Answers to Queries submitted by the Committee to
Mr. John Macneil.
Query 1.—What is the greatest weight, in proportion to its own weight, which any Locomotive Steam Engine has been found capable of drawing upon a Rail Road, and at what velocity?
In the first edition of Mr. Nicholas Wood's Treatise on Rail Roads, published in 1820, he states that a Locomotive Engine, weighing 6½ tons, and containing one ton of water equal to 7½ tons, dragged twelve loaded Carriages, each weighing 9,408 lbs. up a plane ascending 134 inches in 1,164 feet, and also the conveying Carriage, weighing 1½ tons, the wheels not slipping, the rails dry.
He also gives the following experiments made on the Killingworth Rail Road:—The length of plane was 2,260 yards, with an ascent in one direction of 6 feet 5 inches, not uniform, varying from a dead level, or slightly undulating, to an ascent in one place of 1 in 330. Edge Rail, 2½ inches broad on the surface; Carriages all the same construction, weighing 81¼ cwt, each, wheels 34 inches diameter, axles 2 inches diameter.
Experiment 29.
Wheels, three feet, nine Carriages, weighing 731½ cwt., were drawn up the plane fourteen times in 317 minutes, and fourteen times down the plane in 258 minutes, distance traversed, 36 miles in 9 hours, 35 minutes; coals consumed, 2,534 lbs.; water, 800 gallons.
Experiment 30.
Wheels, four feet; nine Carriages, weighing 731½ cwt., were drawn ap the same plane nineteen times in 302 minutes, and nineteen times down the plane in 265 minutes, distance traversed, 48.8 miles in 9 hours, 27 minutes: coals consumed, 2,534 lbs.; water, 864 gallons.
Experiment 31.
Wheels, four feet; twelve Carriages, weighing 975 cwt, were drawn up the plane nine times in 155 minutes, and nine times down in 133 minutes. Distance traversed, 23 miles in 4 hours, 48 minutes, coals consumed, 1,548 lbs.; water, 452 gallons.
Experiment 32. (With a different Locomotive Engine.)
Wheels, 3nbfeet; nine Carriages, weighing 731¼ cwt, were drawn up the same plane ten times in 212 minutes, and ten times down in 180 minutes. Distance, 26 miles; time, 6 hours, 32 minutes; coals consumed, 1,487 lbs.: water, 490 gallons.
Experiment 33.
Wheels, four feet; twelve Carriages, weighing 975 cwt., were drawn up the plane five times in 45 minutes 48 seconds, and five times down, in 40 minutes 26 seconds. Distance each journey, 2002 yards. Total, 11.375 miles; distance passed over in the above time 1,663 yards each journey, or 9.45 miles, time, 1 hour, 28 minutes, 14 seconds; coals consumed, 587 lbs,; water 200 gallons.
In this experiment the Engine was allowed to traverse a given space, to put the train of carriage into their proper velocity before the time was noted, the time was then marked until the velocity was again checked at the further end of the stage. This will explain the difference between the two distances stated in the experiment; the one was the whole distance from the commencement to the cat
