TRACTION ENGINES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 806, 19 July 1864, Page 5

TRACTION ENGINES.

(From the S A. Register. )

Amongst the recent inventions for locomotion which have attracted considerable 'attention in England, traction-engines occupy a conspicuous place. Various attempts have been made to adapt the steam-engine to travelling on ordinary turnpike roads, and these attempts have been followed with more or less success. After successive experiments, it was found practicable to run locomotives at a moderate speed, and carrying considerable weights, along well-metalled roads; and we xinderstand several of these tractionengines are now in use in England- A further desideratum, however, remained to be; met. If a machine could be invented i which would- convey heavy loads on un- j made roads, over swamps or heavy sands, I and uneven tracts of country, such as are j found in the colonies, it was felt that such an invention would be an immense advantage. One method of suppling this desideratum was to increase greatly the width of the wheels, and thus to spread the weight over a larger surface. That, however, we believe has proved inadequate to the necessities of the case. . ■ Some few years ago a Mr BoydeK invented a,traction-engine, which is said to

have been eminently successful wherever it has been tried. The principle adopted is that of an endless railway. The rails are fixed on wide shoes, which are moved and laid before the wheels with the progression of the engine. The machine lays its own rails as it goes on, and the advantage thus afforded enables heavy loads to be carried with comparative ease over the worst roads. If all that is said in favour of this invention be correct, it appears to be admirably adapted to loco- , motion in the out-lying districts of this colony, where roads have not yet been formed, and where there is no prospect; of their being formed for many years! to come. We have been favoured by Mr Charles Bonney with the following letter, which enters fully into the subject :— "to the editor. "Sir —I forward the papers relative to Boydell's traction-engine as promised when we were speaking on the subject of these engines a few days ago.. "As it is a' long affair, and you will probably not feel disposed to wade through the whole correspondence, I will mention a few of the testimonials which I consider bear most ..strongly in favour of the success of 'these engines. The last

testimonial at page 11a, from Theodore West, is perhaps the most important to us, because^it gives the result of a trial of the engines in Australia.

"No; 1, at page 11, is also important, as showing the efficacy of the endless railway, under circumstances well calculated to put it to the test. No. 2, at page la, from Major-General Abbott, is also valuable, as showing the successful result of

the experiments which have been made with these engines in India. If any re-

liance is to be placed on documents of this kind when signed, as these are, by men of standing, there would seem to be no further proof wanting to show that the end-

less railway system is a complete success. At any rate there is evidence enough to render it worth while to try the experiment. Sit is the endless railway principle to which I attach the most importance. This principle is capable of being applied to vehicles drawn by animal power as well & by steam traction-engines. "I question very much whether as a motive power steam will be found more economical than animals ; but if we can find the means of very materially reducing the power required to draw a given weight on our unformed roads, we shall have accomplished a great gain, whether the power applied be that of steam or animals. What I should like to see proved by actual experiment is the positive gain in power .by the *employment of'the endless railway on the ordinary bush roads of this colony. Supposing it is one-half, and that two tons could be drawn by the same power which is now required to draw one ton, what an immense gain this would be to the colony. But this is not all. The most important result of the successful employment of the endless railway would be that it would solve the road problem.

" These wheels with their broad-bearing surfaces, instead of tearing up the road like common bullock-drays, would actually improve the roads. Considering, then, the immense importance of the road ques-

tion, the Government would do right to incur the outlay necessary to try the experiment, even if it proved a failure; and should it be thought that it was risking too much to import an engine, they might get out a set of wheels and try the experiment with animal power. The road question is undoubtedly the greatest difficulty we have to contend with in regard to our material progress. The Murray trade will inevitably slip away from us if something is not done to facilitate the transit of goods between the Port and the river.

" The Murray will be ' tapped' in a few weeks by the Melbourne railway, and then there will be an end to our traffic with the upper river districts. If we can manage te save the Darling trade, that is as much a,s we can expect; but that can only be done by our setting to work at once to improve our road communication. If the trade once goes from us it will be difficult to get it back again. "I have, &c,

" Chas. Bonny. " Parkside, June 7, 1864."

From the testimonials to .which Mr Bonny refers we make the following extracts. Sir William Codrington, who used the principle somewhat extensively during the Crimean war, gives thp following instance of its utility. Speaking of its performances in a " deep sticky, wet Crimean mud," he says:— " I understood at the time that the 95 cwt. gun could not have been moved at all by common means on such ground ; and, although a very clumsy-looking affair, I saw five horses move it at once on a level, stop at the rise, have two more horses put on, and then move again. At a more difficult place two more were added, making in the whole nine horses. It crossed the railroad and the little ditches at the side of it." Major-General Abbott, writing on the adaption of the principle to travelling in India, says : — . ; ' - " Boydell's engines will maintain transport communication in India at all seasons, even in the rains, when no bullock-cart can move without 'pucka'—that is, metalled —roads. For Boydell's engine it is merely necessary to clear the jungle, and I may almost say that it will follow wheresoever the pioneer's axe may lead. It will, I think, prove the sheet-anchor of any carrying Company in India, more especially in the development of the cotton trade. Wherever cotton is grown, Boydell's iron horse will drag it to the railway

station, whereas it might rot in its native fields before roads could be made for its transport by the ordinary vehicles of the country." \ ' • In another letter the General says:— " The Australian plains, as described by you, are, I think, pre-eminently suited for the endless railway, and there could be no more favorable ground for showing its

powers. It must on a^andy plain beat all other modes of traction. On such ground, and with wagons fitted with the endless rail, the power of Boydell's engine at slow speed; would be little inferior to that of .an ordinary locomotive on fixed rail. I cannot imagine that an unshod wheel, however broad, which depends for fulcrum. upon friction against loose sand,, can in any way be compared to Boydell's wheel. The action of the driving-wheel would displace the sand, and greatly neutralize the power of progression." The testimony of Mr Theodore West, who has seen Boydell's engine actually at work in Australia, is especially useful. After some prefatory remarks on schemes of locomotion which he had seen during 4. residence of nearly ten years in the colanies, he expresses his belief in the " entire practicableness .of the traction-engine.' r And with reference to " the comparative value of the endless railway-wheels a& against any wheels which come in direct contact with the ground," he says :—

" You are aware that I had an unusually good opportunity of testing this, and a3the result of that trial I should, if asked, civilly decline having anything to do with any business speculation of this kind with, round wheels— i.e., direct contact — engines. Within fair limits the roads throughout Australia are essentially similar. You have to encounter almost every conceivable incline, and one might say, almost every conceivable variety of construction and condition; here a patch of well-metalled road, old and hard, there a sort of bogrich black soil; then a few miles of deep sa,nd, or some fresh laid metal or corduroy road—good and bad; of queer rifts and gaps produced by thunder-storms; off stumps and boulders, sidelings, creeks, and gullies, such as would open the eyes of any English driver as forming parts of a high road. I was astonished over and over again at the power of the engine in surmounting these various obstacles, and, the perfect command over it to suit the exigency of the movement; and it settled two most important points which I had before doubted; first, that with a fair load on a properly made waggon it could travel whenever, as regards weather, the ordinary team could; and, secondly, that wherever a horse or bullock team could go, as regards soft ground, therealso it can, which, considering the great relative weight of the engine, I regard as a triumph of mechanical construction. I am certain that in various situations in which we found ourselves and. were compelled to pass through, no round wheel, however furnished with spuds, could possibly have passed. The engine seemed able to pass anywhere. After a few days with it I scarcely felt the least anxiety as to whether it would pass doubtful points." Mr West then proceeds to give several instances, in, which ou the most difficult ground the engine with the endless railway passed safely and easily, while the trucks which followed, and which were not furnished with the shoes and rails, were "stuck up," He then adds:—

" These details, which are strict matters, of fact, will show that I have good reason, for saying that your endless rail will do what no round wheel can, and I am equally certain that on slippery, clayey ground, and in mounting inclines, such as are met

with on all the average roads of Australia, besides swamps, sands, and rocky steppes, direct contact wheels would completely baffle the unlucky wight who had. to drive them. ..Entered into in a, spirited prudent way, water-stations arranged, I see no reason why this engine should not be eminently useful for various colonial purposes." .;■. :' • ' . - Looking at this evidence in connection, with Mr Bonney's letter, it would certainly appear desirable that an experi- ' ment should be made to practically test the adaptability of the endless railway to the circumstances of this colony. It will.be seen that the principle differs entirely from that of the traction-engines introduced -by the proprietors of the Yudanamutana Mines. These are on what Mr West calls the " round wheel,'' or "direct contact" principle, and which that gentleman condemns. It might be desirable for the Government to institute enquiries in Sydney as to the performances of the engine to which Mr West refers. It what is said of the practical utility of the invention be correct, then we quite agree with Mr Bonney that it would solve the road problem in this colony. In that gentleman's opinion the expensive engine is not necessary; the principle of the endless frail applied to properly-constructed wagons, drawn by horse-power, would accomplish all that is required. We hope the subject will not be lost sight of,_

We take the following froni the Marlborough Press, of the 4th July : —" We learned yesterday at the Government Offices, that between three hundred and fifty and four hundred men were now employed as extra hands on the public roads and works. There are over a hundred men now 8t work between the Grove and Mahikipawa ; about the same number at Havelock ; one hundred and fifty men between Canvas Town and the Eorks ; and forty men on the Blenheim road. Not anapplication is refused which the road engineers and surveyors can find room for."

Parisian Hand-warmers.—ln Paris, where invention is ever on the alert to produce fresh articles, either of convenience or luxury, % new invention has appeared expressly for the purpose of warming the hands during the cold weather, or of contributing to the comfort of invalids at any season when debilitated nature may require such aid, The real article is a metal tube, which being filled with boiling water is carefully closed up, and then slipped into its cover, which is a long but narrow bag1. This cover is knitted in. ! the brioche stitch, or in some other, equally sira- ! pie, in any dark color, is -worked backwards and forwards until it is wide enough to enclose the metal tube, and is then sown up. The knitting having been left a little longer than required, is drawn in about an inch from each end, and tied with a bow of ribbon, leaving the knitting to project in the form of a rosette. As a substitute for the metal cylinder, a small vial might be adopted, the size being that which can be easily grasped in the hand. Of course, the handwarmewave always made in pairs. It is said that much comfort has been derived from this simple v and yet ingenious.invention, the heat being retained within the tubes for a, very long time. . . /iV-'. ''■:■■'"

Settlements iff the Waikato.—Queeristown (Ngaruawahia), the future capital of Waikato, having been surveyed and divided into allotments, a portion of them are to be submitted by auction, to public competition on the Bth August next, at the Waste Lands office. There are 82 allotments for sale, varying in size from 21p to lr lip, the upset price of which is from Ll3 2s 61 to LSI 17s 6d, or LIOO per acre. The. probable importance and value of Qaeenstown at no very, distant date will, no doubt, induce a spirited competition on the part of the public to secure allotments in it. It will also be a good test of the value of land in the Waikato and the rest of the township, eighty-two allotments only, put of those numbered (up to 357), being submitted for sale.— Southern Gross»