could be performed than had been proposed in the programme handed to the French and Italian Governments. (A.) MONT CENIS RAILWAY. LOCOMOTIVE TRIALS for the FRENCH, ITALIAN, and RUSSIAN GOVERNMENTS, and Steam pressure gained 500 lbs, in 23 runs; or 21 lbs. on the average for each 18.200 100 10.920 56 0 41 10.920 67 51.040 296 152 29.120 204 run. (B.) MONT CENIS RAILWAY. OFFICIAL TRIALS made before the FRENCH, ITALIAN, and RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT COMMISSIONERS; also Mr. BRUNLEES and other ENGINEERS, on the 19th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, and 31st July, 1865. lbs. Power employed for 16 tons load, 172 H.P. x 56 mins. x 5 lbs. Power employed for 24 tons load, 145 H.P. x 2 hrs. 24 mins. x 5 lbs.) coke per hour 5 lbs. 1,720 805 coke per H.P. per hour 2,525 1,148 kilos. Average consumption with above loads 18 3 kilos. per kilom, run. Consumption per horse power 5 lbs. engine standing and steam blowing off 4 kilos. per sup. foot Consumption of Water. 1 kilo. coke evaporated 8.76 kilos. water; 1,446 kilos. coke having evaporated 12,669 kilos. water. Production of Steam. With the 24 ton load the pressure in the boiler increased on an average 20 lbs. each run; and, with the 16 ton load, 25 lbs. each run. It may be worthy of notice, that while a greater horse power was developed, and the consumption of steam was proportionably greater with the 16-ton than with the 24-ton load, the pressure in the boiler increased in a greater ratio also. (D.) TRIALS made on 29th and 30th November, before Messrs. BRASSEY, BLOUNT, BUDDICOM, and FOLSH. The maximum speed with a 16 ton load taken over the whole 2 kiloms., was 18 kiloms. per hour. This gave one horse power to each 3 sup. feet of heating surface as a maximum. The steam pressure increased 20 to 30 lbs. With a load of 24 tons the maximum speed was 12 kiloms. per hour. The engine ascended a gradient of 1 in 12 without a load, with only 40 lbs. of pressure in the boiler. Trial of Breaks. Ordinary and centre rail breaks combined. With a gross load of 41 tons, descending a gradient of 1 in 12, at a speed of about 6 kilomètres per hour, the train was stopped within 20 mètres. With a gross load of 33 tons, descending, under similar circumstances, at a speed of about 12 kilomètres per hour, the train was stopped on a given signal in 20 mètres. (E.) The proposed working programme for the Mont Cenis Railway is as follows : Giving nearly one penny per ton per mile for locomotive power, including fuel, grease, wages, and maintenance. 1.60 franc 80 kilomètres = 0.02 franc per passenger per kilomètre for locomotive power. Giving 18. 3d. per passenger per journey. The Author himself observed, what is quoted in one of the above experiments, that No. 2 Engine was just able to move up a gradient of 1 in 121 with 40 lbs. of steam-pressure. This engine developed 12 horse-power per ton of its own weight; but it is believed that by some alterations in the boiler, as well as in other parts of the engine, in which steel may be substituted for cast iron, something like 15 horse-power per ton may ultimately be obtained, as against 20 horse-power per ton which is afforded by steam fire-engines. It was remarked during the later trials, that the engine and train gained speed on the sharpest curves. This effect, so contrary to general practice, was produced, partly by the action of the horizontal guide-wheels, which kept the engine and the wagons in their proper positions with respect to the rails, and partly to the fact that the gradients on the curves had been slightly eased, while the gradients on the straighter portions had been made proportionally steeper, with the intention of as nearly as possible balancing the resistances. There is the less practical difficulty in carrying out this advantageous arrangement upon very sharp curves, because such cannot of course be of great length. The advantages of this system for mountain passes are very great. The middle rail, besides being of service in the ascent, affords the means of applying pressure-breaks, acting with any amount of force, to any number of vehicles in the descent, and thus renders the descent safe, and supplies a remedy against bad consequences from a fracture of the couplings. It also prevents the engine, or any vehicles of the train that are supplied with guide-wheels, from leaving the line, from a defect in the permanent way or rolling stock. The force of the wind is at times so great on the Mont Cenis that it would hardly be safe, if only on that account, to take trains over it without the protection thus afforded. The Mont Cenis Railway is, however, expected to be at work from Susa to Lanslebourg or Modane in about three months, and in from five to six months throughout its whole length of 48 miles from Susa to St. Michel de Maurienne, and there will then be an opportunity of experiments over longer distances. There is another system for working steep inclines which has found support in Italy, and which it will be proper to describe here -that of Signor Agudio. In this system two stationary engines are employed, one at the summit and the other at the bottom of an inclined plane. They have the same power, and they act upon the same double endless rope, which is kept stretched by a tension wagon hanging upon it at each extremity. This rope runs between the rails, and over two systems of wheels worked by the stationary engines, from which it receives its movement by friction. It does not act directly upon the train, but is connected with an engine which may be called the locomotive of the system, and has received from the inventor the name of "Locomoteur funiculaire." This is a vehicle 22 feet long, supported on a bogie-frame at each end, and carrying a system of drums and wheels, by the action of which the required motive power is obtained indirectly from the moving rope. The two portions of rope act upon separate wheels, the wheels set the drums in motion, and the drums climb a heavy stationary iron cable, firmly fixed at the summit and weighted below, which is called the "cable of adhesion." The ascending portion of the moving rope has two turns round two wheels on the left side, and the descending portion two turns round two wheels on the right side of the locomotive, the front wheels in each case remaining free, and being used for conducting the rope only, while the hind wheels transmit to the drum the moving power of the rope. The ascending rope acts through its (left) hind wheel upon a middle friction drum, which is compressed between the outer main drums by the force of the rope passing over them, and which thus turns the main drums on each side of it by adhesion. The descending rope acts through its (right) hind wheel upon a pinion and a rack in the inner circumference of the hinder drum. The drums being set in motion, the locomotive is moved by their friction upon the cable of adhesion which has two turns round them. The middle drum which transmits the force of the ascending portion of the rope to the main drums, and the rack and pinion which transmit the force of the descending portion to the hinder drum, are so proportioned that the rope moves at two and a quarter times the speed of the locomotive; and as the two portions of the rope work equally, the strain on the rope is, excluding friction in both cases, 1 1 1 X = or ths of what it would be in the case of a single 2.25 2 4.5' rope acting by direct tension in the ordinary way. The moving rope of the system may therefore be proportionately diminished in strength and weight, or a greater length of inclined plane may be worked than under the ordinary system, with greater safety; though at the expense of a certain amount of complication. The hinder rope-wheels of the locomotive are provided with gearing which will admit of their running free, or with their shafts, at pleasure. Before starting they are allowed to run free, and when a certain velocity has been attained, that which is connected with the friction drum is suddenly put into gear, and the excess of velocity is utilized in overcoming the inertia of the train and the apparatus. In ascending, the train may at any moment be stopped by putting these wheels out of gear and applying the break. There is a break attached to one of the drums and a sledge break on the rails, which may be used in the descent, when the moving ropes are stationary and the rope-wheels run freely on their shafts. Some experiments which were tried with this system on the Dusino |