r///ÄD EDITION
ON THE
Railways of Ireland
AND THE MOST ECONOMICAL METHOD OF PKOVIDING
FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF
(CIj£ap ®ran£li Eaílínajs
AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF COUNTY CROSS ROADS TO ENABLE RAILWAY
COMPANIES TO ERECT INTERMEDIATE SIGNAL STATIONS WHEN
REQUIRED FOR THE ACCOMMODATION OF MARKET TRAFFIC
READ BEFORE THE
ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY
I
BY
JAMES DILLON, Civil Engineer
vice-president op the inst. c.e.i.
Äutho)' of the Papers read before the British Association and
the London Society of Arts on
Arterial Drainage and River Conservancy Works
As lately carried out by him, and their effects upon River Floods, ^c.
DUBLIN
E. PONSONBY, 116 GRAFTON STREET
1879
Price One Shilling
, ír^.oA-o
> LIBRARY
BUREAU OF RAILWAY ECONOMICS,
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JÎ^SHINCTON.D.C.
^MDOî) ?î«-
On the Causes which have led to the Stop¬
page of Railway Enterprise in Ireland,
and the Best Way of Providing for the
Improvement and BXTBJVSIOJV OF
THE RAIL WA Y S YSTEM.
Having for the past fifteen years devoted much of my time to
the subject of the extension of Railways in Ireland, and having
been professionally engaged in the laying out and construction
of railwaj^s in different parts of Ireland, I have from time to
time been impressed with the idea that the Imperial Parliament,
through error of judgment, has inflicted a great and lasting
injury on Ireland, in compelling the Irish people to construct a
railway system unsuited to their requirements. If this state¬
ment proves to be well founded, I think Ireland, instead of
begging for Government assistance, has a right to demand that
a most searching investigation should at once he made into all
matters connected with our railways, with a view to determin¬
ing the best way of remedying the defects which have led
practically to the stoppage of railway enterprise in Ireland,
checking the development of her resources, and leading almost
to the bankruptcy of branch line companies.
I will divide the consideration of this subject into three
parts :—
First—The defects of the Irish Railway System.
4
Second—How the defects of the system may, for the future,
be avoided by the adoption of cheap railways suited to
the requirements of the agricultural districts.
Third—The best method of providing capital to complete
the railway system.
defects of the railway system.
It will, I think, be admitted that there should be a consider¬
able difference made when designing the leading roads or high¬
ways for a great continent, and for small islands like Ireland, the
Isle of Man, and Jersey; their dimensions should be in propor¬
tion to the area of country, traffic, and population to be pro¬
vided for, ina.smuch as the extensions of a railway system has
the effect of greatly increasing the amount of traffic over the
whole area of a country (in some instances doubling it in,
ten jrears after opening of line). It follows that the main
lines of Ireland can never be called upon to do more than a
fractional amount of the work done by main lines in countries
having ten times her area, population, and traffic.
The size of a machine should be regulated in a measure by
the amount of work it is intended to accomplish. If a coster-
monger in small trade purchased a Pickford's van to supply his
customers, bankruptcy would most likely follow.
Yet it is a fact that, althou,gh the traffic per square müe of
country in England is greatly in excess of the traffic per
square mile in Ireland, Parliament allowed the English
railways to be constructed on a guage of 4ft. S^in. (with
one or two exceptions), while it compelled the Irish people to
construct their railways on a guage of Sft. 3in.
An examination of Table Ho. 1 proves that the English rail¬
way companies have 10,454 tons of general merchandise to carry
for every mile of railway constructed, while Ireland has only
1,143, the gross railway receipts in England amounting to £604,
and in Ireland to only £55 per square mile of country.
Table Ho. 1.
o
TABLE No. 1.
United Kingdom Kailw.\y Statistics, and Annual Traffic
Eeceipts per Mile of Eailway, for the Year ending
31st December, 1868.
Number of Miles Oponed
for Trattic.
5 ^
'o 3
J ^
'
o -
d t
P o
Ss
Populjition per Mile
of Railway.
o
C- "
s:
C r;2
o tí
«m
m o
s
«
Live Stock Carried for
cacli Mile of Railway.
General Meroliaridisc
earned for eacli Mile
of Railway.
o "
o
VI u
s§
O
S
íh "o
VI
p
ë
o
v: ¿
'o ^
o
C «ti
M o
o
;z:
o
p.
§4
o p.
rd -vj
tí 2
'i ^
Total Square Miles in
each. Country.
Milos.
Square
Miles.
Tons
SqMile
£
£
£
Square
Miles.
England
10,200
5
1914
26,397
1005
10,454
604
3453
1773
49
58,320
Scotland
3,249
13
1318
9,828
1003
7,730
144
1882
931
50
30,685
Ireland
1,991
16
2938
6,642
1253
1,143
55
889
441
52
32,524
Again, the annual gross receipts of railways in England
amount to an average of £3,453 per mile, and in Ireland to
£899, while there arc 26,397 railway passengers in England as
compared with 6,642 in Ireland, for every mile of railway con¬
structed.
It will be seen from this, that the English traffic is enor¬
mously in excess of the Irish traffic, while the machines for
carr3dug it are much larger in IreEnd than in England.
I must now refer to another branch of the subject. At the
time England was about to commence the construction of her
railways, there was a most perfect system of mail coaches estab¬
lished over the whole country, and a very large goods traffic
in connexion with her manufactures, carried on her macada¬
mised roads ; and Parliament, fearing that the different railway
companies would injure the roads by introducing steep and nar¬
row inclines over and under the railway^s, thus impeding a large
and important traffic on said roads, passed a number of rules
from time to time, now known as the Railway Standing Orders.
The Standing Orders, together with the Act of Parliament 8
Vic. c. 20, passed in 1845, makes it compulsory for the com¬
panies to construct very broad and costly bridges for mail coach
6
roads, with inclines oyer same of not less than 1 in 30, and a
breadth of roadway of not less than 35 feet, other roads being
10 feet less.
This may have been necessary for a country like England,
but Parliament committed the great mistake of rigidly applying
the same Act of Parliament to Ireland where mail cars were
used (except in very few instances) instead of mail coaches, and
where the ruling gradients of the mail car roads were much
steeper than 1 in 30 (a car not requiring as level a road as a
coach), and where the trafhc on the country roads—particularly
through grazing districts—was so small as compared with Eng¬
land, that much smaller and cheaper bridges would have suited
Ireland ; hut the majority of the Members of Parliament being
ignorant of the wants of the country, could not see the mistake
they were committing, and instead of sanctioning steeper
inclines and smaller bridges, and in some cases level crossings
for roads, where one or two carts might pass in a day, they com¬
pelled Ireland to waste hundreds of thousands of pounds in con¬
structing unnecessary road approaches and bridges. But for this
blunder, many of our branch lines would now be paying a
dividend, because it not only led to the unnecessary construction
of bridges, hut the railways had to be raised on embankments,
and sometimes put into cuttings so as to cross a road, the
surface of which could not be altered on account of its in¬
clination exceeding the Parliamentary limit, thus frequently
entailing enormous cost.
In support of this I will briefly state to you the
opinion of Mr. Bidder, one of the most able engi¬
neers in England. Speaking of " Cheap Branch Rail¬
ways," during a debate on the subject, before the Institution
of Civil Engineers, in London, in 1865, Mr. Bidder stated
"The Standing Orders of Parliament interfere very much
with such lines. Parliament said, ' A railway shall not
cross a public highway in England if it interferes with
its level, excepting it he made with a gradient of I in 20
for a parish road, and I in 30 for a turnpike road; nor
shall it cross a road on the level without permission.' Of
course, these were questions of local circumstances : 1 in 20
might he a proper gradient for London ; but there were districts
where the normal gradients were I in 7, or I in 10, and where
7
the traffic might amount to three vehicles, or four vehicles per
day. No attention was, however, paid to the fact, nor were
reasons listened to, but a gradient of 1 in 20 was insisted on.
" He had to say on one occasion in Committee, that if such
conditions were to he abided by, he could not prove the pre¬
amble, for the gradient of the valley being 1 in 11,1 in 20 would
go quite across the valley. But what he proposed was, to spend
£500 in improving the road on the other side of the railway,
leading to the nearest village, and then the hiU was passed.
" With regard to level crossings, he feared he had been a
great offender, for on one line he had made as manv as 38 level
crossings on as many miles of railway. But now the rule was
that there should be no level crossings. In consequence of this,
where the Great Western Railwa}^ crossed a country I'oad at its
apex, at a most convenient place for a station, esp(îcially for
minerals, the engineer was compelled to avoid making a level
crossing, though it was near the highest point of the country,
and to raise that road 15 or 16 feet, at a cost, he believed, of
£7,000 or £8,000. The company could not have a station
there, the opening of the line was delayed for several months,
and the thing was a nuisance to the neighbourhood."
If thus, as proved so clearly by Mr. Bidder, the Eailwav
Standing Orders are unsuited for England, leading, as they do,
to an enormous waste of money, how much greater must the
injury be that they inflict on Ireland, where the local traffic on
the country roads can only be a fractional part of that on the
English roads, and where the railway receipts are propor¬
tionately small.
Since the publication of Mr. Bidder's remarks above re¬
ferred to, the Board of Trade have not, as a matter of favour,
applied the law relating to level crossings as rigidly as in
former years, but this system works most injuriously ; for
example :—
Previous to 1865, I was much engaged in laying out new
lines of railway in Ireland, and in numerous instances I had to
estimate for costly embankments and cuttings so as to provide
for public road bridges over roads where one or two carts might
pass in a day, whereas, had I been permitted to substitute level
crossings for said roads, it would have reduced my estimates by
some thousands of pounds ; but, as I knew the lines would be
8
opposed by existing and competing railway companies, I was
obliged to avoid all departure from Standing Orders, to prevent
said companies opposing on tbe ground of non-compliance witb
said Standing Orders ; and in one of the cases I refer to, it was
not until after tbe line was sanctioned by Parliament and oppo¬
sition frightened away, that it was deemed prudent to try and
obtain Parliamentary sanction to substitute certain level cross¬
ings for the very roads we had in the first instance to provide
bridges for, thus necessitating the expense of a second Act of
Parliament, it not being certain how the Board of Trade might
act in the face of opposition.
Another peculiar feature of the last-named case was,—that
the new line was to form the second section of a line ; the first
section being made some 7 or 8 years. No public road level
crossings were allowed on the first section of the line, although
there was scarcely any traffic on the roads, the district being a
grazing one ; thus necessitating the unnecessary expenditure of
some £20,000 on a line about 22 miles in length ; whereas, some
9 or 10 public road crossings have within the last couple of years
been sanctioned on the second section, or extension of said line,
the countiy being similar as regards traffic ; but the big rail¬
way companies withdrew their opposition, and the difficulty was
got over by a second application to Parliament.
This one-sided application of the law is most unjust, and there¬
fore the Act 8 Vic. cap. 20, that deals with this part of the
subject ought to bo repealed, so far at least as it afiects Ireland,
and a new one substituted, making it legal for railway com¬
panies to alter all roads in the least expensive way, provided
the roads crossing the railway are not made steeper, and
the bridges not made narrower than the average incline and
breadth of bridges on said roads, and provided that the average
did not exceed a limit to be fixed by Parliament, and that rail¬
way level crossings should be sanctioned in all cases where their
adoption would not afl'ect the public safety ; as for instance
public cross-roads,—for it must not be forgotten that the exten¬
sion of the railway system diverts much of the heavy traffic
from the country roads on to the railways. I think, however,
important leading roads should be crossed by bridges, if their
levels admit of it.
If the Irish railways and branch railways have been con-
9
structed. on a larger and more costly scale than the English,
American, and Continental railways, where the populations
are so very much greater, it is easy to understand why our
branch railways do not pay a dividend, and this leads to
another evil : the different companies having spent all their
available capital on the construction of their lines, are from
want of funds, obliged to use the same class of rolling stock and
engines for the main line and branches, thus necessitating the
same expenditure for the haulage of 30 passengers and a few
tons of goods on the branch that would be sufficient for 500
passengers on the main line.
The result is, the working expenses on the branch lines
absorb from 45 to 60 per cent., and even more of the gross
receipts, while the balance for dividend has to be apportioned on
a capital double what it would have been, had the lines been
designed on the basis of the traffic and area of Ireland, and
made for cash prices, instead of being made by contractors on
credit assisted by Lloyd's Bonds.
I will now deal with the second division of the subject :—
HOW TO AVOID THE DEFECTS OF THE PRESENT RATI.WAY SYSTEM.
Foreign Governments having profited by our costly experi¬
ments, have already constructed many cheap broad and narrow
guage railways at little more than half the cost of our branch
lines, in Norway, Sweden, Vancouver's Island, and India ; while
the Festiniog Eailway in Wales, constructed on a guage of I ft.
Hi in., ascending a height of 700 ft. in a length of 13 miles, round
curves of only 198 feet radius, and worked by locomotives, has
proved a success. I have travelled on this line at the rate of
20 miles per hour, with the most perfect safety and comfort.
On what gauge then should our future branch lines be
constructed ?
It cannot be denied that a break of guage should, if possible,
be avoided, and that the whole of the Irish Railways should be
of the same guage ; but as we now know that the proper guage
for Ireland would have been a 3¿ft. instead of a Ojft., I am of
opinion that if the landed proprietors find it impossible to raise
the necessary capital to construct their proposed branch lines
on the present guage of 5jft., that on satisfying the proper
authorities on this point, they should be permitted to construct
B
10
their railway on a 3|ft. guage, or even less, should the district be
a very poor one, because narrow-guage railways could be
constructed in this country much more cheaply than broad-
guage railways, and would be able to do the work required of
them for the next century.
In the hope of avoiding break of guage, however, I will
state briefly the distinctive features of the system I, in common
with other engineers, propose for agricultural districts, the
guage being the same as the main lines of the country—that
is, 5| feet :—
1st. Abandonment of road bridges.—By this is avoided a
large expenditure in the construction of road bridges over the
railway, and the embankments leading to same; and as most of
the traffic in an agricultural district would be carried by rail
instead of by road, the adoption of level crossings can lead to no
practical inconvenience. Adjoining each crossing there would
be a good cottage built, which could be inhabited by the
milesman on that length, his family minding the crossing
during his absence. This ensures some of the workmen being
always near the line. The system is found to work well, and
reduces the average cost of lines by £1,000 per mile.
2nd. Substituting passenger sheds for stations.—This would
avoid the expense of station-buildings, officers and servants for
small roadside stations, where there are but few passengers.
The guard of the train would have power to issue and receive
tickets.
A railway porter, to receive parcels, &c., would be placed in
charge of a cheap passenger shed, composed of 1st and 3rd class
compartments. He could also work the station signal. This
arrangement would save four-fifths the cost of a station.
3rd. Beducing the weight of engines and rolling stock.—By
this a large expenditure would be saved in the first cost of the
engines, carriages, waggons, &c., as it is not proposed to run
more than 20 miles per hour, as compared with 40, 50, and 60
miles per hour, the speed run on some lines. But, inasmuch as
the weight and cost of the rails can be reduced by one-half
because of the reduction of the weight of the engines, and
distributing the reduced weight of the engine on three instead
of one pair of driving wheels as formerly, which latter have
heretofore regulated the weight of the rail, and the weight
11
and cost of iron bridges used on railways. Tbis modification
wiU reduce the cost of the line by nearly another £1,000 per
mile.
4th. Reduction in the weight of rails and sleepers.—By
this the cost of sleepers will ' be reduced by nearly one half,
as smaller dimensions will suffice ; and the larch sleepers
rejected by the main line companies as being too slight, would
be strong enough for the branch lines.
ôth. Reducing the radius of curves.—This will enable an
enormous saving to be effected in the earthwork of a railway,
where the countrj^ is hilly, because, instead of having as for¬
merly to lay out the line through hills, the hills can now, in the
majority of cases, be avoided, by curving the line round the base
of a hill or spur of a mountain, instead of having to cut through
them as formerly. This great improvement in the laying out
of lines was not practicable until the Americans proved that
their Bogge engines were just as safe as our English engines.
The advantage the Bogge engine has over the English
engine is this—that the front wheels work on a pivot, like the
front wheels of a cab, so that their tendency is to follow the
curved rails, whereas, in the English engines, the frame being
rigid, the wheels work in a straight line, forming a tangent to
the curve, and at the same time having a great tendency to run
off the rail ; so great is this tendency that the outer rail has to
be raised far above the true theoretical height, or what would be
necessary to counteract centrifugal motion, if the structure of
the engine frame could be made to work on two or three
centres.
Engines of this form work so smoothly, that although the
American railways are clumsy, and the rails and sleepers badly
and imperfectly laid, the engines and carriages supported on
Bogge frames in America, work as smoothly as our carriages
on our more perfect railways. Engines of this type have been used
by Mr. M'Donnell with great success on the Irish Great Southern
and Western Railway, and one suitable for a branch railway
could be made for half the cost of the engine now used.
Bissell's Truck Engine is another form of the Bogge
Engine, the moveable truck being supported on one pair of
wheels instead of two, and I think on account of its great
simplicity would be well suited for small branch-line engines of
about 10 or 12 tons.
12
These engines could be worked with safety on rails half the
weight of the rails now in use, as the load on even the driving
wheels need not exceed three tons on each wheel.
To give you some idea of how completely the introduction
of this class of engine is likely to revolutionize the construction
of railwavs, I may mention that while acting as engineer for
the late Mr. Dargan, on extensive railway works, in numerous
instances I could have saved £2,000 per mile, had the Bogge
class of engine been generally adopted in Ireland some fifteen
years ago.
The Act 8 Vic. clause 14, limits the radius of railway
curves to 2,640 feet, unless by special permission from the
Board of Trade, whereas this engine will work round a curve
of 300 feet radius. This Act must, therefore, be repealed if we
want cheap railways.
Again, owing to the driving wheels being coupled with
another pair of wheels, this engine will allow the engineer to
reduce the height of embankments and depth of cuttings, by
adopting steeper inclines, as it has a greater bite on the rail, in
proportion to its weight, than the old engines.
6th. E;eduction in the quantity of land.—By this will be
saved a large portion of the purchase-money for the land, be¬
cause of the smaller dimensions of the top of cuttings and
base of embankments ; and in the case of narrow guage lines,
a reduction in the width along the entire line.
As a Narrow Gruage Railway has never been introduced
into Ireland, the following description of the Festiniog Railway,
actually completed and at work, will be found interesting;—
Description of the Festiniog Railwaij, hy R. F. Halahan, C E.
This railway connects the extensive slate quarries lying to
the north of the village of Festiniog, in the county of Merioneth,
North Wales, with the shipping port of Portmadoc. It was
originally intended as a mineral line only, although powers
were taken in the Act to levy tolls for passengers also. The
guage is two feet. It is a single line, except at the stations.
The rails are 30 lbs. to the yard, laid in cast iron chairs of 10
lbs. each for intermediate ones, and 13 lbs. for joints; but the
company have begun to lay rails of 40 lbs. to the yard; it is
13
also intended to fish these. The rails are fastened into the
chairs with large wedges. The chairs are spiked to cross
sleepers placed 1 foot 6 inches apart at the joints; the inter¬
mediate, 2 feet 8 inches apart; joint sleepers are 4 feet 6 inches
X 10 inches x 5 inches, and others 4 feet 6 inches X 9 inches x
4J inches.
Engixes.—The C34inders are 8 inches diameter, with a
stroke of 12 inches, running on four wheels, coupled, 2 feet in
diameter, and axles 5 feet apart (Captain Tjder recommends
trailing wheels in addition, with radial axle, to steady the
locomotive). The water tanks are round the boiler, and the
fuel is carried in a four-wheel tender. The engine weighs
seven and a-half tons.
The passenger carriages are 6 feet 6 inches high, and 6 feet
wide; floor, 8 inches over rail. Passengers sit back to hack.
The wheels are 1 foot 6 inches diameter, and 4 feet apart.
The carriages are attached by central couplings, and there
is one central bufibr.
The slate waggons are about 6 feet 6 inches long, and 3 feet
wide, made of iron. Wheels 3 feet 6 inches apart, 1 foot 6
inches diameter : to these there are neither S25rings nor buffers.
The original Trucks were made of wood, but the iron are sub¬
stituted for the worn-out wooden ones. The goods waggons
have the same size of wheel, and the same wheel base as the
slate ones, but are 5 feet wide, and made of wood.
The sharpest curve on the line is three standard chains
radius, going round which the speed is limited to eight miles an
hour, twelve being the limit on other parts of the line ; but a
carriage has been round this at the rate of about twenty miles
an hour, and Caj)tain Tyler, on the daj' of the inspection, took
the train round at about fifteen. No guard rails are used.
The steepest grade is 1 in 61 on the main line, and 1 in 69
on the branch. The line rises gradually in round numbers
700 feet from Portmadoc to the upjjer terminus, and the traffic
arrangements are worked as follows :—One engine takes the
Up Train half way where there is a long siding, and the Down
Train passes it, and another engine takes it the rest of the way.
The line inclining down the whole way, the trains descend
by gravity ; the slate train proceeding first, then the engine
at a distance of 200 yards, and lastly the passenger train, at a
14
like distance, behind the engine. The passenger train (the
day of the inspection) was brought to a stand, from the rate of
30 miles an hour, in about 20 yards.
The over bridges are 8 feet over the rail, and one of them
only 8 feet wide. Also, a tunnel half a mile long is only 8 feet
wide.
The majority of the under bridges have slate girders, which
are found to answer remarkably well.
The embankments are built in dry rubble masonry ; one of
these is 70 feet high. The batter at each side is generally
about 1 in 4.
The Engines cost about £700 each.
First Class Carriages 200 „
Second and Third 120 „
Slate "Waggons 20 „
Break Vans 60 „
The engines have a plough 2 inches over the rails, attached
to the front, and also to the hack of the tender, as the engine
runs down backwards. Also the same pattern plough is fixed
to the break van, which comes down in front of the passenger
train.
Having pointed out what great reductions can be effected in
the cost of construction, the most sceptical must admit, that if
the present cost of working the branch lines averages from 40
to 60 per cent, of the gross receipts, in cases where empty
carriages are drawn by powerful engines, and where road-side
stations and station-masters have to be kept up for the accom¬
modation of a few passengers, and when heavy engines, at high
speed, hammer out the rails and crush the sleepers when partly
decayed, thus necessitating costly renewals, there cannot be a
doubt that by the adoj)tion of the system now proposed the
working expenses could be largely reduced on branch railways.
It will now be necessary to ascertain what would have been
the result if the branch lines had been made on a scale and cost
similar to what is now proposed, and if the present receipts per
mile per week would he sufficient to pay a dividend on branch
lines, costing say £3,000 or £4,000 per mile.
An examination of the annexed Table No. 2 shows that the
15
principal trunk lines are paying the shareholders a good divi¬
dend, ■while the receipts per mile per annum vary from £442 to
£1,922.
IRISH RAILWAYS.
TRAFFIC RETURNS FOR THE YEAR 1866-1867.
Table No. 2.—Trunk Lines.
>- q o
'6
■h
"1 o
™ r-
ai
1
Ü
A .
o -ë
'S
"i-
C B c. .
5^. p q "
S S
-S — i-
O w o o :c
-¿•as--
.j" s-a a
Name of Railway.
Ç
o
o
C M
p,
'o
o
o
o 5
H 5«
ïS
o
a
o
rs
D
o ? ~ r
bu I c-i;
5 -.5
r'j L. B
CP ..S o'*-
-2
P
H
p
'S
■>
fi
•2 c S .S S
l| i i =
,q P- ty
Ö -r" B, O
PP r" ¿ o
Ulster
£21,597
£1,922
33
02
£28,830
Dublin, Wicklow, and "Wex¬
g
3
ford, including Kings¬
-W
town Line
106f
20,740
1,563
O
PH
>-5
<D
Pd
23,445
Cork, Blackrock, and Pas¬
sage
61
25,732
1,541
23,115
Dublin and Belfast Junction
55i
19,645
1,384
'o
o
a
20,760
Dublin and Drogheda
74i 16,004
1,258
18,870
Great Southern and Western
4181-
14,515
1,219
18,285
Midland Great Western
246i
82Î
14,784
1,012
15,180
Great Northern and Western
7,568
442
6,6,30
Table No.
3.—3Iinor Lines.
Cork and Bandon
20
17,015
1,113
nil.
13,356
16,695
3,585
Cork and Kinsale Juuction-
lOJ
8,815
239
nil.
2,868
Banbridge Junction
n
8,194
399
nil.
4,788
5,985
Dublin and Meath
354
13,404
388
nil.
4,656
5,820
Finn Valley
13i
5,914
314
nil.
3,768
4,710
Limerick and Ennis -
24
8,147
448
nil.
5,376
6,720
Carrickfergus and Larn
1S|
7,805
332
nil.
3,984
4,980
Cork and Macroom
23,1
6,324
475
2"/o
5,700
7,125
Enniskillen and Bundoran -
351
11,931
223
nil.
2,676
3,345
Limerick, Castleconnel, and
Killaloe -
13
6,951
238
nil.
2,856
3,570
Limerick and Foynes -
26.1
7,617
292
nil.
3,504
4,380
Rathkeale and Newcastle
10
7,304
205
nil.
2,460
3,075
West Cork - _ .
17i
18,114
241
nU.
2,892
3,615
1
Table No. 3 shows the cost per mile of the principal branch
lines, the receipts per mile, and working expenses. This table
also shows that although the receipts are not sufficient to pay a
dividend on such a large capital, averaging £10,000 per mile
for branch lines, yet they are more than sufficient to pay all
16
working expenses, and a good dividend, had they heen made at a
cost of about ¿63,000 per mile, and in some cases £6,000 per mile,
because the working expenses could be reduced to 40 per cent.
In the face of such reliable evidence, based principally on
Government returns, why persist in wasting money on a class of
railway wholly unsuited to the requirements of the agricultural
districts of Ireland.
Having shown the enormous saving to he effected by the
adoption of the cheap railways on the main line guage through
a tolerable level country, where there are no engineering diffi¬
culties to contend with, I must now point out the advantages
to be gained b}- the adoption of narrow guage railways : say
3 ft. or 24 ft. in mountainous countries where there are engi¬
neering difficulties to contend with, and where the lines
could be made without any injury to our railway system as a
whole, and where, owing to their position and the physical
features of the country, they would, if made, remain branch
lines for the next 100 years, if not for ever.
Narrow guage railways are best suited for mountainous
countries, because sharper curves can be introduced, the line can
be made to follow the curves of a river, valley, or the spurs of a
mountain, and the narrow guage engine would be well able to
work the traffic of any rural district in Ireland ; it would always
be doing its proper complement of work ; whereas the main line
engines at the present time are being worked at a great loss on
branch lines on account of the dead weight bearing too high a
proportion to the weights to be carried, as it frequenth' happens
that the carriages are half empty.
If the trafhc of the district was above the average, then a
larger number of trains could be run at a less expense on the
narrow guage than the broad, although it would require nearly
the same power to move a 100 tons on the narrow and the
broad guage, but the narrow guage would avoid the necessity
of running trains half empty and at a loss by reducing the
dead weight.
Now, although the cheap light railwaj^s I have referred to,
with their light rails, light engines (with the weight of the
latter distributed over a greater length of rail), are well adapted
for branch lines through agricultural districts, I do not think
they would be equally well suited for trunk or main lines.
17
because in the latter case the trains are frequent and heavy, and
therefore heavv' engines at high speeds, so as to afford the neces¬
sary accommodation to distant cities and towns, are required.
In fact no country in the world, in proportion to its size,
population, and traffic, can boast of a more colossal (if
I might use the word) system of trunk or main lines, than
the trunk lines to Belfast, Galwajq and Cork. With one or two
exceptions, these are larger than the American and Continental
railways. They are spanned by thousands of bridges and nume¬
rous viaducts of the most beautiful proportions, which will for
ages to come do honour to their designers, Messrs. M'ííeil,
Hemans, Le Fanu, Barton, and others. The regularity of the
main line trains, and the small number of railway accidents,
coupled with the fact that they are nearly all paying a fair
dividend, is proof that great ability and attention is displayed
by all the officials, from the directors downwards.
The collapse of the railway sj'stem, as a whole, is there¬
fore all the more remarkable. The financial position of the
main lines has been imperilled by the fact that notwithstanding
their colossal nature, the branch lines had to be made on the
same colossal scale, thus causing serious financial difficulties,
and leading to the downfall of the system, as a whole.
There is no reason, however, why this evil should be further
extended throughout the agricultural districts of Ireland so as
to make the ruin more complete.
The question to be considered is. Are the evils arising from
cheap light railways, or a break of guage to be measured by
the evils arising from a large district of country being entirely
deprived of railway accommodation ; the peasantry of the
latter having to compete at an enormous disadvantage with the
railway districts.
I have lately been consulted about laying out railways in
different parts of Ireland, and, in some cases I find it will be
practicable to construct the cheap light railways, avoiding an
alteration or break of guage, while in others I find the narrow
guagce more suitable.
Ö O
It is true many are opposed to an alteration or break of
guage, and so am I, if it can bo avoided, but many of the most
eminent engineers are opposed to adhering blindly to any one
guage.
18
During a Tery important discussion or debate, tbat took
place in 1865 in the Institution of Civil Engineers on the subject
of guages—
Mr. Hemans said the adoption of the 5 feet 3 inches in
Ireland had not produced beneficial results.
Sir Charles Fox was of opinion that the branch lines of
India should be constructed on the 8 feet 6 inches guage.
Mr. C. D. Fox felt convinced of the wisdom of adopting a
narrow guage where the traffic was not heavy.
Mr. Bidder was of opinion the narrow guage might be
introduced for the sake of curves and gradients, where the
broad guage could not be introduced.
Mr. F. "Woods was of opinion that no one guage could he
suited to all conditions of locality and trafile.
Mr. G. England said the little engines on the Festiniog
railway, the guage being only I foot llf inches, can draw fifty
tons up an incline of 1 in 12.
If the facts I have just stated are confirmed by some of the
most able engineers in the kingdom, there can be little doubt
that a great and serious injury has been inflicted on this country
by compelling it to construct a more costly system of railway
than was sufiicient to meet all the requirements of the country.
Had it not been for this mistake, a less expensive system of
railways could have been constructed. The present traffic would
be sufficient to pay good dividends on the capital expended on
their construction ; and as this state of things would have led to
railway investment becoming popular, sufficient capital would
have been supplied by the people to extend the Branch Lines
throughout the whole of the districts, and the extension of the
system would by this time have largely increased the present
traffic receipts, besides developing the resources of the
country.
The Duke of Abercorn, when speaking on this subject,
said—I believe the advantages that a better system of railway
traffic would confer on Ireland, are almost incalculable. I believe
its advantages would be felt down to the pettiest trader and
smallest farmer in the remotest districts throughout the country,
and that a stimulus would be given to enterprise, and capabilities
developed which are now in their infancy. He instanced amongst
others the Sea Fisheries of the South and West of Ireland,
19
which he belieTed might he made a source of national profit
and employment, now nearly thrown away.
I have calculated that a New Line would on an average
give increased accommodation to 7^ miles of coimtry on each
side of the line, being a total of 15 square miles of country, or
9,600 statute acres for each mile of railway.
Now, the poorest mountain pasture land would he value for
an additional sixpence per acre per annum if cattle and sheep
could be thrown on it by rail. 9,600 acres at sixpence equals
£240, equal to 5 per cent, on an expenditure of £4,800 per mile
of railway.
How much more would it pay in a district where the land
was worth from 20 to 30 shillings per acre, and upwards. This
leads me to the consideration of the third and last division of the
subject.
HOW TO PUOVIDE CAPITAL FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF BRANCH
LINES.
It will be remembered that in the report made by the
Irish Hailway Commissioners, dated 30th April 1868 (some of
the plans on which they based their calculations having been pre¬
pared by me in my capacity as a Hailway Company's Engineer)
the following passage occurs (page 18) :—
In connexion with the subject of the 'prospects' of Irish
Railways, a reference to future extensions can scarcely be
avoided. The history of the efibrts made during the last few
years to give the benefit of railway communication to districts
hitherto unaccommodated, has shown that the limit of unaided
undertakings (except in a few trifiing cases) has been reached,
if not passed.
It will be admitted that few, if any, of the later enterprises
have been launched on a sound basis of capital, bona fide
subscribed; but the necessity for extensions and additional
railways has been so strongly felt that the most strenuous local
efforts have been made, and every conceivable financial expe¬
dient submitted to, in order to accomplish the much-desired
result.
It may be desirable to repress the irregular "financing" of
the past, hut the necessity will still remain for dealing with
20
districts of country in which railways would he of great local
benefit, but which cannot be carried out without extraneous
aid.
"Whether such assistance can best he afforded by local
assessment, or otherwise, will, of course, require careful
consideration.
We do not believe, however, that in a matter of such recog¬
nised necessity much difliculty would be found in maturing
some plan for the purpose ; and, as before stated, we have felt
the question too important to be left altogether unnoticed in
this report.
Now, I do not think this part of the report goes half far
enough. It is weak, and most unsatisfactory.
They seem to have overlooked cases like the Dublin and
Baltinglass Junction Railway. Mr. Ilemans and myself were
the joint engineers for this line, and we laid out the line
through a very flat and easy country, and had to estimate in
every instance for public road bridges, instead of public road level
crossings. A sum of about £20,000 was bona fide subscribed by
the landed proprietors, farmers, and merchants in the district.
They cheerfully paid any calls that were made, but no capitalist
could be found to make up the difference between the subscribed
capital and cost of construction, and although the company had
a bona fide cash balance at their bankers, they were obliged to
wind iqi, in order to release some of the directors and landed
proprietors from their liability to the Crown for a sum of
£28,000, the amount of security Parliament required to secure
the line being made.
Now, the hardship of this case is, that had we been permitted
to construct a lino similar to the one I propose we could have
found contractors to have made at least the first section of the
line, and with the £20,000, aided by our borrowing powers, we
could have issued debentures for the required capital to com¬
plete the line, but the people of the district are still without a
railwaj', after being put to a great expense in endeavouring to
secure one. May I ask when wül this state of things be
remedied ?
The great question of the day is the purchase of the Irish
railways. The matter has been most ably and thoroughly
discussed by many able men, and by the Irish Press. It is
21
understood that two propositions have been submitted to the
Government for their consideration ; omitting details they are
briefly as follows :—
The Dublin scheme, better known as the Corporation or
Mansion House project, provides for the creation of a Corpora¬
tion consisting of 12 members—two to be appointed and remime-
rated by the Crown, and ten to he named in the hill—and to
hold oflB.ce for seven years ; the management of the railways to
be in the hands of three Commissioners, to he appointed by the
trustees ; said trustees are to have unlimited power of taxing
all property in Ireland made subject to property tax, poor rates,
and income tax, to make up differences arising from any cause,
no matter what the nature of it might be ; and to enable them to
commence operations, it was proposed that they should have
power to issue their warrant for the collection of a rate of one
penny in the pound.
The Belfast Chamber of Commerce, believing the Dublin
scheme a most objectionable one, propose that Government
should purchase the whole of the railways for say £24,000,000,
and then invite public companies to compete for the working of
them. They state the interest on this sum, if taken up at say
90, would create some £26,000,000 Government stock, the
interest on which would amount to £800,000 per annum, while
the net receipts for the Irish railways last year, after deducting
all expenses, amounted to £996,000. The Belfast scheme
does not provide, however, for any new lines, or the completion
of the existing system. This, no doubt, is a very serious
defect, although, in other respects, the project is favourably
thought of.
It is impossible at the present time to say which of the two
projects Government will propose to Parliament. In March last
the Prime Minister stated to the House of Commons, " That Her
Majesty's Government had not prepared any measure for the
purchase of Irish railways ; nor was he sanguine in the expec¬
tation that it would he in their power to make any proposal on
the subject of Irish railways, in any form, during the present
session of Parliament."
Many consider this reply as practically amounting to a
refusal ; indeed it is well known, as was stated a few evenings
ago in Parliament, that both the present Government and Lord
22
Palmerston's Government were opposed to the principle of
applying imperial funds to local purposes, and thus indirectly
interfering with local enterprise.
It is evident that the time has at last arrived when the
people of Ireland must seriously consider what had best he
done, for Government will not act until the people are
Tmaiiimous. I therefore venture to make the following sugges¬
tions, some of which have already been ably discussed;—
1st. That the laws relating to the construction of colossal
branch lines in Ireland wholly unsuited to the requirements of
agricultural districts, should be repealed.
2nd. That Government should pass an Act giving to the
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, or the Commissioners of Public
"Works, authority to sanction the construction of branch rail¬
ways throughout the agricultural districts of Ireland, upon a
scale suitable to the requirements of the district, and not to
sanction a departure from the guage of the country unless after
hearing proper evidence; it was proved that the broad
guage, on account of its cost, would be impracticable, and
that the question to be decided was whether they would
sanction a narrow guage railway, or leave the district without
one.
3rd. That it should be legal for branch railways to cross all
roads on the level, giving the authorities power to order bridges
to be substituted in certain special cases where public interests
required it, and that the scale of bridges and inclinations
of roads now required by law might be reduced to the average
dimensions of the road bridges and existing road inclinations
on the particular road required to he crossed by a railway
bridge.
The adoption of the various modifications referred to in the
constructing of the lines, and the above legal modifications, would
make it quite practicable to construct good and safe railways at
about £3,000 per mile. Several branchlines have lately been made
for about £6,000 per mile in Ireland, and it has already been
shown how a further reduction of £3,000 per mile can be
effected, and that by adopting the Logge engine, and the
cheap system of working, suited, of course, only to agricultural
districts; that the existing traffic receipts (see Table No. 3)
would be sufficient to pay a good dividend on the small capital
23
expended, although, inadequate to give a sufdeient return upon
the costly expenditure which has hitherto prevailed, amounting,
as stated in the Report of the Railway Commissioners, to an
average of £14,425 per müe.
I have, therefore, no hesitation in proposing that the
principle of local guarantees should be adopted by parishes or
otherwise, instead of county or baronial guarantees, which are
found most diíEcult to carry for the reason that grand juries
will not always he of one mind, the inhabitants of one part of
a county or barony, already supplied with railway accommoda¬
tion, objecting to pay towards railways in another part of the
said county or barony, for the latter embrace large areas in
some places.
I would, therefore, make a fourth suggestion—that the
Commissioners of Public Works should be empowered to define
the area of the district, that would be beneficially affected by
the proposed line (care being taken not to include any portion
not beneficially afiected), and the sum to be guaranteed by said
district, say an average of sixpence per acre, as already explained.
There can be no doubt that a land guarantee would induce the
public to invest in cheap railways, as they could lose nothing
hut might gain from surplus receipts largely.
I would further propose that the branch lines should he
worked by existing companies at a mileage, and that in case of
any disputes arising on this head, same should be referred to a
public arbitrator, appointed for the purpose.
It may be said that railways are in such disfavour with the
public, that the public would not provide the money, even to make
cheap branch lines. Should this prove to he the case, which I
do not believe. Government could have no objection to advance
money for the construction of a branch line, upon the same
terms as they now advance money for the construction of river
works, farm buildings, &c., for example.
I am at present carrjfing out works on some sixty miles of .
rivers with a Government grant of some £50,000, an annual
charge of 61 per cent, on the lands beneficially affected by the
river works will he sufficient to repay principal and interest
in twenty-two years ; and I will shortly commence other
similar works on the same principle. I would suggest,
however, that, as railways are more costly than river
24
works, generally speaking, that the twenty-two years
should be increased to forty, and that the Commissioners of
Public Works should fix the relative proportions in which the
tenants and landlords should contribute towards the guarantee,
should said guarantee ever he called upon, a most unlikely
event, except in exceptional cases. It was by the adoption of this
princijjle that the County Kerry got its railway, and I believe
the county have not been called upon to pay one shilling of the
guarantee, but it has enabled them largely to reduce their road
contracts, the heavy traffic being now carried bj' railway.
It will be seen from an inspection of the following Tables,
Nos. 4 and 5, kindly sent to me by IMr. Alexander M'Donnel,
of the Great Southern and Western Railway, Ireland,
that the stations on our Irish lines are placed at a greater
distance apart than the stations on many of the Continental
and English lines, although the population, per square mile,
in Ireland is greater, and that the number of third-class pas¬
sengers are greatly increased by diminishing the distances
between the stations.
TABLE No. 4.
Avee.vge Distaxce between Stations.
Aliles.
Average
Population
Cambridg'e to Bletchley
3.5
Shrewsbury „ Pontypool
3.3
168
Craven Arms „ Carmarthen .
3.0
168
Oswestry ,, Brecon
3.0
Salisbury „ Westbury
3.4
Bordeaux ,, Toulouse
3.75
182
Dublin „ Cork ....
7.0
187
Dublin „ Galway
6.0
199
Kildare „ Kilkenny
7.0
MuUingar „ Sligo ....
6.5
Mallow „ Tralee ....
8.0
Eoscrea „ BirdhiU
11.0
Athlone „ Westport
6.5
Portarlington „ Athlone
8.0
25
TABLE No. 5.
Number of Third Class Passengers.
Average
Pi-ítance Xo. of 3rd
Amount
Popula¬
tion.
between
Class
Paid per
Stations Passengers
3rd Class
per Mile.
Passengers
Great Southern and "Western Railway .
7.4
2,273
s. d.
2 0
155
Midland Great Western Railway .
6.0
2,219
2 11
129
Belfast and Northern Counties
3.4
5,387
0 8|
247
Mid-Wales ....
3.4
4,162
0 81
83
Swansea Vale .....
2.2
9.194
0 51
London and Soiith-Westem . (about)
3.S
7,621
1 2
226
Highland Railway
3.4
2,769
1 7
75
Chemin de Fer du Nord
3.9
10,479
1 2
182
Chemin de Fer de l'Est .
4.6
7,665
1 2Î
182
Athenry and Tuam
7.0
1,243
111
Cork and Bandon .....
3.3
4,158
188
Finn V alley ....
2.1
3,1,32
128
Carmarthen and Cardigan
3.1
10,268
83
It must not be forgotten that in England there is only five
square miles of country, while in Ireland there is sixteen square
miles of country to every mile of railway ; so that thousands of
people continue to travel by road to local markets, on account of
the great distance they would have to walk to the trains. I
cannot but think that, even at the present time, there is room for
another 1,500 miles of railway. This would secure about 700
railway stations, allowing an average of five miles between
each station ; while, at the present time, there are about 400
stations in the whole of Ireland.
A careful consideration of these figures must convince all
that there is a great future for the Irish railwa3-s, if Govern¬
ment act fairlj' in the matter, bj' enabling the countrj' to put her
railway system in the state it would most probablj' now he in had
the English liailwaj' laws been modified before being ajiplied to
Ireland, so as to be more in accordance with the requirements
of the country.
The construction of branch railwaj's will, of course, tend to
largely increase the receipts on the main lines, partly by the
traffic and partly by the extra rentals for working the branches.
This exceptional increase, added to the present im^iortant increase
in nearly all the lailwaj' receÍ2)ts in Ireland, may load to our
avoiding altogether having to hand over the lines to Govern-
26
ment, and putting a stop to local enterprise—a great national
calamity.
I cannot but think that, if the present Grovernment were
made aware of the fact, that the country was compelled by law
to construct too costly a system of railways for its requirements,
that they would provide an Irish railway loan to help the
insolvent railway companies out of their diihculties, say at 3 J
per cent, interest, portion of said Loan to be set apart for the
construction of branch railways through districts willing to
guarantee re-payment of principal and interest within a certain
number of years.
The simplest and quickest way of adopting the diiferent
suggestions contained in this paper would be by embracing the
suggestions relating to the engineering and construction of
branch railways in one or two short clauses, that could be easily
introduced into the Local and Personal Act Bill, now under the
consideration of the House of Commons ; and the other sugges¬
tions, relating to the financial part of the subject, could be
brought before the next session of Parliament ; in fact, if the
engineering questions were once settled it would appear that,
under the 1 and 2 William IV., c. 33,* Branch Line Railway
Companies would be entitled to an advance of two-thirds of the
cost of their railway, when and so soon as the remaining one-
third was expended on the works. A few slight alterations in
this Act, so as to make it applicable to the present condition of
things, would confer great benefits on Ireland.
It is, I think, impossible that the country can any longer
submit to the present state of things. Many of the less impor¬
tant lines are at this moment in a dangerous state for want of
money to put them in working order. I know of viaducts that
have been propped up in the middle of their spans to keep them
from falling ; and in other places, where the sleepers are too
rotten to support the rails, and the rolling-stock in bad repair.
Each day, the evils I refer to, are becoming worse and worse,
and the debts of the insolvent companies are accumulating,
and their lines become more unsafe for traffic.
* A pamphlet, lately written by B. L. Pearnley, on Irish Railways, and
published by Hodges, Foster, and Co., Grafton Street, Dublin, fuUy explains the
nature of this Act.
27
There can be no doubt the proper parties to pay for country
railways are the proprietors and inhabitants of the districts
through which they pass. They are benefited even if the line
does not pay a dividend. They have every motive for econo¬
mical construction and management, and can make a line pay
where no one else can. But they will not subscribe any large
portion of the Capital as individuals ; very few will make an
investment of any magnitude for the public good, though all
might be ready to take part in a general rate. Almost every
country hut our own has recognised the fact, and legislated on
this basis, by empowering the inhabitants of a district which
would be benefited to tax themselves for the construction of a
railway.
In France either the Department or the Commune may vote
a subvention out of their public funds ; and in the United States
the municipalities vote subsidies of municipal bonds. In Spain
the provinces and the municipalities have the power to take
shares for debentures, or, if they prefer it, to vote subventions,
as a guarantee for interest (as was lately successfully done by the
County of Gal way, in the case of the Midland Great Western
Railway.) In Italy, the municipalities do the same thing. Why
should not, Ireland, and even England follow their example, and
authorize the inhabitants of parishes, baronies, and counties to
rate themselves for a railway which will improve their property,
or empower them to raise loans on the security of the rates, to be
paid oil' in a certain number of years by a sinking fund, as is
done for sanitary improvements and arterial drainages?
A people who are not prepared to help themselves cannot
expect Government to present them with a railway ; but there
can be little doubt that if the people exert themselves, and work
unanimously in this matter, their efibrts will be crowned with
success.
See Aitenuix and Map of Ikelaxd.
APPENDIX
kepokt by james dill.on, civil engineer, on the proposed
line of railway from galway to clifden via oughterard,
recess and bai.linahinch, on a guage of 3 ft. 6 in.
Before giving a minute description of this proposed railway,
I will give a few figures to show that were the line made,
there would he a sufficient traffic to pay a dividend on the
capital of £130,000 that it is proposed to expend ; and if this
can be proved in the case of the Connemara district, there is
scarcely a district in Ireland that could not support a cheap
branch line.
1st. The district it is proposed to open up by 50 miles of a
railway, comprises several hundred square miles of country,
amounting in all to 500 square miles statute, including the
mountainous districts used for sheep pastures.
The Clifden district alone can boast of having 10,619
people within an area of 64 square miles, equal to 165 people
per square mile. This proves there is a large population at the
sea end of the line who will have to pay their fares for 50 miles
instead of half the distance, if they were scattered over the
intermediate country.
The total population in the district whose interest it would
be to use this line amount to 44,000.
2nd. In summer the passenger traffic is very large, as many
English, Scotch, and Irish tourists visit the country for its
scenery ; the mountain and lake scenery at Kylemore, Killary
Bay, and Cong, &c., being considered equal to anything of the
kind in the sister isle ; but inasmuch as the connecting link
of railway between Killarney and Galway (that is, from Ennis
to Athenry) has been opened, the greater portion of the tourists
who now visit Killarney in large numbers would visit Conne¬
mara, when they found they could get there byrail. At present
two long cars ply during the whole winter between Galway and
Clifden (that is, two each way) in addition to many hired cars
and carriages in the summer.
3rd. The goods traffic is at present carried on partly by sea
and partly by land.
In addition to the small vessels that run from Galway into
different creeks along the coast line of the district, there are
eleven Hookers of about 12 tons each, go once a week to Gal-
29
way, and a thirty ton sailing vessel runs from Clifden to West-
port once a fortnight ; all this traffic would he diverted over the
proposed line to avoid the danger and risk of sea traffic.
4th. There are five carts constantly on the road between
Clifden and Galway, carrying eggs, groceries, &c.
5th. Large quantities of lobsters, cod, herrings, and ling,
that cannot now be sent in a proper condition to market, could
he exported by rail at a profit. This j ear the herrings were
remarkable for their size and quantity.
6th. There would be a heavy traffic in oysters, which could
he sent direct to the Dublin and English markets ; it has been
stated on good authority, that the Law Life Society sell annually
about £3,000 worth of oysters at wholesale prices.
7th. There are 26 fairs held annually in the district at Clifden,
lloundstone, Letterfrack, and Tully, at which 7,800 cattle, and
1,300 horses and ponies are sold, besides an immense number of
sheep that are exported out of the district by Scotch and Irish
farmers.
8th. The pig trade in this district is very large—over 300
per week, for 17 weeks each year, being sold and sent to Dublin,
or a total of 5,100 pigs.
9th. Ijarge quantities of salmon would he sent by this
line. At present, both the salmon and lobsters have to be sent
by cars.
10th. The Carrigeen Moss, which is at present being
imported into England from this district, as food for young
cattle, would he sent over this line.
11th. Sea-weed would also be exported over this line ; and
the kelp that is now manufactured in thousands of tons, would
in some cases he sent by this line to Galway, where the ships to
receive it could lie in safety.
12th. There is both a coral and shell-sand, containing nearly
"82 per cent, of lime found near Roundstone, and it is thought by
those competent to judge, that the farmers would use it if they
could get it by rail.
13th. Very fine marble quarries have been lately opened
by ^Ir. Sipthorpe, at the base of Lissoughter mountain, near
Kecess, and he is of opinion that, if he had a railway, he would
send largo quantities of it by rail.
14th. The export of potatoes to Galway, and the import of
seed potatoes would add largely to the traffic, as has been proved
in other districts.
15th. The turf of the district being of the finest quality,
could he sent by rail and sold in Galway at a remunerative
price.
16th. If there was a railway, great quantities of small larch
30
and fir would be imported into the district for fencing, the want
of which is greatly felt.
17th. Building materials of every description would he
sent in much larger quantities into the district than at present.
On a close examination of the above items of traffic, the most
sceptical must admit, that the district possesses great resources
which a line of railway would undoubtedly develop, and that
many agricultural districts in Ireland already in the enjoyment
of a railway, could not boast of as many resources, while in
some cases there are two railways competing for the same traffic,
a state of things that cannot occur in this district, for the 500
square miles are bounded on the north by mountains and the
Killary Bay, on the east by Lough Mask and Lough Corrib, and
on the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean.
It has been shown that had the Irish branch lines already
made cost only £3,000 per mile, instead of averaging £14,425
per mile, that the shareholders would be now in receipt of a good
dividend.
It only remains to be seen are there any districts in Ireland
of a similar nature to the Clifden District as regards traffic, that
have already been opened up by railways, and what the total
amount of their receipts.
The districts along the eastern coast of Ireland are so
populous and rich in resources, that it may be said they bear no
resemblance to the western portion of Ireland, which is quite true.
But if we turn to the west there are many districts washed
by the Atlantic Ocean, which are partly accommodated with
railways, that had they been made for about £3,000 per mile,
would be all paying a good dividend.
The districts referred to are :—
1st. The district opened up by the Enniskillen and Bundoran
Bailway, depending principally upon a summer tourist traffic
to the village of Bundoran, on the shores of the Atlantic. This
Railway makes £223 per mile per annum.
2nd. The Railway opening up the district around the town
of Sligo, makes £390 per mile.
3rd. The Railway leading to the town of Westport is paying
3 per cent, to the original shareholders. The line cost about
£7,000 per mile.
4th. The district opened up by the Limerick and Ennis
Railway supplies the latter Une with a traffic equal to £448
per mile per annum.
5th. The Killarney and Tralee Line, although it cost nearly
£8,000 per mile, is paying over 4 per cent, to the original
shareholders.
31
6th. The line running from Banden towards Skihbereen,
now opened as far as Dimmanway, is making, as accurately as
can be ascertained, £241 per mile.
The districts above enumerated are in each case washed by
the Atlantic Ocean, and (with the exception of the Sligo Line
connecting the town of Sligo, a good town) are depending very
much on local and the summer tourist traffic.
It is true that the country between Oughterard and Ballina-
hinch is a very poor one, but inasmuch as the Clifden district
can boast of a population of 165 people to the square mile, which
is in excess of many English and Continental districts, accom¬
modated with Baüways, the poorness of the intermediate
country may be to a great extent disregarded in this case, except
that it enables a railway to he constructed more cheaply, be¬
cause of the cheapness of the land and the absence of accommoda¬
tion works.
In fact, a railway to pay might with safety be constructed
through a desert for the purpose of connecting two populous
districts.
"With Connemara (the Irish Highlands), where numbers of
tourists flock to in the summer, at one end, and the seaport of
Galway at the other, connected as it is with the whole railway
system of Ireland, no doubt need exist regarding the success
of this proposed railway if constructed on the system here
advocated.
An examination of Table No. 3, prepared from official
returns, must convince all that the receipts earned by this line
would be likely to exceed £240 per mile per annum.
In constructing this line it is proposed to embrace all the
modifications already referred to, and to lay down sidings near
the passenger sheds, for the accommodation of the goods traffic,
and as the floors of the carriages will he near the ground, plat¬
forms can he constructed at one-fourth their present cost.
We have made a careful examination of the country, with a
view to selecting the cheapest route, and having prepared care¬
ful trial sections and estimates, have arrived at the conclusion
that the cheapest and best line is one connecting the Clifden
district with the town of Galway via Moycullen, Oughterard,
Recess, and Ballinahinch, passing a few yards to the north of
the Roundstone cross-road, thus enabling the Harbour of
Roundstone to be connected by a little tramway with the rail¬
way, for an expenditure of a couple of hundred pounds.
The total cost of the works on this line will only amount to
£2,169 per mile, after adding 10 per cent, for contingencies
—total, £108,478.
32
»To this must be added a sum of £26,000 for Rolling Stock,
Law, Parliamentary, and Engineering expenses, including the
purchase of a small portion of the land adjoining the north
side of the town of Galway, thus the total cost of the under¬
taking will only amount to £134,478, or £2,689 per mile ;
although the traffic woidd certainly pay on a line, costing: oyer
£3000 per mile.
The guage of the line will be 3 feet 6 in., or 5 feet 3 in.,
shoidd the Midland Railway Company contribute the difference ;
and by using engines and rolling stock one-half the weight of
those now in use, and by having one travelling guard or station-
master to issue tickets in the trains, instead of having separate
establishments at the intermediate stations, it is clear that the
working expenses and maintenance of the line can be cut down
to 30 per cent, of the gross receipts. But, to remove aU doubt
on this matter, let it be assumed that the working expenses
might amount to 35 per cent, of the receipts, and that we put
the receipts per mile per annum at only £220, deducting the
working expenses from this, would leave a balance sufficient to
pay 5 per cent, on £143,000.
It is evident this calculation of the receipts is an under
estimate, for the Skibbereen line makes £241 per mile.
It would thus appear that putting the cost of this line and
the working expenses at the highest figures, and the receipts at
the lowest, there would still be a balance for a good dividend.
An English contractor, who is familiar with, and has con¬
structed railways in Ireland, is prepared to make the 50 miles
on the most favourable terms ; but the longer the construction
of this line is delayed, the more it is likely to cost, as the cost of
labour is steadily increasing year after year.
JAMES DILLON,
Civil Engineer,
17 Kildare Street, Dublin.
3111,8 7 1911
DUBLIK STEAM PRINTING- COMPANY.