8

E.—s.

Again,— " Now, if the best American engines can be laid down in India and in our colonies as cheap or cteaper than English engines, and that they will run easier and with greater steadiness, involve less expense in repairs and renewals, and do less damage to the permanent way, it is surely worth while for consulting engineers, directors, and agents to consider the economy their introduction must occasion." Again,— " As regards train-mileage, the following comparative statement, showing working results in English, American, and Indian railroads for the year 1876-77, will prove interesting and instructive :■•— No. of nr-i . -i Train-miles "English- Engines. Miles operated. pei . Engine . Great Western ... ... ... 1,478 2,274 17,397 Great Eastern ... ... ... 505 007 20,600 Midland ... ... ... 1,326 1,588 18,219 London and North-Western ... 2,058 2,158 15,800 5,367 6,927 4)72,016 Average of all ~. 18,004 American— Pennsylvania ... ... ... 515 1,071 32,627 New York Central ... ... 602 ],000 30,870 Michigan Central ... ... 219 804 30,812 Erie ... ... ... 468 956 26,900 1,804 3,831 4)121,209 Average of all ... 30,302 Indian — East Indian ... ... ... 450 1,505 14,737 Great Indian Peninsular ... ~, 331 1,288 17,000 Madras ... ... ... 100 858 23,334 Bombay and Earoda ... ... 64 417 19,149 945 4,067 4)74,220 Average of all ... 18,555 " The above shows 12,298 more train-miles per engine for American roads than for English, and 11,747 than for Indian roads. The following statement shows the average cost of locomotives on four of the English roads, and the average cost of American engines : — " English. American. Midland ... .., ... ~. £2,648 Ist class passenger engine (C) ... ... £1,720 Great Eastern ... ... ... 2,271 Ist class goods engine (D) ... ... 1,800 Great Western ... ... ... 1,767 Ist class goods engine, extra power (E) ... 2,300 London and North-Western ... ... 1,617 4)8,3Q3 3)5,820 Per engine ... ... ... £2.076 Per engine ... ... ... £1,910" I characterized these data as " vague generalizations." lam not disposed to withdraw that remark. It may be observed that, although a high average train-mileage may indicate a good state of mechanical excellence in the locomotives, a low train-mileage does not necessarily indicate a bad one. The'length of the services and the nature of the traffic, combined with many other causes, go to determine the train-mileage performed by the engines on each line. The following are the remarks of Mr. R. Price Williams, Mem. Inst. C.E., in speaking of Mr. Harrison's paper on Railway Statistics and Expenditure, read before the Institution of Civil Engineers, London. He instanced " two cases that occurred on railways dealt with in the paper which differed as much in every way, as regarded the nature and extent of their traffic, as they did in their relative cost per train-mile—namely, the London and South-Western and the North London Railways. In the case of the latter, its enormous passenger traffic, which was of what was called an omnibus character, and its very heavy mineral traffic, required the unusually large number of three engines per mile, and a resulting low average of 18,400 trainmiles per engine per annum. On the other hand, the London and South-Western, with a large mileage of single line and light traffic at its remote end, was worked with less than half an engine per mile, but with the unusually high average, during the past six years, of above 25,000 miles per engine per annum." In adducing these remarks I am merely stating facts well known to every railway manager. The writer says, " Mr. Maxwell says that the Fairlie engines on the Great South-Western of Ireland showed an average of 25,000 miles a year for throe years. Now, as lam sure that is what a Fairlie engine never did, I am led to believe this is another error in Mr. Maxwell's figures." The writer will find the statement referred to in Engineering, The following is an extract from Vol. XXXVII. of the Minutes of the Institute of Civil Engineers, London, by Mr. A. McDonnell, which; gives the year's run with two single Fairlies, with 15 in. cylinders and sft. Gin. wheels : — No. 33: Miles run, 30,977; coal used, 19-8 lb. per mile; wages and repairs, o'l9d. per mile; materials for repairs, 0-4 d. per mile; average load,, 6-wheel carriages, 6'l tons,