Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/198

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miles and seven furlongs, and it attains an elevation of 990 feet above the head level of the Cromford Canal, and 1271 feet above the level of the sea at low water, by means of six inclined planes, which are thus disposed - the first inclined plane, from Cromford, is four hundred and sixty yards in length, rising 240 feet; another at its termination, two hundred and forty yards, rising 225 feet; from thence, it is level one mile, three furlongs and four chains; next then is another inclined plane of five hundred and fifty yards in length, with a rise of 265 feet; then a level for the distance of one mile, six furlongs and seven chains; next a plane of three hundred and thirty yards in length, rising 70 feet; from the end of this inclined plane, it continues level for six miles, one furlong and seven chains; then a rise of 45 feet only in the next three miles and three furlongs; it is afterwards level three miles and six chains to the foot of the last inclined plane at Hurdlow, which is four hundred and eighty-four yards in length, with a rise, to the summit, of 145 feet. The summit level is maintained for the distance of twelve miles, three furlongs and eight chains, and in its course passes under a hill 150 feet below the summit, by means of a tuunel six hundred and thirty-eight yards in length. From the end of this elevated stretch of railway, there is a fall of 740 feet to the Peak Forest Canal, by three inclined planes; the first is nine hundred yards in length, with a fall of 460 feet, at the foot of which, the line of railroad crosses into Staffordshire, near Goyts Bridge; it then runs level two miles, four furlongs and two chains, to an inclined plane of seven hundred yards, with a fall of 237 feet; it is then level five furlongs and two chains; and the last inclined plane descends 43 feet in one hundred and ten yards, from the foot of which it is level to the Peak Forest Canal, a distance of one furlong and two chains.

Mr. Josias Jessop was the engineer employed to lay out this railroad, and he estimated the cost (including £20,000 for stationary engines to work the inclined planes,) at the sum of £155,079, 16s. 8d. The act for making it received the royal assent on the 2nd May, 1825, and is entitled, 'An Act for making and maintaining a Railway or Tramroad,from the Cromford Canal, at or near to Cromford, in the parish of Wirksworth, in the county of Derby, to the Peak Forest Canal, at or near to Whaley, (otherwise