and the expense of execution, whereas the Midland Counties Railway, from Leicester to Rugby, presents a very heavy section, and much rising ground, the excavations and embankments being very great. The Birmingham and Derby has two objects in view : its main object is the traffic from the North to Birming- ham and the South-west, and its other object is the traffic to London. It is, however, independent of the 3 London traffic, but if the shareholders can obtain a por- tion of it, so much the better for them. The Birmingham and Derby will have the assistance of the London and Birmingham Railway in competing with the Midland Counties, as the London and Birmingham Company must naturally wish to carry any traffic they pos- sess as great a distance upon their own Railway as possible, and as the Birmingham and Derby affords them the ad- vantage of doing this for a distance of 17 miles more than the Midland Counties, they will consequently prefer that route. The North Midland Railway Company being an unin- terested party, will send their London traffic on that Line, which can convey it at the cheapest rate. The Birmingham and Derby, in consequence of having a certain traffic to Birmingham, and which cannot be taken away from it, will be enabled to carry the London traffic at a much cheaper rate than if they were depend- ent upon it. The only object of the Midland Counties Railway be- ing the London traffic to and from the North, and its local traffic, if you deprive it of the London traffic you destroy the Midland Counties Railway as an investment. Thus, then, the case stands: the Midland Counties has the advantage of 9 miles in distance, or, in consequence of its inferiority of inclinations, about fifteen minutes in time between Leeds and London. The Birmingham and Derby has the advantage in the cheapness of the Line, the superiority of its inclinations and summits, its entire independence of the London traf- fic, and the assistance it will obtain from the London and Birmingham Railway Company in promoting that route. I think I may, therefore, fairly conclude that it will at 4 least obtain half of this traffic, and must, of course, seri- ously injure the Midland Counties Railway. The Birmingham and Derby Railway is extremely well situated in another respect, for if ever a Line should be made from Manchester, either down the Trent or the Churnet Valley to London, and the East; this Railway will have a large increase of traffic arising from such Line. This line from Manchester was contended for, the last ses- sion of Parliament, and the Birmingham and Derby Rail- way Company projected a Line from Tamworth to Rugby, in order to accommodate the traffic from Manchester to London. The Tamworth and Rugby was 26 miles in length, and pursued its course from Tamworth, through Polesworth, Atherstone, and Nuneaton, to Rugby; it re- duced the distance from Manchester and Leeds to Lon- don, as compared with the Stone Bridge Line, about 7 miles. It was however, thrown out in the Standing Or- ders’ Committee, for a pretended omission of a very trifling nature. It had powerful opponents in the London and Birmingham, the Grand Junction, and Midland Counties Railway Companies, as well as landowners. It appears to me that it must be again revived at some not very distant period. It may be said that if the Tamworth and Rugby should be made, what must become of the Stone Bridge Line? I would say in answer, that before the Tamworth and Rugby can be made, the Stone Bridge Line will have paid for itself, as it is only eight miles long, and is ex- ceedingly cheap in its execution. But even should this not be the case, it will always form the best communica- tion from the North, from Leeds, Derby, and Matlock, to Coventry, and the well-known and much-frequented towns of Leamington, Warwick, and Kenilworth. How- ever the case may be, as it is only eight miles long, and very cheap, it is not of very great consequence. 5 One of the great features of the Birmingham and Der- by Railway is the probability of its being used for supply- ing the Birmingham market, and the London and Bir- mingham Railway with coal and coke, from the Derby- shire collieries, as it so happens that that coal is peculi- arly adapted to the purposes for which the coal which is used in the Birmingham manufactories is applied, namely, for Smiths’ furnaces. This coal is also found to make ex- cellent coke for the steel furnaces at Sheffield; I should therefore suppose it is equally adapted for the locomotive engine;—if so, it must be of great advantage to the Lon- don and Birmingham and Grand Junction Railways, which are at present supplied at Birmingham in a great measure from the Lancashire collieries. * - Leamington, Warwick, and Kenilworth, and perhaps Coventry, will be partially supplied with this coal. If what I state should be the case, the coal trade alone will be sufficient to make the Line pay a fair per centage. With all these probabilities in its favour, I have become much attached to this Line, and I am convinced it is one of the best railway investments in England. THE MIDLAND countLES RAILWAY. Bill Obtained in 1836. THE Bill for this Railway was opposed by a competing Line, the promoters of which were so far successful as to obtain a clause in the Bill, suspending the execution of that portion of their works from Leicester to Rugby for a year, 6 to enable the competing Company to bring their scheme fairly before Parliament if they thought proper. They have not, however, done this ; and the Midland Counties are now at liberty to execute the whole of their Line. They were also opposed by the coal proprietors of Leices- tershire, and the Leicester and Swannington Railway Company, in consequence of their having carried the Line on the east side of the town of Leicester, which did not suit the convenience of these parties. They also appeared with a competing Line, or a deviation Line, which was, in my opinion, in every respect superior to the Line of the Midland Counties Railway; and why they had not adopted it in the first instance I cannot tell, unless it was an inten- tional omission, which is not unlikely, seeing that many of the most active of the Midland Counties Railway sup- porters are also Derbyshire coal owners, and it is well known these parties are interested in throwing any obsta- cle in the way of the Leicestershire coal owners, which could give the former an advantage in the trade. This Railway forms a communication from Derby to Nottingham, and also from those towns as well as Leices- ter and Loughborough to London, and the South of Eng- land. It commences at Derby and runs along the banks of the river Derwent to the river Trent, at Long Eaton, whence a Branch runs to Nottingham, and the main Line pursues its route by Kegworth to Loughborough, and fol- lows the course of the river Soar, and near Mount Sorrel to the east side of Leicester. From Leicester to Rugby there are no important towns, and the Line runs through an undulating country, the works being very heavy and expensive. - This Railway appears beset with difficulties. On the west side it has the Birmingham and Derby, with its fa- 7 vourable levels and works to contend with, as a competing Line from the North to the South. On the east side it has another competing Line, which, although at present dormant, may again be revived. This Line commences near Leicester, and running through Market Harborough and Northampton, joins the London and Birmingham Railway at Blisworth, and although it is in every respect a bad Line, the inclinations being abrupt, and the works enormous, with little local population, yet it serves to ha- rass and perplex the Midland Counties Railway. The Midland Counties was projected for the purpose of carrying the whole of the traffic from Leeds, Sheffield, and the North-east of England to London, and on having that traffic the prosperity of the Line from the Trent to Rugby almost entirely depends. I have stated in my re- marks on the Birmingham and Derby Railway why I think that Line, although 9 miles further round, will have other advantages over the Midland Counties to compensate for the loss of distance, and that it will at any rate have a fair share of the North and South traffic. And if the Tam- worth and Rugby Railway be ever made, it will undoubt- edly carry the whole of the North and South traffic, as it is as near to London, is a better Line in every respect, and having the Manchester traffic entirely at command, could well afford to carry that traffic on which the Mid- land Counties depends, at a much cheaper rate than they can do. If the Midland Counties were free from all these difficul- ties I should say it was a fair investment, although a por- tion of it is very expensive, and its local population, con- sidering the length of the Line, is not great. But with these various difficulties surrounding it, I cannot help thinking that its ultimate success is very doubtful. 8 - If the Company would content themselves with making that portion between Derby and Nottingham for the pre- sent, I think it would be a judicious conclusion, and let them wait a few years to see what progress railways make, as a very few years will decide whether all those railways which now stand as doubtful ones will repay the expense of construction. If they were to pursue this course, the only benefit withheld from the public would be the exclu- sion of the town of Leicester from a railway communica- tion; which, although a flourishing town, is not by any means sufficient to support an undertaking of such mag- nitude as the Midland Counties Railway. The Birmingham and Derby is placed in a very differ- ent position. It has, as I stated, a certain traffic that no railway can take from it, and by making a short line of 8 miles, it is opened out to compete for the whole of the Midland Counties Railway traffic ; so that in the one case an experiment is tried on 8 miles of easy and cheap rail- way, and in the other case, the same experiment will have to be tried on 40 miles of expensive railway. By making the line from Derby to Nottingham, they would ensure a safe and speedy return for their capital, as that portion is easy and cheap to execute, the levels are very favourable, and the traffic is great. A few years will either entirely set aside the Tamworth and Rugby, and the Northampton Line, or, by their being revived and made, will prove the prudence of the course I suggest ; as, even if the Midland Counties be made, it will not in the least degree do away with the necessity of either of these Lines, if that necessity should be found to exist. I have heard of a proposition having been made either by one party or the other, to amalgamate the Birmingham and Derby and the Midland Counties Railways; but it NORTH MIDI, AND, AND YORK AND NORTH MIDLAND), RAI)(WAYS 7adcaster. cº Hawa.” ºn ancº Estºn - º º º º - - Wººl Ahmaller. doºr saw- o Cº.1/easteres Zunestone - - - - ſ Cº. - /a/…/ . - > ºne sºld - \ | -- Płęksworth Nottingham Scale of Mºles - - - - - º º . –- . l . 9 appears to me that the interests of the two Companies are so diametrically opposed to each other, looking at them in any point of view, that I cannot see how this arrange- ment could be attended with any good result. THE NORTH MIDLAND RAILWAY. Bill Obtained in 1836. THIS Railway was severely opposed in Parliament by the people of Sheffield and by the Ayr and Calder Canal Com- pany. The former opposed it because it did not approach within five miles of the town ; and they attempted to shew that by another Line, it might be brought through the town; but the Line they proposed (although perhaps the best the country afforded) was so extravagantly absurd that it was rejected by the Committee. Excavations and em- bankments, varying from 90 to 100 feet deep and high, composed the line from one end to the other. They com— menced their proposed deviation near Chesterfield, and running through the hills, landed at Sheffield, which town they passed by an immense viaduct, on a curve of a quarter of a mile radius; they then went galloping over the hills again, and landed somewhere near Wakefield, at a place I think they called Royston. The Ayr and Calder Company opposed it because they said it injured the property on the Canal, but no doubt their real cause of opposition was its being a competing Line to their Canal. They proposed a deviation from Royston to Leeds, but were unsuccessful in their attempt : B 10 they also proposed a Line North from Leeds, which was as great an absurdity as the Sheffield deviation. These opposing schemes were all unsuccessful, and the Bill passed a Committee of both Houses by large majori- ties. This Line commences at Derby, and runs up the Der- went Valley to a short distance above Belper, where it falls into the Amber Valley, which it pursues to Clay Cross, where there is a tunnel of a mile in length through the ridge which separates the Amber Valley from the Rother Valley; from Derby to Clay Cross it passes the town of Belper, which is a small but very increasing manufactur- ing town. From Clay Cross the Line pursues the Rother Valley, past the town of Chesterfield to Rotherham ; at Rotherham there is a Railway called the Sheffield and Rotherham Railway, which connects. the North Midland with the town of Sheffield. From Rotherham the Line runs parallel to the river Don for a short distance, and passing Swinton and Wath, it crosses the Barnsley Canal, and falls into the Dearne Valley, which it pursues to within three miles of Barnsley, which town it does not approach nearer; it then follows nearly the course of the Barnsley Canal for about seven miles, and passing two and a half miles to the east of Wakefield, runs to Normanton, where it is joined by the Manchester and Leeds Railway; it then crosses the Calder River, and at Methley it is joined by the York and North Midland Railway; from Methley it pur- sues the valley of the Ayr to Leeds. The Railway is 72 miles in length, and runs for upwards of 60 miles through one of the finest and most inexhaus- tible coal fields in England. This coal covers a space of 961 square miles, extending from Nottingham to Leeds, and bounded on the west by Halifax, Penistone, and, about 11 five miles east of Sheffield, by Ashover, and near Derby, on the East side it is covered up by the magnesian lime- stone, running by Doncaster, Sherbourne, and Wetherby; it, however, in all probability, exists there, but at a consi- derable depth. The valleys through which this Line runs are peculiarly calculated for manufactories, which at present exist to a very considerable extent. Stone is plentiful for building, and of the very finest quality. The rivers and streams are abundant, and the coal and iron stone are inexhaustible. Limestone also lies very conveniently at Wirksworth, Matlock, and Crich. It is the main Line of Railway from Edinburgh, New- castle, York, Leeds, Halifax, Huddersfield, and Bradford, to London and the South ; to Birmingham, Bristol, Glou- cester, Worcester, and the South-west of England. It possesses a dense local population, there are the towns of Belper, Chesterfield, Rotherham, Sheffield, Barnsley, and Wakefield, conjointly containing 200,000 people, all engaged in manufactures and commerce, principally wool- len, cotton, hardware, iron, and steel. The coach road from Leeds to Derby passes over a high and hilly country, and is reckoned one of the worst roads in England by travellers and coachmen. This Railway has no competing Line: one has been pro- posed from London through Cambridge, and running along the east coast to near York, but it traverses a very thinly populated country, and has been abandoned from Cambridge to York. I very much doubt whether the North Midland would not be able to compete successfully with this Railway, which could at all events only take away from it the Edinburgh and Newcastle traffic to 12 London. It would still possess all the remainder. As the North Midland must have so large a traffic from its local advantages, it could carry these passengers from the North at a much cheaper rate than any Line running along the East coast, and the only difference in time would be about an hour between Edinburgh and London, and as many persons travelling on business to London would also have business either at Leeds, Sheffield, or Birmingham, they would travel round that way. I do not think the Northern and Eastern, as it is called, would be thought of sufficient consequence to induce the North Midland to give it any opposition in Parliament. It runs through the fens of Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and Yorkshire; and the only important towns it passes near, from London to York, are Cambridge, Huntingdon, and Lincoln, and this in a distance of about 200 miles. There was also another Line projected by the Midland Counties Railway Company, which, if made, might in some measure have competed with the North Midland for 20 miles : it was called the Pinxton Line: it ran from between Nottingham and Derby to near Chesterfield : it was an expensive Line, with tunnels, and has been aban- doned. It may be imagined by some persons, that this Railway will not possess sufficient advantage over the roads to con- vey the local traffic from town to town, as instead of pas- sing through several of the largest towns, the traffic has, in some cases, to be provided for by Branch Railways. But when I take into consideration the unfavourable country the road passes over, and its exceedingly steep hills, I have no doubt but that the Railway will not only be quicker but cheaper than the coaches. For instance :- 13 FROM BARNSLEY TO SHEFFIELD. By the Road. 13 miles, at 8 miles an hour * By the Railway. 20 miles, at 20 miles an hour Less by the Railway . . . 0 40 FROM WAKEFIELD TO SHEFFIELD. By the Road. 24 miles, at 8 miles an hour IBy the Railway. 29 miles, at 20 miles an hour Less by Railway. . . . ] 35 FROM LEEDS TO WAKEFIELD. By the Road. 8 miles, at 10 miles an hour e tº ſº ſº e e º º ſº tº e p Oh. 48m By the Railway. 13 miles, at 20 miles an hour . . . . . . . . . . O 39 Less by Railway.... 0 9 FROM CHESTERFIELD TO SHEFFIELD. By the Road. 12 miles, at 8 miles an hour By the Railway. 20 miles, at 20 miles an hour Less by Railway. ... 0 40 14 The towns of Derby, Chesterfield, and Rotherham, are situated upon the Line of Railway. It therefore appears, from a fair calculation, that the Railway has in all cases the advantage over the roads as regards the local traffic. This Railway possesses one great advantage over most other important railways, in not having any canal to compete with it in the carriage of heavy merchandize. It appears from the first report of the Grand Junction Railway since the opening on the 4th July, that the local traffic was equal to three-sevenths of the whole revenue; if, therefore, a population of 140,000, which is about the population on the Grand Junction Railway, which may be called local, produce £109,000 a year, a local population of 200,000 on the North Midland will, for the same rea- son, produce £156,000, and deducting one-third of this amount for expenses on passenger traffic, it leaves, inde- pendent of all traffic from the termini of the Line, more than 5 per cent upon a capital of £2,000,000, which is a greater capital than the North Midland have raised; al- though I dare say not less than they will require. THE YORK AND NORTH MIDLAND RAILWAY. Bill Obtained in 1836. AN amendment was carried to this Bill in 1837, to shorten the Line and accommodate some landowners. The Bill was considerably opposed by the Ayr and Calder Company, but unsuccessfully so. f 15 The levels and works upon the Line are both exceed- ingly easy and favourable, indeed it traverses the surface of the ground for many miles, and there are no difficulties or obstructions of any kind to contend with. It commences at York, and passes about three miles to the south of Tadcaster, where it crosses the river Wharfe, and passing under the Leeds and Selby Railway, at Mil- ford, which Line it joins by branches running towards Selby, it runs not very far from Pontefract, and joins the North Midland Railway at Methley. This Railway, from Methley to the Leeds and Selby Railway, forms the only communication from Manchester and Liverpool to the port of Hull. The Line also forms a portion of the main and only Railway communication from London to Newcastle-on-Tyne and Edinburgh, also from Leeds to the North, as well as being the only com- munication from York, Scarborough, Whitby, and the East Riding of Yorkshire, to the South. It is the only Line that can be made from Leeds, Manchester, and Li- verpool, to the North-east of England; and, from its very favourable levels, and its extreme cheapness of exe- cution, I am convinced it is a good investment. The traffic upon it must be very considerable when the Manchester and Leeds Railway comes into operation. It will seriously compete with the Leeds and Selby Railway for the traffic between Leeds and Selby, because, although it is a little further in distance, yet its levels are so ex- tremely favourable, whilst the inclinations of the Leeds and Selby are very objectionable. It will command the entire traffic between York and Leeds, and will also be used for supplying the city of York with coals from the neighbourhood of Methley, and, from the Leeds and Selby Railway, this traffic alone will, I imagine, be almost 16 sufficient to make it pay a fair per centage, in consequence of its being so very favourable a Railway to construct and work. This Railway is 23 miles in length exclusive of Branches. THE LEEDS AND SELBY RAILWAY. This Railway runs from Leeds, by Sherburn and Hamble- ton, to Selby, and is about 20 miles long. It has been completed and at work several years, but has not as yet been a profitable undertaking to the shareholders, and is of very little advantage to the public. The prospect of its ever becoming a profitable undertaking is now entirely removed by the York and North Midland Railway, which is only about two miles longer between Leeds and Selby. The inclinations of the latter Line are so much superior to the former, that the increased distance of two miles is far more than compensated for. The Leeds and Selby rises over a summit of 116 feet in the space of about 3 miles, which averages about 38 feet a mile for that distance; whereas the York and North Midland route from Leeds to Selby is almost a perfectly level line. Traffic passing along the latter route from Leeds to Selby, will use the North Midland Railway for 6 or 7 miles, the York and North Midland for 10 miles, and the Leeds and Selby for 5 miles. From the above facts I conclude that the share- holders of the Leeds and Selby Railway may anticipate the loss of almost the whole of their traffic (excepting coals) on 15 miles of their Railway. One reason why the York and North Midland Railway can convey the traffic at present carried on the Leeds and Selby cheaper than they themselves can do is, that the 17 York and North Midland being the main line of commu- nication from North to South, as well as from Manches- ter and Lancashire to Hull and the North-East, they will be enabled to convey the traffic between Leeds and Selby at a much cheaper rate than a Line which is entirely de- pendent upon traffic from its termini only, and if that should fail it has no other resource, and must be an entire failure. - - The York and North Midland will, however, in some measure compensate this Railway for the loss of a great portion of its traffic, by supplying the town of York with Coals from collieries situated upon the Leeds and Selby Railway, and thereby increasing the amount of tonnage upon that species of traffic, but the distance is so short that the coals will have to travel upon the Leeds and Sel- by ; this compensation will amount to a trifle, when com- pared with the loss it must sustain. THE GREAT NORTH OF ENGLAND RAILWAY. Bill obtained 1836 and 1837. This Railway commences at York, and proceeds by Thirsk, Northallerton, and Easingwold, to Darlington, and forwards by Durham to Newcastle-on-Tyne. That portion of this Railway between York and Dar- lington runs through an exceedingly favourable country for Railways, and traverses the surface of the ground for a great many miles: the inclinations also are extremely fa- vourable. I should think this portion will be the cheapest C 18 railway that has ever been constructed in England, not only to execute, but also to work; both in the economy of locomotive power, and in the small expense requi- site for keeping the embankments and excavations in order. The portion between Darlington and Newcastle-on- Tyne runs through an unfavourable, though thickly popu- lated country: the works on this part are heavy and ex- pensive. I am informed that the Directors intend execut- ing the easiest portion first, and I think by so doing they are pursuing a very prudent course, as notwithstanding the success of those railways which are now at work, there is still a considerable degree of speculation attend- ant upon them generally. This Railway will form a portion of the great main line of railway from London to Edinburgh, and from York, Leeds, Manchester, Lancashire, and Birmingham, to Dar- lington and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It will also be used for the conveyance of coals from Darlington to Northal- lerton, Thirsk, and Easingwold, and I believe the Direct- ors anticipate carrying coals as far as York; but in this I think they will be disappointed, as Methley is a much nearer and more convenient place for York to be supplied from, when the York and North Midland Railway is opened. York will also be supplied partially with coals from the col- lieries on the Leeds and Selby Railway. The Great North of England Railway in its course between Croft and New- castle intersects the Stockton and Darlington Railway, the Clarence, and the Durham and Sunderland Railways, and forms a communication with the Hartlepool Railway, and intersects the Stanhope and Tyne Railway. These Rail- ways must, no doubt, be of considerable assistance to the Great North of England, as none of them are competing 19. Lines to it, and they generally cross it nearly at right angles. They are principally coal railways. This Railway has neither canal nor railway to compete with it. Having this advantage, and its being so very easy in its formation, as well as being a North and South Main Line of railway, I think there is every prospect of its producing a fair return for the capital required to execute it, although I should not expect a very exorbitant per cent- age. The local intermediate population, comprising the towns of Stockton and Sunderland, &c., appears to be 195,000; the population of York and Newcastle, 106,000; total, 301,000. LEICESTER AND SWANNINGTON RAILWAY. THIs Railway has now been at work a few years. It ex- tends from Leicester to Swannington, with a subsequent extension of a few miles. It is a single line of Railway, and is mostly used for the conveyance of coals, which are principally worked in the neighbourhood of Whitwickand Snibston, and carried along this Railway to Leicester; the greater quantity are con- sumed in Leicester, although a considerable quantity are sent by canal to Northampton, Leighton, Buzzard, and other towns in the South. Previous to the opening of this Railway, the town of Leicester was supplied with coal from Derbyshire, and the effect of the Leicestershire coal from Swannington being introduced into that market was a reduction of from about 18s. or 19s. a ton, to 10s. and 20 12s., thereby effecting a saving to the town of Leicester of from £40,000 to £50,000 a year. This little Railway has, contrary to general antleipation, proved a good sound investment, and is now paying from 8 to 10 per cent per annum, and the shares are at a pre- mium of about £25. The traffic in passengers is very small, and does not amount to more than £1000 per year. Slates, lime, gra- nite, and coal, are almost the entire traffic, clearly proving that Railways are well calculated for the carriage of heavy merchandise. The trains travel at the rate of from 10 to 15 miles an hour, and heavy and very powerful locomotive engines are used. - The inclinations on the line are abrupt, and there are both self-acting and stationary engine inclined planes, which are known to be very great drawbacks on all Rail- ways, but more especially on those Lines used for the conveyance of passengers. The inclined plane at Bag- worth is found a very great nuisance upon this Line, al- though the traffic is almost entirely confined to goods. This Railway was for some time competed with by the Loughborough Canal Company, which canal conveyed the coals from the Derbyshire collieries to Leicester, previous to the opening of the Leicester and Swannington Railway, at which time the shares of the canal were valued and sold at nearly £5000 each ; since the Railway has been in opera- tion, they have fallen to about £1200 and £1500 a share, and I am inclined to believe that a great many canals must share the same fate. I have been informed that some persons are endeavour- ing to find coals in the neighbourhood of Leicester; it is, however, exceedingly improbable that any coal exists there, and it is not unlikely that before long they may find them- ºut…º.º. © iverpool º i º \ : º -- ºwth. ‘. º Coa/ .4/easures | | Lzaraestorte É: Afrºsſº o * o º *- º Iſ VERP00ſ, AND MANſ CHIESTER, GRAND JUNCT'ſ ONſ, MLANCHESTER AND BIRMINGHAM, º CH(ESTER AND CREWE CºS’ſ ER AND Eſºſºſ FAD). -vºwcastle */yºr RAſſ WAYS, I º Mºore/er- &hrewſkbary º º -- to-Mºtºh Derbyºſº" Zºo; /*ey ºf-ºr ºr ſº-en. Arizºzºworth __ 9trºorºº © Worcester- Scale of Miles r - - - 2. º -º- - ſo W *. l l . l l 1– |- 2I selves working in rather a hard material, as the granite does not lie a very long way from them. If, however, they should succeed in procuring any coal, it must be so dislo- cated from the eruptions which have taken place in the neighbourhood since it was deposited, that it cannot be worth working. THE GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY. THE Act for this Railway was obtained in 1833, after having experienced some defeat, and powerful opposition. It was an exceedingly cheap Line to execute, and has been made ready for use at a moderate expense, although a great deal yet remains to be done, before it can be called finished. It has been frequently reported that this Line has been finished for the Parliamentary Estimate, but I have good authority for stating that that estimate will be nearly doubled before it is completed. Stations have to be erected, and other works completed, which have already been a great expense to the London and Birmingham, and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Companies. The Grand Junction commences at Warrington, but the Company having purchased the Warrington Junction, it may be said to commence near Newton, on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. It connects Liverpool and Manchester with Birming- ham, and (with the London and Birmingham, which will be open, I suppose, in another year) with London. From Warrington it pursues its route by Preston Brook, 22 Acton, about two miles west of Northwich, and about the same distance west of Middlewich, and forwards to Crewe; from Crewe, by Madeley and Whitmore, between Stone and Eccleshall, to Stafford ; from Stafford to Penkridge, near Wolverhampton, Bilston, Wednesbury, and Walsall, and with a sharp curve, enters Birmingham at the same place, as the London and Birmingham Railway. The most important work upon this line is a viaduct near Northwich, with twenty arches, each sixty feet span, and about sixty feet high. It is built over the river Wea- ver, and is a very fine specimen of masonry and bridge building. It is one of Stephenson’s finest designs. The stone is of the red sandstone formation, and was brought from Runcorn. This is the only work upon the whole line of any magnitude; the cuttings and embankments are generally very slight. There are two small tunnels, each about two hundred yards long, but in travelling at railway speed they can scarcely be recognised as tunnels. The local population upon the Line is not very consider- able,_Wolverhampton, Warrington, and Walsall, being the only towns of any importance through the whole of the country it traverses. The amount of local population may perhaps be estimated at 150,000. It will be seen by the first report of the Company since the opening of the Railway, that three-sevenths of the whole amount received from passengers was on account of local traffic. Although the Company have not yet commenced carry- ing goods, it appears the Railway is paying at the rate of 8 or 10 per cent. This Line has been and will be subjected to more com- peting lines of railway, than, perhaps, any other in Eng- land. The Manchester and Birmingham will take away the traffic between that town and Birmingham from 48 23 miles of it, leaving to the Grand Junction only 35 miles for the Manchester traffic out of 83 miles. The Chester and Crewe and Chester and Birkenhead will also take away the traffic from 29 miles; and if these Lines take the traffic from Liverpool to Birmingham, (and there seems to be a probability from their situation of their having a good share of it,) the Grand Junction will only have that traffic on 54 miles of their Railway. These three Bills have passed the Legislature, and two of them are actively preparing to carry their works into execution. A Railway has also been projected from the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, near Stone, to Tamworth and Rugby, called the South Union ; this, together with the Chester and Crewe, and Chester and Birkenhead, reduces the distance between Liverpool and London, as compared with the Grand Junction Railway, nearly 20 miles : but the decrease of distance is not the only advantage it pos- sesses over the present route of the Grand Junction Rail- way; the inclinations are much superior, the greatest be- ing 16 feet in a mile, and very little with so great an in- clination as that. By the Chester route passengers would avoid the inclined plane and tunnel at Liverpool, the in- clined plane upon the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the one upon the Warrington and Newton Railway, and the stoppages at Warrington, the two inclined planes at Preston Brook, which, though short, are steep, and they would also avoid the tedious stoppages which must always take place at Birmingham, where the Grand Junction joins the London and Birmingham Railway, and at the same time saving 20 miles in distance. I think I may fairly calculate that persons starting from Liverpool, and using the above Lines would reach London two hours before 24 the Grand Junction Railway could convey them. Here is, then, a very formidable rival, and I do believe that the Grand Junction Company will find it a very difficult mat- ter to prevent a railway being made down the Trent Val- ley. If the London traffic only were concerned, then it might not be a matter of much difficulty, as it would only be the calculation of the value of an hour or so between Manchester and London, but the inhabitants of the East, and of the important towns of Derby, Nottingham, and Leicester, will not long rest satisfied with travelling over the Buxton or Leek Hills in coaches, at eight miles an hour to Manchester; these 250,000 people will insist upon being placed on the same footing as their neighbours, and as there are two good lines of railway open for them, and through two of the finest and most fertile valleys in Eng- land, namely, the Trent and the Churnet; as sure, then, as that the Grand Junction Railway exists, they will have a railway through one or the other of these valleys. When this question is again mooted, a very powerful interest will be raised against the Grand Junction Rail- way interest,-they can no longer ask for a trial—they will not be assisted by the Cheshire Junction, nor the Chester and Crewe, nor the London and Birmingham, but they will stand alone, and find themselves beaten. And although they have been successful in putting off this evil day for a while, yet they have made that day when it comes a much more evil day than it would have been if they had not possessed that obstinate blind desire for pre- " *** *-*-- ~~~~ system has been apparent in all their actions, and they appear to me to be going on as blindly to work as ever they did. What are a few years of precarious prosperity compared with a permanent profitable investment 2 25 Why do they persist in their absurd scheme of the Fid- ler’s Ferry Line 2 Is it not clear to them that it would be an infinitely more advantageous policy for them to pursue, to join heart and soul in assisting the Cheshire Lines in the formation of their Railways, and in uniting with them; would they not, by this means, secure to them- selves for ever the whole of the traffic from Liverpool to Birmingham and London, in spite of the Trent Line 2 They would naturally increase their own parliamentary support, and in the same ratio reduce that of their oppo- nents. They would save an expense of £300,000 or #400,000 in the Fidler’s Ferry Line; and, instead of having a competing Line they would have a friendly con- nexion; if they do this, I firmly believe the Trent Line never will be made, unless the population of Lichfield and Rugeley should increase sufficiently to support it. It is true, they cannot prevent one of these Lines being made to the East, but when the advocates of the Eastern Line find themselves, by a combination, shut out from the Li- verpool traffic, they will naturally adopt the Churnet Val- ley, and the Grand Junction Company have no right to oppose (by any means they possess, even if they regard their own interests) a Line being made down the Churnet Valley to accommodate the Eastern Counties. The Grand Junction Directors know well enough the absurdity of the Sheffield and Manchester, if it ever should be made, being sufficiently commodious for the Eastern traffic to Manchester and Liverpool, it would not even have the effect of taking one coach from the road which now passes through that district. It is, in the first place, 20 miles round, out of 60, and passes over mountains which are almost impassable in winter. They might as well talk of the Cromford and High Peak Railway being commodi- D 26 ous. I mention the Sheffield and Manchester, because it was brought forward in Parliament by the Grand Junction Railway, as an argument against the South Union. If the Grand Junction Directors and their officers were to act with a little more judgment, they may still secure to themselves, and the shareholders in that Line, a fair profitable and permanent return for their capital, their perseverance and activity; and, instead of opposing every Line, whether East, West, North, or South, and pointing out to their opponents those Lines which are calculated to do them the most serious injury, let them carefully select, and cordially support, those of the competing Lines, which will least injure them, and in the greatest degree promote the public welfare, and be a convenience and advantage to the community; for on the welfare and prosperity of the public depend the welfare and prosperity of the Grand Junction, and every other Line of Railway in the world. The Grand Junction Directors know themselves to be good and experienced parliamentary tacticians, and they seem to glory in having a competing Line to oppose. I am sorry to say they have, in some cases of oppositions, been guilty of gross equivocations in their statements and reports. * …tºº-- * ~-- *** rs -- ~~ * *** **** CHESTER AND BIRKENHEAD, CHESTER AND CREWE RAILWAYS. Bills Obtained in 1837. THESE two little Railways appear to me so intimately con- * nected, that I will couple them together. The Bill for 27 the Chester and Crewe Railway passed the Legislature unopposed. The Chester and Birkenhead was violently opposed by a competing Line, by landowners, and by the Grand Junction Railway Company. During the time they were in Parliament an agreement was made between the two competing Lines to refer the decision as to which was the best Line, to two Members of Parliament, and to abide by that decision, and the re- jected Line was to withdraw all future opposition. But instead of doing this honourably, the Company, against whom the award decided, continued their opposition as severely as before ; and, although they could not openly appear, yet they did it under the shield of landowners. The same counsel, the same solicitors, and the same en- gineers appeared and gave evidence against the Line chosen as the best by the referees. Instead of doing this, they ought to have honourably withdrawn. The Grand Junc- tion also, who were withheld by the Committee of both Houses from being heard against the Bill, had their soli- citor there, working with his usual tact, and shielding himself by landowners. I believe there were no less than five solicitors, and as many counsel, constantly in attend- ance, opposing this little Railway 15 miles long. The Chester and Birkenhead Railway runs from Wood- side, opposite the town of Liverpool, to Chester, where the Chester and Crewe joins it, and runs to Crewe, a place situated upon the Grand Junction, which Railway it joins. The former Line is 15 miles long, and opens out a com- munication from Liverpool to Chester and Wales; and, with the assistance of the Chester and Crewe Railway, which is 20 miles long, shortens the distance between Liverpool and Birmingham and London about eight miles, besides entirely avoiding the inclined planes upon the 28 Liverpool and Manchester and the Grand Junction Rail- ways. These Lines have therefore a very great advantage over the Grand Junction Railway in the passenger traffic between Liverpool and Birmingham and London : the only objection to them being that passengers must cross the river Mersey at Liverpool, which is scarcely an objec- tion of consequence, it being done with much despatch, and only occupying a very few minutes. To all passengers coming from Ireland directly into the interior of the country, and not being desirous of visiting Liverpool, these Railways will be a great convenience, as the Ferry steam-boats may catch the Irish steam-boats as they come into the river, get their passengers, and take them direct to the Railway, and avoid the nuisance and delay, occasioned by going into the docks at Liverpool, and through the town. Both these Lines are exceedingly cheap in their execution, and the levels are extremely fa- vourable. The Chester and Crewe opens out the commu- nication from Chester and Liverpool to Birmingham and London. There are, I believe, upwards of twenty coaches running between Chester and Liverpool, notwithstanding the open- ing of the Grand Junction Railway. If a Railway should be made from near Stone to Tam- worth, which, under existing circumstances, appears ex- ceedingly probable, these two Cheshire Lines will have the complete command of the Liverpool traffic to London, and will be able to compete with the Grand Junction for the traffic to Birmingham. They will also have all the traffic from the South-east to Liverpool. If this be the case, there is no doubt the Grand Junction Railway will receive a severe blow ; in order to avert this, it appears to me to be by far the wisest course for them to pursue, (in- 29 stead of persisting in that most absurd scheme across Fidler's Ferry,) to endeavour to unite with the Cheshire Lines, and my reasons which have been partially ex- pressed before, are, that the Liverpool and Manchester Railway will have some difficulty in accommodating the traffic of the Grand Junction, when they commence carry- ing goods, at present they appear a good deal incommoded by the passengers. The Grand Junction, by uniting with these Lines, would save the cost of an expensive Line across the Mersey at Fidler’s Ferry, by which they can gain no increase of local traffic, and will meet with much opposition and difficulty; whereas, by uniting with the Chester and Birkenhead, and Chester and Crewe, they will gain the additional traffic from Chester and Wales as local traffic; but the most important gain they would obtain, would be the friendship and joint interests of these two Railways, in opposing a Railway down the Trent Val- ley, which the Cheshire lines will, as a matter of good policy in their present situation with the Grand Junction Railway, support, with all their parliamentary influence, (which is not very inconsiderable, seeing they have been successful against the Grand Junction opposition) in order to give themselves a better opportunity of competing with the Grand Junction, and ridding themselves of the exac- tions which the Grand Junction have the power, at pre- sent, of teasing them with. Thus, by uniting with these Companies, the Grand Junction would gain an alliance of some consequence to them; they would do away with the necessity, if any exists, of making a Line across Fidler’s Ferry; they would gain the important traffic of Chester, and secure the Irish and Liverpool traffic on their road from Crewe to Birmingham for ever; they would be able to resist the encroachments of the Trent Line, which is, 30 notwithstanding its present defeat, a formidable eye-sore to them. Whereas, by making the Fidler’s Ferry Line, they would gain no additional local traffic, they would still have these two lines as formidable rivals and compe- titors, and would not only lose their assistance in Parlia- ment in opposing the Trent Line, but would have in them formidable opponents. It appears to me clearly to be to the advantage of the Grand Junction Company to seek for an amalgamation; and it must be remembered that the traffic upon these two lines was calculated in Parliament without taking advantage of that which the Grand Junc- tion claimed as belonging to them. The traffic case of the Chester and Birkenhead, notwithstanding the severe opposition it met with, was so clearly proved before a Committee of the House of Lords, that many Peers, who were considered hostile to the measure, voted in favour of the preamble of the Bill. If an amalgamation of these Lines were to take place, the Grand Junction would carry their goods on the Liver- pool and Manchester Railway as they at present propose doing, and all their passengers would travel by Chester. The only objection that can possibly be made to this ar- rangement as a public convenience, would be the crossing of the Mersey at Liverpool, which is perfectly safe, and might without any difficulty be so arranged as to take lit- tle or no more time than it does for a passenger to go from one of the inns to the present station, and travel through the tunnel, with the various stoppages he is sub- jected to. It entirely depends upon the probability of the Trent Line being made, whether it would be equally to the ad- vantage of the Cheshire Lines to amalgamate with the Grand Junction. If the Trent Line be made, they will be 31 able to compete most successfully with the Grand Junc- tion Railway, even if they make the Fidler's Ferry Line; if, however, it be not made, they are liable to great exac- tions by the Grand Junction Company, and to the compe- tition of the rival line across Fidler’s Ferry. On the whole I think it would be desirable for both parties, as the Chester and Birkenhead, and Chester and Crewe, would in the one case secure to themselves a certain and very ad- vantageous traffic, whereas, on the other hand, they are in some measure depending upon a probability, which, though it seems at present very likely to be carried into effect, is speculative. If the Grand Junction proceed to Parliament with their Fidler’s Ferry Line, the Cheshire Company and the Manchester and Birmingham Company will have an op- portunity of getting rid of some of the objectionable clauses in the Act of the Grand Junction Railway. MANCHESTER AND BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY. Bill obtained 1837. THIS Railway was thought of sufficient importance to be the cause of an expensive conflict between two rival com- panies for two sessions of Parliament; and who are sup- posed to have expended upwards of £70,000 in opposing each other. The two companies were called the Cheshire Junction Railway Company, and the Manchester South Union Railway Company. * The Cheshire Junction was the first scheme projected, but the South Union almost immediately followed, nay, I 32 believe, was published a week afterwards: the Cheshire Junction was, however, in sufficient time to enable them to proceed to Parliament in the session of 1836: the South Union did not attempt this, but after a very hard'struggle successfully opposed them as a competing line. The Cheshire Junction was evidently an insufficient scheme for the purpose of furnishing the district south of Manchester, with a commodious railway communication. It pursued almost a straight course from Manchester to Crewe, a place on the Grand Junction, and it omitted the towns of Stockport, Macclesfield, Congleton, and the Pot- teries, all very large and important places, and containing conjointly a population of 170,000 people. The first scheme of the Manchester South Union Company included all these towns, and was almost precisely the route of the Manchester and Birmingham, as it is now called. The South Union, however, soon abandoned this Line, and ex- tended their scheme ; and the railway which they advo- cated before the Houses of Parliament, when opposing the Cheshire Junction, ran from Manchester, and passed through Stockport and Macclesfield, near Leek, Cheadle, and Uttoxeter, and joined the Birmingham and Derby Railway, near Burton-upon-Trent; they had also a Branch through the Potteries from near Leek to the Grand Junc- tion Railway, near Stone, altogether accommodating a local population of upwards of 200,000 people. No Rail- way in England, except the Manchester and Leeds, could be supposed to possess the advantages in point of popula- tion that this did. The first great object it aimed at was opening out a bet- ter means of intercourse between Manchester and the dis- trict, combining Bolton, Ashton, Oldham, and Rochdale, with London and Birmingham. The next important 33 point was to open out the very best communication be- tween the towns of Derby, Burton-on-Trent, Tamworth, Leicester, Nottingham, Stamford, Grantham, Oakham, &c., &c., and the whole of the South-eastern portions of England, with the manufacturing districts of Lancashire. And the last important point was the accommodation for the local traffic upon the Line, which, judging from the first report of the Grand Junction Railway since the open- ing, must have been very considerable indeed. There was only one drawback to this Line, and it was considered of sufficient importance to induce the Directors to abandon a portion of it; this drawback was an inclined plane of three miles, rising at the rate of 50 feet in a mile. Yet, although this was the reason assigned for the abandonment of the Line, I doubt whether there were not others, which they thought more important ones; as the Grand Junction Railway Company, who had strenuously opposed them from the beginning, in order to do so more effectually, had projected a Line from Stafford, pursuing the Trent valley through Rugeley and near Lichfield, to Tamworth and Rugby, by which means they thought to obtain the influence of some very important noblemen and gentlemen in Parliament. The South Union, then, in or— der to compete with the Grand Junction, whom they well knew never intended making their Line, even if they ob- tained a Bill, projected a line down the Trent also, much superior in every respect to the Line the Grand Junction had selected. The South Union eventually adhered to this Line, owing, I suppose, to its possessing more favour- able levels, and gaining a little in distance between Man- chester and London, as well as obtaining this Parliamen- tary support. They still, however, had a line from near Stone to the Grand Junction. E 34 The Cheshire Junction also abandoned their original scheme, and finally adopted the first scheme of the South Union Company, with the addition of a Branch from Stone to Rugeley, to meet the Line projected by the Grand Junction from Stafford. All parties now appeared to agree in the great import- ance of providing a communication for the East, and al- though 255 miles of railway were in progress for appear- ing before Parliament, the only difference of any import- ance between the whole of the lines, was in the district between Stockport and Congleton; the South Union pas- sing through Macclesfield, and the Cheshire Junction avoiding that town; the remainder of the distance the Lines ran nearly together, and crossed and recrossed one another several times. It is impossible to conceive the activity with which each party pursued their various projects : engineers, survey- ors, and solicitors, occupied all the inns in the district, preparing for the contest, each party being equally cer- tain of success. The Tamworth and Rugby Line projected by the Bir- mingham and Derby Company, also formed a portion of these rival schemes, and supported the South Union. There were now 255 miles of railway, including branches, prepared and deposited on the 30th of November, 1836, to connect Manchester with London and Birmingham :— The South Union had . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 miles. The Cheshire Junction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 The Grand Junction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 The Tamworth and Rugby . . . . . . . . . . 26 35 Out of these 255 miles, 193 came before a committee of the House of Commons, and 68 passed the legislature, and constitute the present Manchester and Birmingham Railway. - It may not be uninteresting to some persons to trace shortly the proceedings of these various railways in Parlia- ment, as they furnish a fair instance of the manner in which private bills are generally conducted before that tribunal. In the first place, the Grand Junction Company, finding that they had no chance of obtaining the consent of land- owners to their Line, as it ran indiscriminately through parks and pleasure grounds, and, perhaps, thinking their object attained, abandoned their portion of the 255 miles, and the Cheshire Junction necessarily abandoned a por- tion of theirs, from Stone to Rugeley, which had one of its termini on that portion the Grand Junction had abandoned. The Tamworth and Rugeley, after a severe struggle, was thrown out, on Standing Orders; the main reason assigned being, that they had omitted to insert on the plan and in the book of reference, a hovel which was situated in a field the railway passed through. There were several other reasons, but this was assigned as the most important one. It appears this hovel had been purposely omitted in the plan and schedule, in order that the company might not have the power of taking it. In consequence of these withdrawals, and the defeat, there were only left 167 miles before Parliament :–96 for the South Union ; 7l for the Cheshire Junction. Several days were now consumed before the committee in examining the witnesses for the traffic, which was ex- pected to use the South Union Railway between the East- ern Counties and Lancashire, as, in consequence of the 36 Tamworth and Rugby having been thrown out, the South Union were prevented by the committee from taking credit for the London traffic, to and from Manchester, and did not therefore give any evidence upon it. After seve- ral witnesses had been examined, the committee came to the following resolution :- “That under existing circumstances this committee do not consider it advisable to authorize the extension of the South Union Line to the south-east of Stone.” It was expected by the parties that a division on this subject would take place in the committee this morning, and each of them endeavoured to obtain as many members to attend as they imagined would vote according to their in- terests : and 63 members voted; 17 in favour of the South Union, and 46 against them. The examination had been carried on seven days pre- vious to this vote of the committee, and of the members of Parliament who voted against the South Union – 2 had never attended the committee before. 4 had attended once. 6 , 25 twice. 5 , 25 three times. 4 , 92 four times. 7 , 99 five times. ll , 52 six times. 7 , 25 seven times. Of those who voted in favour of the South Union :- 2 had attended the committee once. 2 59 59 twice. 5 29 35 four times. 3 35 55 five times. 2 22 55 six times. 3 22 22 seven times. 37 If, therefore, we take four days’ attendance as a fair ave- rage of time to allow a judge to form a pretty correct no- tion of the merits of a case, we shall reduce the majority against the South Union from 29 to 16. This resolution, it was stated, was not in the least de- gree intended to prejudice the bringing forward the Trent Line in the next, or any future session of Parliament. The Committee had now reduced the 255 miles of rail- way to 116, on which they were now called upon to form an opinion and make a choice. Let us see how this was done : a military engineer had been despatched from Lon- don to examine and report upon the Lines to the Com- mittee; he did not spend more than a fortnight in exa- mining about 255 miles of railway ;—he made no calcula- tions of traffic,+he made no estimates, he did not re- gard the population,--he did not take into his considera- tion the advantage either Line possessed with regard to future communications, either by Branches, or further ex- tension into the interior of the country. What, then, did he report upon Why, that such a portion of the South Union appeared to him, from a hasty survey, to be the easiest of execution; and a certain portion of the Cheshire Junction he also recommended should be adopted for the same reason. But who was he One would suppose a gentleman well skilled in engineering. No | He had probably never made one single calculation on railways before; certainly never either set one out, or executed one; , nay, indeed, it is not at all improbable that he had never seen one. He might understand fortifications and mili- tary tactics, but he was perfectly ignorant about railways. Let us now see what the two Companies had done pre- vious to their application to Parliament. Their engineers 38 had been scouring the country for two years, in order to find out that line which would best suit all the purposes required. And they had for engineers, not men who had never seen railways, but Mr. Stephenson, who had set out and executed nearly all the railways then finished in Eng- land; and his assistants, who had been engaged with him for years : and the Cheshire Junction had Mr. Rastrick, who, although he had not done much in executing rail- ways, yet had been engaged as Parliamentary engineer for many, and must be well skilled in the general out- lines. These gentlemen, after two years’ investigation, still thought proper to differ in opinion, and a Committee of the House of Commons was directed to decide the ques- tion, which they did in a very curious way: neither Mr. Stephenson nor Mr. Rastrick were either of them asked one question; only one witness was partially examined on the South Union side, and none on the part of the Cheshire Junction. The report of the military engineer, it was strongly recommended by the committee, should be adopt- ed. This was tantamount to a resolution to that effect, and the two Companies having amalgamated, accordingly acted upon that recommendation. Here, then, is the opinion of a gentleman of no experi- ence, having made the very slightest investigation that he could make, preferred, without any examination, to the opinion of an engineer who had been engaged for thirty years in Railways, and who had devoted two years to this single investigation; and to another engineer who had also been much engaged on Railways, and had devoted the same time to this single Railway. From the very limited investigation which was made, no comparisons could be made, and no conclusions drawn. It was, how- 39 ever, decided, that the Report of the Military Engineer should in all cases be adopted ; and so the case now stands. The present Manchester and Birmingham Railway passes through Stockport, Congleton, and the Potteries, and joins the Grand Junction Railway, near Stone, with a Branch from Stockport to Macclesfield, and another from Stock- port to Crewe. As I did not receive any satisfaction from the investiga- tion of these two Lines in Parliament, I am induced to believe that there may be others in the same state, and holding the same opinions as myself, I will therefore lay before the public my ideas respecting them. I begin with this conviction, that a Line must be made sooner or later from Manchester, to connect Lancashire with the South-east; and, therefore, that any Line running south from Manchester, ought to be so laid out as to allow of a feasible extension in the most convenient way for the traffic from this district. My next consideration is, which Line is best adapted for that purpose, and also for opening out a more ready communication between Manchester and London, than by going round by Birmingham, as well as accommodating the local population, which I deem of great importance Let us then imagine the Line only made from Manchester to Crewe, and suppose that Mac- clesfield, Congleton, and the Potteries, should think they deserved a Railway to Manchester and Birmingham, they would have little difficulty in obtaining permission to make one from Stockport to Stone. This, then, would be five miles nearer between Manchester and Birmingham, and its very large local traffic would enable it to destroy the Line from Stockport to Crewe. Let us then suppose the Line made from Manchester to Stone, through Stockport, Congleton, and the Potteries, 40 with the branch to Macclesfield from Stockport, and let us see what Lines could be made to compete with it. From Macclesfield to Burton-on-Trent is about 40 miles; there is in that distance a local population of about 30,000 people. The Churnet Valley is one of the most beautiful valleys in England, although little known. Ma- nufactories and coal both exist to a considerable extent, indeed sufficient to invite a canal into it. There is a population which would be accommodated by that Line to Manchester, cónsisting of about 250,000 people, in the towns of Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, Grantham, Stamford, Newark, &c., and they will not wait very long before they insist upon some Railway commu- nication to Manchester and Lancashire. If, then, the Line from Macclesfield and Burton were made, it would take at least half the traffic between Man- chester and London, as a considerable distance is saved by this route, and especially if the Tamworth and Rugby should be brought forward, it would also reduce the traffic to Birmingham, as many persons would very much prefer the beautiful scenery of the Churnet, to the ruinous and dirty appearance of the country through the Potteries, and the iron district at Wolverhampton. Indeed almost every one would prefer the Churnet route, if they could be car- ried at nearly the same expense and time. This Line would also have the entire traffic from Liver- pool and Manchester to the South-east. Let us again imagine that the present Manchester and Birmingham is made, with a Line down the Trent to Tamworth, and forward to Rugby. If this Bill could be obtained there is no doubt but that it would be one of the best Railways in England for some time, especially since the Chester Lines have passed the Legislature. 41 That portion from near Stone to Tamworth would con- vey all the traffic from Manchester and Liverpool to Lon- don, all the traffic between Manchester and Birmingham, and all the traffic for many years between the Eastern Counties and Lancashire. It is not, on the whole, a very expensive Line in its formation, and might be made, if properly laid out, a cheap Line. It would not, however, be a great many years without a serious rival. The same reason that induced the people of Manchester, in 1836, to seek a nearer approach to London than the Grand Junc- tion Railway afforded them, would induce the inhabitants of the Eastern Counties to seek a nearer road to Manches- ter than this Line would afford them; and as there is a nearer road up the Churnet Valley by 18 miles, (the Trent Line from Manchester to Derby being 84 miles, and the Churnet 66 miles); and it would only be necessary to make about 42 miles to obtain this saving of 18 miles, at the same time accommodating a local population of about 30,000 people. This Line would be almost as near from Manchester to London, it would entirely command the Eastern traffic, and would have a share of the traffic between Manchester and Birmingham. It would, however, lose the traffic be- tween Liverpool and London ; at any rate, until a com- munication is made from the Manchester and Birmingham Railway at Manchester, to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway : it might then have a portion of it. One objection to a Line down the Trent Valley is, that supposing the Grand Junction Railway to unite with the Chester and Birkenhead, and Chester and Crewe, (which it appears to me it is clearly their interest to do,) they would then have the means of more effectually opposing the Trent Line in Parliament; and, if an act was obtained for this F 42 Line, by this combination, the Cheshire Lines and the Grand Junction would all be interested in keeping the whole of the traffic upon the Grand Junction, and the Trent Line would have no traffic from Liverpool to Birmingham and London. It may, however, be supposed, that the Shareholders of the Trent Line might run their trains upon the Cheshire Lines to Birkenhead; but if they did this, they would only gain a portion of the traffic, and would be subjected to such restrictions as to destroy the profits on their own Line between Stone and Tamworth, as they would have to run 50 miles on a Railway belonging to companies opposed to them, they would consequently be subjected to the heaviest tolls that company could inflict, and to any regu- lations they might impose. If the Cheshire Lines, the Manchester and Birmingham, and the Tamworth and Rugby interests were to unite, I think they would have no difficulty in obtaining the Trent Line; they would then be rendered almost entirely independent of the Grand Junction Railway. My own impression is, however, strongly in favour of the Churnet Valley Line; and, I am convinced, that it is the best Line for the public, and will, I believe, in the least degree interfere with the present existing Railways. This Line starts from Manchester, and runs through Stockport and Macclesfield, near Leek, and following the course of the Churnet Valley, passing Cheadle and Uttoxeter, joins the Birmingham and Derby Railway, near Burton-upon- Trent. It has a Branch from near Macclesfield, through Congleton, and the Potteries, to the Grand Junction Rail- way, near Stone. This is almost the nearest Line from Manchester to London; it is by 18 miles the nearest from Manchester to the East; it would accommodate a local po- pulation of 200,000; it has Manchester, Bolton, Ashton, 43 Oldham, and the district at one end ; it has Derby, Lei- cester, Nottingham, Stamford, Grantham, Burton, Tam- worth, Birmingham, &c., at the other end, containing a population of about 1,000,000, and it intimately connects Manchester with London; it is, with Branches, only 86 miles in length, whilst the present Manchester and Bir- mingham is, including Branches, 80 miles long, and does not afford the least accommodation to the East, where there are between 200,000 and 300,000 inhabitants seeking an outlet to Manchester. This Line would not, in any way, interfere with that traffic which the Grand Junction Railway Company have any right to call theirs, namely, the traffic between Li- verpool and London and Birmingham. This Line would exist for ever without a rival—none could compete with it. It would only have one drawback, and that would be an inclination of 30 feet a mile for four miles, at Macclesfield. Let us see how many Lines in England have worse inclinations than this. The Grand Junction has much worse. The Liverpool and Manches- ter, also, the Great Western, the London and Southamp- ton, the present London and Brighton, the Manchester and Leeds, the North Union, the St. Helen’s and Runcorn Gap, the Leicester and Swannington, the Gloucester and Birmingham, and the Newcastle and Carlisle; all these Railways have worse inclinations than any, on the one I propose, and some of them are as important as any Rail- ways in England. I hope it will not be supposed that, in supporting these views, I am actuated by any wish to commence again a fight between Companies, that has already been the means of creating so much ill feeling, and of spending uselessly such large sums of money. I am firmly convinced these 44 opinions are correct, and my only reason for laying them before the public is, that I believe both Companies were induced to pay too much attention to good inclinations, and the great importance of saving a mile or even half a mile to London, as well as deviating from the most prudent course to obtain influential parliamentary support. And I believe their feelings were wrought up to too high a pitch, to look coolly and calmly at the various advantages possessed by any Line. Nay, indeed, the very fact of their having projected and abandoned so many Lines, proves to me that their main object was to be the success- ful party. The South Union projected three Lines, and the Cheshire Junction two ; and the military engineer re- ported that the original South Union was the best,- namely, part of the Cheshire Junction, and part of the South Union schemes of 1837. In conclusion, I would say, let those Directors, who have the confidence of the majority of the shareholders at present vested in them, give the subject a calm investiga- tion; let them lay aside all that party feeling by which they have hitherto been actuated. The trust reposed in them is considerable, and let them exercise the power they possess with discrimination and judgment, and without regard to their private feelings, and without being actu- ated by bygone recollections. * c º - *. * s r = r * A LTwº y Coal Measures Scale MANCELESTER AND (FEDS of Miles RAI][WAY AND IT'S * º - howdº * * * s = . s v. (CONNECTIONS. Kingston C) 45 MANCHESTER AND LEEDS RAILWAY. Bill Obtained in 1836. Amended Bill in 1837. A CoMPANY applied to Parliament under this title in the year 1830, and was composed of many of the present shareholders, but in consequence of the united opposition of the Ayr and Calder Canal Company, the Rochdale Canal Company, and the Calder and Hebble Canal Com- pany, with landowners, it was thrown out, and lay dor- mant till 1836, the year in which so many Railway Bills are dated. The Company were more successful in the second application; and, after a severe struggle, the Bill was carried victoriously through both Houses of Par- liament. º In consequence of there having been so little time be- tween the formation of the Company, and the time for depositing (I believe about three weeks, in which time surveys, books of reference, and levels, had to be made complete) it was found necessary to make a further appli- cation to Parliament for an amended Bill, as the Directors, after having gained correct information on the subject, and finding the Line a much more important one than they had imagined, considered it advisable to expend a larger capital in improving the inclinations and curves upon the Line, which were in both cases objectionable. After some opposition this amended Bill was passed. This Railway is, in my opinion, one of the most impor- tant Railways in England, as well as one of the best in- vestments. Commencing at Manchester it runs to Rochdale, from 46 Rochdale through a densely populated country to Tod- morden, and by Hebden Bridge, Elland, Brighouse, Dews- bury, and Wakefield, to Normanton, where it joins the North Midland Railway, and by it proceeds to Leeds, and by means of the York and North Midland, the Leeds and Selby to Selby, and along the Hull and Selby to Hull. The whole Line traverses a most densely populated coun- try, and includes, as local, the traffic from the towns of Rochdale, Oldham, Halifax, Huddersfield, Bradford, Wake- field, and Dewsbury to Manchester, and all the above towns, except Bradford to Leeds, and also from Burnley, Black- burn, and Liverpool to Leeds and York, Newcastle and Hull. The local population on this Line is not less than 420,000 inhabitants, and the various towns at the termini, and out of the immediate district of the Railway, but still intimately connected with it, contain no less a population than 900,000. This added to the local population gives 1,320,000 inhabitants. One very important feature in this Railway is its form- ing the connecting link in the Railway communication be- tween Liverpool and Hull, thereby connecting Liverpool and Ireland, by a rapid intercourse with Hull and the Continent. This Line is peculiarly situated, as it is quite impossible that any line can ever be made to compete with it. It will therefore, in all probability, become a powerful mono- poly, something like the Ayr and Calder Canal has been for so many years. It runs through the vale of Todmor- den, which is the only valley in that district running east and west, through the high ridge of country, which is ge- nerally called the Backbone of England. And the coun- try, on each side of the valley, rises too precipitately, and 47 too high ever to invite another Railway Company; and the valley itself, through which the Railway runs, is in places so narrow as not to allow room for another, the Railway, the Canal, the River, and the Road, occupying the whole of the space in the valley for a long distance in several places. In fact, the valley offers considerable dif- ficulties to an engineer, and it will require great skill and attention in carrying the Manchester and Leeds Railway through it, in the most prudent course, as it is so filled with population and manufactures throughout, as to make it an expensive and tedious work, add to this the diffi- culties which the Canal Companies will endeavour to throw in the way of the execution of the work, the satisfactory completion of this Railway must require a stretch of pa- tience, perseverance, and talent, which has yet seldom been called into action in the engineering world. The curves are much improved by the amended Bill, few of them now being of less radii than one mile. The inclinations also are improved, the greatest being 32 feet in a mile. I un- derstand it is proposed to use very powerful locomotive engines upon the difficult portions of this Railway. There are several tunnels, the most important one being about one mile and a quarter long; it is at the summit of the country. The others are shorter and less important. A peculiar feature in this Line is, that there are a great many valleys running from the Todmorden Valley into the high country on each side. These are all filled with a manufacturing population, and may be easily accommo- dated by Branches from the Main Line. The towns of Oldham, Bradford, Huddersfield, and Halifax, may all be accommodated by Branch Railways. The works upon the Line are heavy and expensive, but it possesses one great advantage, that of having materials 48 almost everywhere at hand,-stone of excellent quality for blocks and bridges, and ballast for the Railway; and the material, through which the cuttings are generally to be made, is firm, and will stand well without slipping, like the clay formations. There are also canals running along the side of the Rail- way, almost the whole distance, which will be a very great convenience to the Company in obtaining materials, and having them laid down almost exactly where they are wanted, and without any carting. When the work is completed, these canals will be competitors with the Rail- way for the carriage of heavy goods. I apprehend, how- ever, that the Railway will have considerably the advantage over them, in consequence of the great number of locks upon the canals, and the navigation being so very tedious. THE LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY. JBill Obtained in 1826. It will be quite unnecessary for me to say much about this Railway, it is so well known to the Railway world, and has been so much studied and followed by all Railway Companies that its most minute particulars are too well known to need any comment of mine, neither can it be included in my present purpose, which, it will be seen, has been to lay before the public my ideas on those Railways, which are not well known, and to suggest my own opinion where I think any arrangement or alteration may be made 49 for the better. In my remarks on this Railway, I shall confine myself principally to making comparisons between it and other Railways. This Railway was opened in 1831, since which time it has been gradually progressing in prosperity, and is now paying dividends at the rate of 10 per cent. The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was a grand experiment, and reflects the greatest credit on those who so actively and energetically supported it during the time it was in bad repute, and who perseveringly persisted in endeavouring, and at last successfully to promote, the un- dertaking, notwithstanding the repeated defeats it experi- enced, and the enemies it had to encounter. 4 This Railway has generally been considered a fair test for other Railways, as to the expense of working, and the returns for capital, but I do not think it does in any degree form a test of the cost of working, in the first place, on account of the shortness of the Line, and the very expen- sive stations that have been erected at each end. The ex- pense of erecting and keeping up these stations having, in this instance, to be divided over a length of only thirty miles; whereas, on the Grand Junction, the London and Birmingham, the North Midland, &c., and all long Lines of Railway, the same expense has to be divided over a length of from 70 to 100 miles, thereby giving a great ad- vantage to the longer Line. The Directors of this Line have had the disadvantage of having to contend with inexperience. A great variety of schemes were had recourse to, in order to obtain the best locomotive engines, many of which have entirely failed. These have been a great expense to the Company. Again, when the Line was opened, they found the traffic. was so much greater than they anticipated,—they were obliged to have recourse to heavier engines than they at G 50 first contemplated. These had an injurious effect upon the rails, which were only calculated to carry engines of about six tons weight, and they now make them twelve tons. The consequence has been, that they are now obliged entirely to relay the Line with heavier rails, which must necessarily be a very heavy expense to them. The Directors have also been constantly trying experiments of all kinds, the success or failure of which will be a guide for all other Railways which are now constructing, and will save them a great expense in not having to run over the same ground again. There are also inclined planes upon this Railway more objectionable than are generally found upon Railways. The Manchester and Birmingham, the Midland Counties, North Midland, Birmingham and Derby, York and North Midland, and the Cheshire Lines, are entirely free from all inclinations of an objectionable nature. Under these circumstances I fairly contend that the ex- pense of working this Line has no right to be made any criterion of the general expense of working Railways. It appears, from the reports of the directors, that the expense of working this Line from 1830 to 1836, has been about three-fifths of the whole income. This is a very startling fact, but the amount stated in the reports as current expenses, includes all new engines, wagons, and other stock necessary for carrying on the work; in order, therefore, to ascertain the real current expenses, the stock ought to be valued, and deducted from the reported ex- pense. The amount received by this Railway Company, from 1831 to 1836, for the traffic in passengers and goods, was #21,020,883, and the expenses £618,108. Previous to the opening of the Railway there were about 400 passengers per day, or 146,000 a year, travelling be- 51 tween Liverpool and Manchester by coaches; and, on the first report after the passing of the act, the directors calcu- lated upon carrying 250 passengers a day, or 91,250 yearly, From July 1835, to July 1836, they carried, as far as I can calculate, about 780,000 passengers, or about 2137 daily. I arrive at this conclusion from the coaching de- partment in the report, and calculate each passenger at 4s. 6d. This amounts to about eight times as many as they anticipated in their first report, and five times as many as were travelling by coaches, previous to the open- ing of the Railway. It has been the custom with most Railway Companies to double the existing traffic in passengers in their parlia- mentary evidence; but I can see no reason at all why it should not have been increased three or four times, espe- cially on those Lines where the local population is consi- derable, like the Manchester and Leeds, or the Manchester and Birmingham, or the North Midland Railway, as pre- cisely the same reasons exist for increasing their traffic five times, as on the Liverpool and Manchester. Look at the intimate connexion of Manchester with Rochdale and Oldham, as well as Leeds, and also at the intimate con- nexion of Leeds with Wakefield, Halifax, and Bradford. These are all towns on or near to the Manchester and Leeds Railway; and there can be no reason why the traffic should not be increased in the same ratio, as between Li- verpool and Manchester. Manchester, Stockport, Mac- clesfield, and Congleton, are also intimately connected. The same reason extends to Sheffield, Birmingham, Leeds, and Rotherham, and the towns on the North Midland. I do not, therefore, think that the parliamentary evi- dence is any criterion to go by, in estimating the amount of increased traffic, as it has, in every case where Railways have been opened, been far more than doubled or trebled. 52 In the carriage of goods the Liverpool and Manchester Railway has to contend against many difficulties, which will not be felt by most other Railways. The water car- riage, previous to the existence of the Railways, was an excellent conveyance, and the goods can generally be con- veyed in a moderate time, and in a great many instances are delivered from the barges into the storehouses in Man- chester; this the Railway cannot do in any single instance. There is, therefore, some trouble and delay in getting the goods from the Railway into the town, which those who have warehouses near the river do not feel by the water conveyance. The shortness of the Railway is also in favour of the water conveyance, as the convenience af- forded in time by a Railway is not felt so much by a short Line, as for instance it will be by such a Line as the Man- chester and Leeds, where goods can be conveyed at all times between those towns in about three hours, whereas, by the canal, it sometimes requires several days, every boat having to pass through upwards of 100 locks, which alone could not take less time than eight hours. I ima- gine that two days is the very shortest time that goods can be conveyed between Manchester and Leeds by the water conveyance. When a connexion is made between the Leeds and Manchester Railway, and the Liverpool and Manchester, goods can be conveyed from Liverpool to Hull in the course of eight hours, and by the existing conveyance it requires as many days; and as I have proved by the Leicester and Swannington Railway, and there are many more proofs that Railways are well adapted for the carriage of heavy goods, and that a fair profit may be made from such traffic, I have no doubt but that the Manchester and Leeds Railway, will carry a very considerable portion of the goods now carried by water. 53 I am rather surprised that the various Railways, con- necting Manchester, have not yet fixed upon some plan of junction with each other. This will be found quite ne— cessary when they are all opened; and, it appears to me, the sooner it is set about the better. There is no doubt but that it will be an expensive undertaking, but I think it ought to be done conjointly by the various Companies. I think the Liverpool and Manchester are most interested in having this done, as the inconvenience arising from there being no junction, may give birth to another project from the east side of Manchester to Liverpool, which has been brought forward before, but with so bad a grace that it received few supporters. It will now, however, have a better excuse, seeing that a new Railway altogether can be made for little more than double the expense of joining the present one, at least as the junction was proposed to be effected by the Manchester Connexion Railway. It seems quite impossible to form any idea of the amount of traffic in passengers and goods, which it is anticipated will flow upon the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, looking forward three years. The North Union will bring a large addition of passengers upon it from Carlisle, Glas- gow, and Preston, to Liverpool, London, and Manchester. The whole traffic of the Grand Junction is at present tra- velling upon it, none of which it had before last July; and, when that Company commence carrying goods, the quantity must still be greatly increased; and, I appre- hend, a very large increase will take place, when the Man- chester and Leeds Railway is ready to carry goods between Liverpool, Leeds, and Hull, which goods now travel by water, some by the Liverpool and Leeds Canal, and some by Manchester, Rochdale, and the Ayr and Calder Navi- gation. 54 NORTH UNION, LANCASTER & PRESTON, AND LANCASTER AND CARLISLE RAILWAYS. As I have not much to say about these Railways, it will be more convenient to treat on them collectively. The North Union is a continuation of the Grand Junc- tion, and leaves the Liverpool and Manchester Railway at Parkside, near Newton, and proceeds to Wigan and Pres- ton. That portion of the Line from Parkside to Wigan has been at work some time, and is, I believe, paying 4 or 5 per cent. The portion from Wigan to Preston, it is anticipated, will be opened in the course of another year. It has several inclined planes of 50 feet in a mile, which are serious objections to it. It was intended to convey all the traffic from Preston, Carlisle, and Glasgow, to Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London; but, since it was commenced, another Line has been projected from Bolton to Preston, and for which an act was this year obtained. This will be the means of abstracting all the traffic from Preston and the North, to Manchester. Another Line has, I understand, also been proposed from Liverpool to Southport. If this were made, it would, in all probability, be carried on to Preston, as the country is very favourable; and, as it would be a much nearer route from Liverpool to Preston, Lancaster, and Scotland, than the North Union, the latter Line would consequently lose the traffic from Liverpool to the North; it would then have to depend upon the direct traffic from Birmingham and London to Glasgow. It may, however, be many years before these competing projects are carried into ex- ecution; and, in the meantime, the North Union will quietly enjoy the traffic from Liverpool, Manchester, Bir- mingham, and London, to Preston, Lancaster, and Scot- 55 land. It will also have a considerable traffic in coals and minerals. - The Lancaster and Preston Railway Bill was obtained this year. This Railway is twenty miles long; the incli- nations are very favourable, and the expense of the works will be moderate ; and although it does not appear, on examining the section, to be one of the cheapest Lines to execute, yet the material through which it passes is good, and excellent and cheap stone may be had for bridges, &c., as the Line intersects excellent beds of freestone. This Railway can have no competing Line of Railway, as it is shorter even than the turnpike road. It will have the traffic from Liverpool, Manchester, Preston, Bolton, and all the populous districts of Lanca– shire to the North; and will, I imagine, almost entirely supply the town of Lancaster with coals. It has to compete with the Lancaster Canal, both for the conveyance of goods and passengers; as on this canal are used swift boats, as they are called, for conveying pas- sengers. These boats are about 70 feet long, and six feet wide. They are made extremely light, and drawn by two horses at a round canter, and run about ten miles an hour. One boat, I believe, will carry seventy people. But the canal is upwards of thirty miles long between Lancaster and Preston, and with stoppages it takes about three hours and a half to perform the journey by canal, whereas the Railway being only twenty miles long, with very favour- able inclinations, will easily perform the journey in an hour, and may do it, if necessary, in about forty minutes. This will also give the Railway an advantage in the car- riage of coals, Lancaster being almost entirely supplied with that article from the neighbourhood of Wigan; and, as a Railway will exist from many of the collieries to Lancaster, they can be carried at a very cheap rate. This 56 canal has one advantage in having no locks from Lancas- ter to Preston, a distance of more than thirty miles, but this advantage will not enable it to compete with so very favourable a Railway transit, ten miles shorter. The canal has always been an unprofitable concern, and will, I expect, when this Railway opens, be quite ruined, except, perhaps, it may carry a few passengers and coals to Kendal. From Lancaster, northwards, no Act of Parliament has yet been obtained to connect England and Scotland; two projects are, however, at present engrossing the attention of the various towns in that country, as well as Scotland. One of these schemes runs from Lancaster, and pursuing the valley of the Lune by Kirkby Lonsdale and Shap, to Penrith and Carlisle. The other scheme runs from Lan- caster to Poulton, and crossing Morecambe Bay to Ulver- stone, and by Duddon, Ravenglass, and Whitehaven, to Maryport. From Maryport an Act has been obtained for a Railway to Carlisle, which the proprietors have com- menced executing. The former of these routes is by much the nearest, I believe, about twenty-two miles, and traverses a very beautiful country for a great distance, and through the celebrated valley of the Lune to one of its sources. It has, however, to surmount a tremendous summit, namely, Shap Fell, well known to all travellers who have once passed over it in winter. It is about the coldest and most dreary ride in England. At this place there is to be a tunnel through, what material I do not know, but in places it looks very much like granite. There is, however, mountain limestone, and several other formations exist in this district; so that, until borings have been made, the formation cannot be ascertained. If it should be found to be granite, there is at once an end of attempting to make a tunnel through it. From 57 Shap the Line passes Penrith, and pursues a favourable valley to Carlisle, where it joins the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway. The great objections to this Line are its passing over so high a country, with steep inclinations, and sharp curves, as the valley of the Lune, near its Shap source, winds in an exceedingly circuitous course, through steep and abrupt hills of greenstone or clay slate. The route from Lancaster by Whitehaven is a much greater distance, but its increased length is quite compen- sated for by its very favourable levels, as it pursues the sea coast all the way to Whitehaven, and is nearly a level Line ; and, if the embankment can be made across More- cambe Bay, it is, in my opinion, the preferable route, as it accommodates three times the amount of population that can be accommodated by the Line by Shap Fell. In this account of population I include the town of Kendal, which I do not believe can be accommodated by the Shap Line, and certainly not nearer than by a Branch from Kirby Lonsdale, which would be too expensive ; whereas, by the coast Line, an exceedingly cheap Branch may be made from near Poulton or Humphrey Head. This would enable the inhabitants of Kendal to be supplied with coals from either Whitehaven or Wigan, and would break up the present Wigan monopoly. It may be contended that the coals from the Ingleton coal field may be taken by the Shap Line to Kendal. If they were good coals they might, but all the coals I have seen worked in that neighbourhood are little better than rubbish. It is a very important consideration, in projecting Rail- ways through moderately populated countries, that they should be made to embrace all the local traffic that can be feasibly combined. Indeed I think it is worth while pur- suing, in some measure, a circuitous course in such dis- tricts for this purpose only. H 58 The Line by Morecambe Bay is of the greatest impor- tance to the inhabitants of that part of Lancashire situated north of the Sands, as they are at present separated from the most populous portion of the country by these dan- gerous sands, which can only be crossed at certain times, and at all times the crossing is attended with danger from the tides and quicksands, and the frequent shiftings of the channels of the various rivers emptying themselves into the bay. In my various wanderings amongst the Cumberland Hills, I have frequently heard of persons being lost in at- tempting to cross the sands. This Railway will have to contend with obstructions in the Peninsula between Ulverstone and Duddon, as the country here rises to a considerable height for two or three miles; and tunnelling must be resorted to, as it would be too far round to pursue the coast in this district. It would, I imagine, pass within a few miles of the celebrated ruin of Furness Abbey. - If the Lancaster and Ulverstone Sands should be crossed by an embankment, a very large portion of excellent ma- terial would be saved from the tides, and would become some of the richest pasture and meadow land in England. I suppose from 30,000 to 40,000 acres would be saved. Several schemes have been promulgated for the purpose of enclosing this land; but either from incredibility on the part of the proprietors, or from want of money, the scheme has always fallen to the ground. The present plan is, however, recommended from the highest quarter, and must be well worth the consideration of the proprie- tors of the Bay, whether it be crown land, or whether it belongs to the adjoining landowners. I understand a con- siderable portion of the expense of this enclosure is pro- posed to be borne by the Railway Company. 59 I have frequently, in my rambles, endeavoured to scheme a Railway in my own mind between Lancaster and Car- lisle; but considering the Shap ridge as insurmountable on the east, and the range of hills terminated by Black- combe as insurmountable on the west side, I long since gave up the scheme as impracticable; but when experi- enced engineers are set to work, and their routes and schemes are laid before us, these difficulties and obstruc- tions seem to vanish. No valley is left unexplored by them ;-they wind round and cut through the hills in so mysterious and plausible a manner, that it is difficult to dispute their assertions. I am now convinced that a Railway is practicable, and will be made from Lancaster to Carlisle; and I confess I like the coast Line the best, although both are attended with serious obstructions; and either of them will require the highest talent, and longest experience, that can be professionally obtained. It has been considered by many that only one Line of Railway should be made from England to Scotland, or from the populous districts of Yorkshire and Lancashire to Carlisle or Newcastle. I do not think, however, that one will be sufficient, as it would be a very long way round for the inhabitants of Liverpool to travel through Man- chester, and York, and Newcastle, to Glasgow; so it would be equally round about for the inhabitants of Leeds and Yorkshire, to travel round by Manchester to New- castle-on-Tyne and Carlisle. It appears to me that two Railways are requisite, and it is only now necessary to obtain an Act of Parliament for about sixty miles, to com- plete the communications on the east and west side the island as far as Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Carlisle. The Great North of England (from York to Newcastle) accom- modating Yorkshire, and a portion of the South to New- 60 castle and Edinburgh, and the West Line, whichever it may be, accommodating Liverpool, Manchester, and the districts, to Carlisle and Glasgow. I am not prepared to say that either of these Lines will pay well, and more especially the one on the West; but it appears to me that they are both necessary, and must be made either by private Companies, or by Government. RAILWAYS IN SCOTLAND. As I have paid very little attention to Railways in Scot- land, I will merely describe them as in connexion with the communication to England, with a few remarks upon them individually. I will not, however, trespass north of the Forth and the Clyde. Railways have been projected from the mouth of the Forth, to the mouth of the river Clyde, and the Forth of Clyde, and Companies have been formed for carrying them into execution. One portion from Greenock to Glasgow, through Paisley, this year passed the Legis- lature. This Railway has to contend with a River Navigation ; but, I understand, has a fair prospect of success. It is continued to Edinburgh by the proposed Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, which Bill was unsuc- cessful the last Session of Parliament, but which it is in- tended to proceed with in the next. It runs from Glasgow through Linlithgow to Edinburgh. The works upon the Line are heavy, but the inclinations are extremely favour- able, with the exception of an inclined plane at Glasgow. Several attempts have been made to obtain a Line of Rail- way between these two important towns, but they have 61 hitherto been unsuccessful. I hope, however, the present Company will persevere, as the Landowners and Canal Companies must in time give way to so important a public benefit. From Edinburgh, a Company was formed for making a Railway to Dunbar, but they abandoned the measure previous to an application to Parliament. This Line was a very favourable one, as far as the inclinations were concerned, but the works were generally expensive, and the population on the Line inconsiderable. It passed near Portobello and Musselburgh, both which places are situated near to Edinburgh, and are well accommodated, I believe, with a Horse Railway. The Railway then runs on to Haddington, which town is situated in the midst of the Lothians, and has a very large corn market. This is, perhaps, one of the finest agricultural districts in the world, and a large traffic was expected from Haddington, in grain, to Edinburgh, and in coals from the neighbour- hood of Dalkeith to Haddington and Dunbar. The great object, however, in projecting this Railway, appeared to be the probability of its forming a portion of the great thoroughfare between Newcastle and Edinburgh. It was not, under the circumstances, a very promising investment, its local population being so very inconsiderable; and, I think, the Shareholders did wisely in delaying the prose- cution of the scheme, until something more definite is fixed as to the probability of a Line being made between England and Scotland on the east coast. If these three Lines of Railway were made, a complete communication would exist between the East and West Coast of Scotland, which could not fail to be a very great convenience to that country. The Glasgow and Ayr Railway appears to me one of the most promising schemes in Scotland, as it is, gene- rally speaking, a cheap Line to execute. The levels are 62 extremely favourable, and the local population consider- able, being upwards of 60,000 inhabitants, and the popu- lation of the towns at the termini containing about 260,000 inhabitants. w Commencing at Glasgow, it proceeds to Paisley, to which place it is a joint concern with the Glasgow and Greenock Line. At Paisley these two Lines separate, the Glasgow and Ayr proceeding by Johnston to near Dalry, where one Branch proceeds to the important town of Kil- marnock, and another pursues the coast, and passing Salt- coats, Irvine, and Troon, all good but small ports upon the coast, it runs to the town of Ayr, where it termi- nates. I have several reasons for believing that this Line will be a profitable undertaking. In the first place, it connects an extensive manufacturing district in the towns of Glasgow, Paisley, and Kilmarnock; and it forms a communication from Glasgow to the coast, where a great traffic is carried on in the summer season, either to the bathing places or to the Island of Arran, which is a favour- ite resort in summer. Steam-boats may also stop at any of these ports and take up their passengers, instead of pursuing the serpentine Clyde to Glasgow. This will be extremely convenient for the Irish traffic. Another reason why this Line is a favourite, is, that it will, in all probability, form a portion of one of the communications between England and Scotland. It also passes through a coal field, and the works upon the Line are favourable. The Branch from Dalry to Kilmarnock appears a very circuitous route from that town to Glasgow ; but it is, I have no doubt, the best that can be obtained, as a very high ridge of country interposes in a direct Line between those towns, which prevents a Railway being made in a more direct course. I will now proceed to explain, very shortly, the various 63 projects which have been set on foot for connecting Eng- land with Scotland, taking Newcastle-on-Tyne on the east, and Carlisle on the west. From Newcastle-on-Tyne two projects have been entertained for Railways to Edin- burgh, one along the coast by Berwick to join the Edin- burgh and Dunbar Railway at Dunbar. One great advan- tage possessed by this Line is its passing through a coal field for sixty miles, namely, from Newcastle to Berwick, with the exception of some slight dislocations. The other Line from Newcastle pursues the course of the river Reedwater, and passes under Carter Fell, and down the valley of the river Jed to Jedburgh, by Melrose, and through a thinly peopled district to Edinburgh. The latter Line is the nearest route, but it has to surmount a very high and abrupt summit at Carter Fell, where a long tunnel through a very hard material must be made. The coast Line has no such summit to pass. As, however, neither of these Lines are well known, I will rest satisfied with describing the route they take. Both of them will have to cut through a very hard material, of which almost the whole of that district is formed,—namely, greenstone or clay slate, with mountain limestone. These formations are all very hard and compact, and must be exceedingly expensive to work through ; and the Lines being almost destitute of local population, I do not see how they can at present be carried into effect, unless Government think proper to assist in their formation. Two Lines of Railway have also been proposed on the west side from Carlisle, to connect Glasgow with Liver- pool; but as no active measures have yet been taken, I can only mention the routes. One proceeds from Carlisle by Annan, Dumfries, Sanquhar, and Cumnock, pursuing the course of the river Nith. It would join the Glasgow and Ayr Railway either at Ayr or at Kilmarnock, and pro- 64 ceed by that to Glasgow. The valley of the Nith, although it may form the best opening through that country, is very narrow, circuitous, and craggy, and is principally composed of the hard rock above alluded to, which must make any Railway, passing through it, a very tedious and ex- pensive undertaking. The other proposed route proceeds through Ecclefechan, Lochmaben, Moffat, and Lanark, to Glasgow. Which of these two routes may be best, I do not know ; but that both are difficult and expensive Lines, I believe, no one will deny. The strata of the country forms a very serious ob- jection to deep cuttings or embankments; and the valleys, throughout the whole of this district of Scotland, are nar- row and circuitous. The summits of the rivers are gene- rally very high, and the local population will not give much support to Railways ; neither is there any extent of coal, or mineral of any kind, to supply a Railway with intermediate traffic on any of the four Lines I have de- scribed, except the one on the east coast from Newcastle to Dunbar. I have little doubt but that in time a Railway will be made through this district, to connect the two countries; but until Railways have become thoroughly established, and the system is better understood, I think it would be wise to defer the attempt. J. F. 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