RAILWAY 
 
 LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT, 
 
 A SERIES OF LETTERS. 
 
 15Y VERITAS VINCIT. 
 
 [[iEPRINTED FROM T111-5 “RAILVAY RKCOKIV] 
 
 D’s plague 
 
 II. WINN ALL, HIGH STREET, BIRMINGHAM; 
 SIMPKIN & CO., LONDON. 
 
"■J 
 
 PRINTED BV T. KITSON. 63, CAREY STREET. CHANCERY LANE, LONDON. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Some of the earlier Letters of the following series 
 appeared originally in the Railway Times, then under 
 the Editorial management of Mr. John Robertson. 
 When that gentleman retired from the Journal in ques¬ 
 tion, and established the Railway Record, the Writer 
 commenced, and has continued, to address the public 
 through the latter medium. 
 
 The reprinting, in a more convenient form, of these 
 Letters was' not undertaken till the Writer could no 
 longer resist the urgent solicitations of numerous per¬ 
 sons connected in various capacities with Railway 
 Locomotive Management. He was the less disposed 
 to refuse this flattering request that at the present time 
 there appears to be more need than at any previous 
 period of a fearless exposure of a most dangerous 
 system. 
 
 The Letters have been very slightly altered, save 
 in a few verbal corrections, and the omission of some 
 unimportant details. The Writer preferred that they 
 should go forth in a collected form very much as they 
 appeared originally. Most of them were written under 
 the pressure of other business, and this fact will, he 
 hopes, plead his excuse for many imperfections. 
 
 In several of the Letters will be found promises to 
 recur in detail to particular topics, which are subse¬ 
 quently not at all, or but slightly, alluded to. The 
 Writer is happy to say that in very many cases the 
 first hint effected the necessary reform, and spared him 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 the trouble of going into farther particulars. In other 
 cases, the lapse of time, and the restricted space at 
 command in the crowded columns of a weekly news¬ 
 paper, interfered with the carrying out of lhs original 
 intentions. 
 
 Of course the Writer does not expect that this 
 republication will be palatable to those parties whose 
 conduct it has been his painful duty during the last 
 fire or six years to handle with considerable severhy. 
 He cannot help it. His duty to the public and to the 
 true interests of Railway Shareholders is paramount; 
 but he begs to state once again, as he has stated several 
 times in the course of the Letters themselves, that 
 it is with the public conduct, and the public conduct 
 alone, of the parties referred to, that he has con¬ 
 cerned himself or sought to interest his readers. Pri¬ 
 vate scandal he has carefully avoided, although in the 
 case of some of the individuals who figure in the fol¬ 
 lowing pages there would have been no difficulty what¬ 
 ever in finding very ample details. 
 
 With the Editor’s permission, the Letters will be con¬ 
 tinued, as opportunity may serve, in the columns of the 
 Railway Record —a journal wMch has from its com¬ 
 mencement taken a very warm interest in every thing 
 connected with the efficiency of the Railway system 
 and the safety of the public, and which (as the Writer 
 of these Letters has had many opportunities of knowing) 
 has in matters of Locomotive Management proved 
 for years “ a terror to evil doers and a praise to them 
 that do well.” 
 
 VERITAS VINCIT. 
 
 jam, August, 1847. 
 
RAILWAY 
 
 LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 I HAVE many particulars to refer to, which have never come before 
 the public, and by your hind and able assistance, I hope I shall he 
 able to produce some good, not only to the proprietors and many of 
 tlieirdepressed servants, but what is of infinite importance, to the 
 public safety. ■ You have already done much ; much is still to be 
 

 hands can the repair of the engine he placed to see that the fitter does 
 it properly hut the man’s -who has to risk his life upon it? There can 
 he no fear but he would see that it was put in the most complete state 
 of repair, and perfectly safe for running a train. 
 
 It has often been the case—in fact, it is of every day occurrence— 
 that when a fitter has been sent to repair an eng'ue, he lias beeiKsCoiiL- . 
 polled to apply to an cngincman' to point out lo hrn what was the 
 matter; and at other times, when the fitter has said he has put the 
 engine in repair, after it has been examined by the engineman it has 
 been found that it was not properly done. It is also an undeniable fact, 
 that among the petty locomotive superintendents, who are as numerous 
 upon the railways as locusts, and are as vain and intelligent as peacocks, 
 nine-tenths of them could not tell what was the matter with an engine 
 unless the engineman informed him. I am of opinion, therefore, that 
 when the engineman is on his rest day he should be required to attend 
 to the repair of his engine, and be paid the same as on other days. 
 
 I shall now refer to the night pilot, and you will then be able to 
 judge of the propriety or impropriety of its discontinuance. By a pilot 
 is meant an engine always to be in readiness in case it should be wanted 
 to go out to render assistance, and to shift carriages, waggons. Sc., 
 about the station, so that the pilot engincmen cannot be allowed to be 
 absent from the station one minute. The night pilot is often required 
 to assist the mail train out from Derby, and in many instances another 
 engine is required to assist the goods’ train out (when it is heavy), which 
 follows the mail'train soon after. Then, when the night pilot is dis¬ 
 continued, whom will the duty fall upon ? AVhy, the day pilot engineman, 
 who has been in attendance above fourteen hours, and, perhaps, has 
 been called out and run many miles. These men, after they finish 
 their day’s work, go home, not knowing whether they will be called out 
 or not; but with the understanding that if the mail train want assist¬ 
 ance they will be called, of course, would retire to rest, and, after 
 the fatigne of the day, they are called upon about two o’clock in the 
 morning in a dozing state, and obliged to go out with the mail train. 
 Again, the goods’ train becomes heavy and another engine is required; 
 then this duty falls upon two men who must be even more fatigued than 
 the former; they also have to be called out, and proceed with the goods’ 
 train. Thus, there are four men sent out to render assistance (I should 
 rather say to cause mischief, for no one can say that these men are fit 
 persons to be called upon to perform such duty), the first two having 
 been kept running about for fourteen hours, and the lattter two having 
 run one hundred and forty-six miles, and, perhaps, on a very stormy and 
 inclement day. Could one advocate such a system, for it is not only 
 one day in a week, but these men are liable to he so called every night 
 during the week, and so on with all the others in their turns ? Should 
 sleep overtake the engine pilotman, who takes the lead of the train 
 (and we all know the powerful effect sleep lias upon an overworked and 
 fatigued man), the consequences would be of the most serious descrip¬ 
 tion, not only in the immense loss of property, but of human life; and 
 this uncalled-for risk for the paltry saving of d2s. per week to an 
 engineman, and 2-l«. per week to a fireman. 
 
RAILWAY LOCOMOTIV1 
 
 LXAGEMENT. 
 
 engineman of ordinary experience had had the charge of the engine, 
 he would have been able to remedy the defect in about ten minutes, 
 causing no alarm to the passengers, or delay upon the road. AVhat Mr. 
 Marshall can say about the above circumstance I know not (I speak 
 only of him in liis public capacity), but it appears very extraordinary to 
 me that Mr. Marshall should be held out to be possessed of such extra¬ 
 ordinary and pre-eminent abilities, and such a thorough knowledge of 
 the working and manufacture of a locomotive engine, when this fact 
 appears to show the contrary. The defect referred to was easy to be 
 seen, and the remedy simple, being merely a slip of one of the eccentric 
 shears. 
 
 Let us see how the evening train came on with the other new engine- 
 man. His standing as an engineman is reported to be somewhat similar 
 to the other, and it would appear his master thought so, for Mr. Scott, 
 a superintendent, proceeded along with him, and they readied their desti¬ 
 nation just one hour and twenty-live minutes behind time, a gentleman 
 remarking, as lie stepped out of the train upon the platform, that the 
 horse coach had better be started again, for it was disgraceful to see the 
 trains driven with so much danger, causing fear and trembling among 
 the passengers, under the excitement that is existing betwixt the 
 Directors and the engiuemen, between whom the greatest harmony 
 should prevail. 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 Birmingham, January 5, 1S43. 
 
 In the Leeds Mercury of last Saturday, there is a paragraph, in 
 which it is stated that the engiuemen on the North Midland Railway 
 had struck work. Now, the contrary is the fact, for the men (as I stated 
 in my last), after they understood that their wages were to be reduced, 
 sent in a remonstrance, stating that if the Directors were determined to 
 carry out what they had been informed they meant to do, they would 
 not comply; hut instead of getting a written answer, as they expected, 
 the only one they received was, that on the Saturday following they 
 were all paid off, without any other reason than that the Directors 
 thought proper; and this is what the Leeds Mercury calls the “ men's 
 strike!” 
 
 The Mercury alleges that there were a great many supernumeraries 
 as engiuemen, who received pay without work, and that the exertions of 
 two or three spirited Directors have done away with them. Now, there 
 never were supernumerary enginemen on that line. My last letter fully 
 explained the employment of the day for which the men are not to be 
 paid. The Mercury states also, that these wise Directors took imme¬ 
 diate steps to replace the men that had struck (it should be, who were 
 paid off), and he was happy to learn that a sufficient number of skilful 
 and practised men from other lines had been engaged. 
 
 I shall endeavour to analyse the characters of a few of them. To 
 
6 RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 save time, I shall number them; but you must understand that the 
 number does not refer to the order in which they were engaged by the 
 Company. 
 
 No. 1. Discharged from the Stanhope Railway for drunkenness, and 
 again shortly after from the North Shields Railway for the same offence. 
 
 No. 2. From the north also, discharged for overturniug from 30 to 40 
 waggons over an embankment. 
 
 No. 3. A short time ago a stonemason, and never had experience as 
 an engineman. 
 
 No. 4. Was discharged from the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, 
 tried for his offence, and fined 51 .; got employed on the Leeds and 
 Manchester Railway; was discharged, tried, and fined 10/.; both times 
 for the same offence, viz., running the trains on the wrong line. The 
 Railway Times of 1S40 and 1841 contains a notice of both trials. 
 
 No. 5. Discharged from the York and North Midland Railway, 
 
 bricklayer's labourer. 
 
 No. 6. Not long ago a platelayer on the Hull and Selby Railway; 
 got on the York and North ^Midland Railway as an engineman, and 
 was discharged. 
 
 No. 7. A fireman, and never had the charge of an engine before. 
 
 No. 8. Discharged from the Leeds and Selby Railway for drunk- 
 
 These are the “skilful and practised men from other lines!” Ill 
 support of their character let us see how the trains arrived in Leeds;— 
 
 Dec. 2G. A goods’ train 2 hours late; the engine all out of order. 
 
 Dec. 27. The train with the Sheffield and Rotherham passengers 
 1 hour late. 
 
 Dec. 30. A passenger train, with Prince George of Cambridge and a 
 number of noblemen, 2 hours late, and they expressed their disappro¬ 
 bation of the delay. 
 
 The above artToffiy a^ew of the late trains, for all the trains for the 
 most part were behind time. The arrivals of the trains at Derby are 
 
 
RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVI 
 
 engineman adjusted the connecting rods, and made them over-tight; 
 and when the engine was working, the connecting rod broke, and that 
 broke the cylinder cover, and otherwise seriously damaged the working 
 
 Jan. 3. Before the goods’ train out of Leeds, at 8 r.n., arrived at 
 Masbro’, a distance of 32 miles, the driver was compelled to draw his 
 fire out, and afterwards arrived at Derby 0 hours late; (this engineman 
 only worked a stationary engine before). The 8 o'clock, into Derby, 
 overtook a coal train about 3 miles from Derby, with fonr engines 
 attached to it, the gate-keeper informing the alarmed and trembling 
 passengers that it was only a coal train that had obstructed the line for 
 five hours. Theeause of employing so many engines was, that three of 
 them were sent out as pilots, one after the other, but, unfortunately, 
 got so disabled themselves, that they were unable to render the neces¬ 
 sary assistance. 
 
 Jan. 4. No. G1 engine, running the coke train, broke down in 
 Killamarsh cutting, the engineman a fireman from the Leicester and 
 Swannington Kailway. No. 44 engine, just having undergone a tho¬ 
 rough repair, broke one of the cylinders, and was otherwise much 
 damaged. No. 6 engine, running the mail train, broke the connecting 
 rod, bv being too tightly keyed up by the new and experienced 
 
 Jan. 5. No 11 engine, running the mail train out of Derby, broke 
 down after running 8 miles. The engineman neglecting, or being incom¬ 
 petent, to examine his engine before starting, the set pins belonging to 
 the small end of the connecting rod were too slack; the consequence 
 was, that the key fell out, and caused very great damage to the engine; 
 so much so, that with all the energy possible, it cannot be put in a 
 proper state of repair for months. This caused a delay to the mail of 
 2 hours and 12 minutes into Leeds; and I am not certain but one of 
 the General Post-office officers was with this train. The engineman 
 who caused this was a fireman on the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway. 
 No. 9 engine, damaged very much in the fire-box. The 10.15 train 
 into Derby broke down, and was unable to proceed until the 11.15 train 
 into Derby came, and brought both trains into Derby at 11.45, the 
 first train 1 hour 30 minutes late, and the other 30 minutes late. The 
 extent of the damage to the first engine which caused the delay X have 
 not yet learned; but it must be serious, for the engine was unable" to come 
 along with the trains. 
 
 Jan. 6. The 3.15 train out of Derby broke down, and was taken 
 into Leeds, by the pilot engine, 1 hour 50 minutes late. 
 
 Jan. 7- The 6 p. m. from Derby arrived at Leeds 1 hour late. 
 
 Jan. 8. The mail train from Derby arrived at Leeds 37 minutes late. 
 The mail train from Leeds arrived at Derby 1 hour late. 
 
 "Will the Editor of the Leeds Mercury allow the circumstances of 
 Jan. 3 and a to be obstructions on the line ? 
 
 I cannot but mention a most disgraceful proceeding which took place 
 dining the week, which caused the greatest terror to a whole train of pas¬ 
 sengers. One of the new enginemen had occasion to return to Leeds with 
 the engine, and there is an express order that no engine shall follow a 
 
could not be contradicted in your journal previous to the North Midland 
 general meeting. I exceedingly regret this circumstance ; but, however, 
 I hope you will indulge me by inserting a few remarks upon the extra- 
 ordinarv speech, so far as it relates to the North Midland Railway. 
 
 Mr. Hudson remarked, that “ he was anxious to have carried out on 
 that line the same economy, and see the same views acted upon, which 
 had been done with so much success upon the York and North Midland 
 Railway.” He also stated, that “ he bad yet to learn that expenses and 
 large wages were the best things that could be adopted to add to the 
 public safety.” In carrying out this unprecedented economy, that he 
 lias created great and unaccountable expenses and sacrifice of life there 
 can be no doubt; and those expenses which have been created, were for 
 the puqiose of effecting a saving of wages on the enginemcn of about 
 71. per week. He alleges, that the Board of Trade holds out that the 
 old men were immaculate. It does not appear that they did any such 
 - thing; but true it is, that the characters of the old men, as engine- 
 men, previous to the change, were blameless, which will appear from 
 .the default-hook of the Company, besides other collateral evidence. I 
 am sorry I have had so little time, otherwise I would have furnished 
 their true characters (but they shall be forthcoming), which will prove 
 that the greater proportion of them were bred in precisely the same man¬ 
 ner as that highly-talentcd gentleman, Mr. Cabrey, upon whom so much 
 praise is lavished. I am prepared to discuss locomotive matters either 
 practically or theoretically at any time Mr. Cabrey may think proper, 
 and I beg to state that I am not unacquainted with his locomotive 
 .management on the York and North Midland Railway. Mr. Hudson 
 further refers to the character of the old men, as a proof of the present 
 enginemen being superior to the old; “he would take the periods of 
 arrival of the London mail trains in York for a fortnight before the old 
 men were out, and a fortnight after the new men were appointed. He 
 would first take the period that elapsed from the 11th to 2-lth December, 
 and then that which elapsed between the 29th January and the 2nd 
 February.” Here he compares 13 days of the old men with 3 days of 
 the new; why not have taken all the trains, goods' included, that were 
 late for one niouth before the 24th December, and one month after, and 
 compared the regularity of the former with the irregularity of the latter, 
 and also the condition of the engines on their arrival with that of the 
 former ? If he had done so, he must have blushed at the comparison. 
 Again, he states that a good deal has been said about the fatal accident 
 on the North Midland Railway, and that much blame was cast upon the 
 Directors. If he wishes the blame to be removed from the Directors, 
 then it must inevitably fall upon tile mucb-lnuded Mr. Cabrey, 
 for it was he that engaged Jenkins, at Newcastle, and recommended 
 him to be put bn the North Midland Railway. Mr. Cabrey knew well 
 his character; he was a discharged fireman of his own, aud he would 
 not again employ him on the York and North Midland Railway. 
 Certainly, if he was unfit to be a fireman upon that line, he, of course, 
 was far more unfit to be a driver on the North Midland Railway. Mr. 
 Cabrey also engaged David Fletcher, who was twice previously convicted 
 for reckless chiving, aud was discharged from the North Midland in a 
 
14 RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 to the Board of Directors; hut instead of doing as he was respectfully 
 requested, the Superintendent put up a public notice that he had sent it 
 to Mr. Locke for his consideration. It would appear that this Super¬ 
 intendent is of opinion that Mr. Locke has more power than the whole 
 Board. However, more of this by and by. 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 Birmingham, March 21, 1843. 
 
 When I first addressed you on the 2Cth of December last, upon the 
 impolicy of the North Midland Directors’ imprudent, lamentable, and 
 ever-to-be-remembered change of their enginemen, and predicted that 
 awful and fatal consequences would ensue, and which prediction was 
 most woefully realised, after the written pledge they gave to the Board of 
 Trade, that they would in future take care not to have recourse to any 
 measures that would endanger the safety of the public, I certainly did 
 not anticipate that I would so soon have occasion to inform you that 
 within the last twenty days they have taken steps which may he fraught 
 with even more frightful loss of life, if they be not very promptly and 
 effectually altered. 
 
 At Clay Cross Tunnel, close by the north end of it, Mr. Stephenson’s 
 Coal Railway joins, from which the coal trains get upon the North 
 ^Midland Railway, and immediately proceed through the tunnel. 
 Formerly there were two watchmen by day and two by night at this 
 end; at the other end there was one watchman by day and one bv night, 
 and with this number it not unfrequcntly happened that, with all their 
 vigilance and care, it was with difficulty they could prevent accident. 
 The above efficient number is now reduced to one watchman by day and 
 and another by night, for both ends of the tunnel! I do not know a 
 place upon any railway which requires more vigilance and attention than 
 this particular spot. This tunnel is Ij- miles long, and rises from the 
 north end of it 16 feet per mile; it is uncommonly wet; the rails are 
 always in a slippery condition, so much so, that when a coal train is 
 heavy the fireman is obliged to have recourse to that frightful risk of 
 standing upon the buffer-bar of the engine, and continuing to throw sand 
 upon the tails all the way through, to make the wheels of the engine 
 adhere to the rails, and it is no uncommon occurrence that, with all 
 this, a train comes to a dead stand. Suppose a heavy coal train enters 
 the tunnel, and docs come to a stand still, and the watchman’s attention 
 is taken up at the other end, the tunnel becomes filled with steam, a 
 passenger train follows, and no signal being given that the tunnel is 
 blocked up (no person being there to give it), the train enters with its 
 accustomed speed, and need I depict to you the awful consequences! 
 The collision Lakes place ; and what could' the more fortunate passenger 
 do, who might not be killed, under the excitement, and in a tunnel filled 
 with fire, steam, darkness, destruction, and screams of the most horrid 
 description ? It would be next to a miracle if even a single soul were 
 saved to relate the sad event. Is it not the bounden duty of the Dircc-. 
 
RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 (lav, which is more than 8s. G d. in this country. Mr. M'Connell 1ms 
 stated, that so soon ns he has effected the reduction of the enginemen he 
 ■will reduce the firemen to 3s. 9d. per day. 
 
 It is not my intention to occupy much of your space. I shall, for the 
 present, only take a slight view of the line, leaving minor points, which, 
 however, are of great importance, till a future day. 
 
 At the Gloucester end of the line there are three switchmen to he 
 discharged (at least they have notice); there are fifteen pair of points to 
 attend to, and when these men are discharged, the duty of shifting those 
 points will devolve upon the firemen. As I observed on a former occasion, 
 if the fireman should fall in leaping, what would become of the train of 
 passengers; for on the 12tli instant, with the three switchmen, they 
 allowed the engine and tender of the quarter-past S train to get off the 
 line, and detained it one hour. Even after this lesson, it appears that 
 it is intended to do away with this useful class of men. 
 
 At Cheltenham there are not fewer than ten pair of points, and 
 no switchman. 
 
 At Asheliurch, the day policeman is to he done away with. This is 
 a place of the utmost importance at which to have men placed to watch 
 the trains approaching, for the Tewkesbury branch conics in here, and 
 collisions can be prevented only by the vigilance and activity of the 
 engincman. In foggy weather they must run all hazards of a “ pitch 
 in” occasionally. IIow will this work with entire strangers ? 
 
 At Spetchley, day policemen are proposed to be done away with, and 
 five pairs of points are to be attended to by the firemen. 
 
 The Lickey incline I believe to be one of the most dangerous inclines 
 in the kingdom; and what may happen with a whole set of new drivers 
 put on at once, and one brakesman out of three discharged ? 
 
 At Coffin Tunnel, which is about a quarter of a mile long, they have 
 already discharged two policemen, one from each end. This tunnel has 
 never been properly finished at either end, and the consequence is, that 
 it often occurs that waggon-loads of loose rock fall down and obstruct 
 the line. Now, suppose that only a small piece of rock were to fall 
 down, and no one were there to remove it from off the rails, is it 
 at all possible for an engineman coming out of a dark tunnel to be able 
 to perceive the obstruction in sufficient time? The consequence would 
 be that the engine and tender would be thrown off the line, and the train 
 of passengers dashed against the sides of the tunnel. In fact, this tunnel 
 all through is far from being perfect; it is propped up in several places, 
 and there is to be no one placed to watch it. 
 
 At the curve leading to the London junction it is also proposed to 
 remove the switchmen. At this curve there are five pairs of points. 
 Suppose the bank engine were crossing the line at these points, and the 
 fireman off the engine to turn them, and a passenger-train coming down 
 that heavy incline at the same time, by reason of the curve the engine- 
 man of the passenger train could not see the bank engine crossing. 
 Coming down at full speed, he would seldom observe it until he went 
 right over it, aud perhaps the whole tram would be thrown over the 
 embankment. 
 
RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 1!) 
 
 It is allowed by every one that the Birmingham and Gloucester 
 Railway requires very steady and experienced men, with a thorough 
 knowledge of the line to work it with safety. I believe the Directors 
 allow that their present staff of enginemen may be equalled, but cannot 
 be surpassed, for steadiness and attention to their duty, and they would 
 be sorry to lose them. One Director observed the other day, that lie 
 admitted the reduction woidd be hard upon the men ; still it would not 
 press so hard upon them as the present state of things was pressing upon 
 the proprietors, for they had lost thousands of pounds, and it was only 
 by economy they could retrieve their affairs. Is there no other method 
 to be found to retrieve the extravagant and ruinous expenditure of a 
 railway but endangering the public safety and screwing down the wages 
 of enginemen, firemen, and policemen, to starvation point? If un- 
 opinion were asked, I could point out a variety of better methods, and 
 perhaps I may do so on a future day. I adhere to my former pledge, 
 and shall watch the movements of the Managers of this line, and of 
 several others, who have not gone quite so far yd. 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 
 In reading your paper of the 28th ultimo, respecting the collision 
 that took place at the Nine Elms station of the Southampton Railway, 
 the reason which you assign for the accident called forth my attention, 
 it having arisen from over-fatigue, no matter what the cause of that, 
 fatigue was. In a previous letter I noticed that every one was aware 
 that over-fatigue has an unbounded influence on mankind, for it has often 
 been the case that a very fatigued man has lain down in the depths of 
 snow', and slept as soundly as if on a feather bed. No one can bear better 
 testimony to this fact than General Paslev; ami I would especially call 
 his particular attention to the following. 
 
 Ou the Manchester ami Leeds Railway it has been the practice for 
 some time pastwith the enginemen who run goods’ trains during the night, 
 that for six days in the week they have run those trains from sixteen hours 
 to seventeen hours per day on the average. This labour lias been so 
 severe upon them, that some of them have actually found themselves 
 asleep upon the engine towards the latter end of the week; and when 
 the Superintendent was remonstrated with upon this severe work, the 
 answer of this philanthropic gentleman was, “if you cannot do it others 
 will.” The obvious cause of this answer was the reduction of wages, 
 for he has, at the Leeds end of the line, some men running at the low 
 rate of from 3s. Ad. to 3s. fir/, per day. I am happy to say there are 
 still honourable exceptions remaining to the present system of raihvnv 
 wages,—parties who arc pursuing the wise and prudent course of treating 
 their workmen with humanity and justice, and therein- insuring safety to 
 the public and prosperitv to the proprietors. 
 
 What shall I say? the mighty have fallen. The London ami Bit 
 
RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 23 
 
 workshop) accompanied by one of the fitters, and it was usual for this 
 man to remain.” This is not true. When Messrs. S. & Co. forwarded 
 the engines to the Liverpool and Manchester line at the outset, there 
 was no fitter sent with them; they were all fitted up on the line by 
 Messrs. Mellon and Sons, under the immediate direction of Mr. Ste¬ 
 phenson himself, and the only time that that company sent a man from 
 their establishment was some time after the commencement, when they 
 sent six engines, and they were accompanied by Ralph Hutchison, who 
 was then an under fireman (and now principal foreman to that estab¬ 
 lishment.) He superintended the fitting up of those engines, and as 
 each of them got completed, he had them tried up and down the line; 
 but he never ran a train with an engine, nor did Messrs. S. & Co. send 
 a fitter from their work and make him an engineman. The following 
 particular account will show that the men who worked that line were 
 never fitters; they were regularly-bred drivers, and accustomed to 
 
 When the work was in progress, Mark Wakefield, Robert Hope, and 
 John Dunn, ballasted with the Lancashire Witch ; Thomas George and 
 Robert Creed ballasted with the Twin Sisters; and the reason of there 
 being so many men to two engines was, that the engines were worked 
 night and day; these men were engine-drivers previous to this. At the 
 opening of the line, Mark Wakefield ran the Rocket for the premium 
 ngainst the Sansjmrei! and the Novelty; Timothy Arkwood ran the 
 Sansparcil; and the Novelty was run by an experienced man appointed 
 by Rraithwaite and Co. At the opening of the line for the public, 
 Robert Creed ran the first passenger train with the Northumberland; 
 Thomas George ran the second with the North Star; John Wakefield 
 ran the third train with the Phcenix; and Mark Wakefield ran the fourth 
 with the Rocket. [This last-named engine unfortunately killed Mr. 
 Huskisson.] The other engincmen were John Robson, who ran the 
 Comet; Robert Weatherburn, who ran the Victory (and who ran a trial 
 of strength against Mr. Bury’s Liver, which was conducted by Thomas 
 George); Martin Weatherburn, who ran the Mars; Roys Hall, who ran 
 the Vulcan, and Robert Kirkup, who ran the Majestic. I am of opinion 
 that this will most decidedly bear me out in saying that “ M.” knows 
 nothing at all as to who were appointed engincmen upon that line at 
 the time he states. 
 
 He says, again, that the fitters in the “ first instance received from 
 5s. to Gs’. per day, and that it was of course necessary to give them 
 rather more to induce them to remain, and hence the origin of 7s. per 
 day.” Here he is at fault again. There were no fitters employed, 
 nor were day wages given to the engincmen for the first three years; 
 they were paid by the trip, varying as to circumstances from Is. G d. to 
 2s. (id. per trip, and earning from 45s. to 50s. per week, and they were 
 paid for all over-time besides. The 7s. per day came on after this to 
 regulate the wages more steadily, and that all ciiginemen should be paid 
 more alike; and, after due consideration, it was allowed by Mr. Ste¬ 
 phenson that 7s. per dav was quite little enough for running the risk of 
 their lives, and the great responsibility that was attached to the vocation. 
 
until lie has consulted Captain Huish, and when the Captain is non¬ 
 plussed, he recommends Mr. T. to apply to Mr. Locke. There is like¬ 
 wise Mr. Norris, the Resident Engineer, who is invested with consider¬ 
 able powers, and this gentleman, so far as he interferes, acts in a very 
 upright and straightforward manner. Mr. Trevetliick is little else 
 than a go-between betwixt Captain Huish and Superintendent Allen at 
 Crewe. When Mr. Trevethick was expostulated with upon the system 
 of making the enginemen and firemen play on a week day in place of the 
 work they were compelled in their turns to do on a Sunday, he gave 
 them answer that if they did not accede to it he could get others that 
 would. It was rejoined that perhaps he would find a difficulty in get¬ 
 ting so many as he would require (the North Midland was then in its 
 glory) ; he then said if he could not accomplish it in one month he at 
 least would do it in six months. I do not think that he is possessed of 
 so much talent as to carry out such a feat on a line like the Grand 
 Junction ********** 
 Whether Captain Huish has found out his mistake in thinking that he 
 could carry out reductions to the extent of his salary, I know not; hut 
 the fact appears to be, that he must be deficient somewhere. The 
 enginemen were in the practice of receiving 51. premium half-yearly for 
 
WAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 If Mr. M'Connell be determined to follow out liis present career, I 
 would beg leave to remind him that tyranny always meets with its just 
 reward. Buonaparte, in the meridian of his glory, flattered himself 
 that he had dethroned more kings, and created more new ones, than 
 any previous emperor, but his ambition got the better of his prudence, 
 and he fell! In like manner (to compare little men with great) Mr. 
 M'Connell, in the plenitude of his power, may fancy that he can dis¬ 
 lodge and create more engine-drivers, with the assistance of females, 
 than any previous superintendent, but in the doing of this he also may 
 fall, and, like a great personage, “ never to rise again.” Mr. M‘Connell 
 reminds me of Shakespear’s Malvolio— 
 
 “ Some are born great; some achieve greatness; and some have greatness thrust 
 
 His greatness having been thrust upon him, he appears not to have 
 wisdom to manage it. You, Sir, have repeatedly stated that vour 
 columns are open to both sides of any question. If I have said any¬ 
 thing wrong against him why does he not come forward and refute it. 
 On the other hand, if I have stated nothing but the truth, and those 
 truths have a tendency to lower his dignity, why does he not mend his 
 manners, and I shall be among the first to come forward to applaud. 
 It is foolish to wreak his revenge upon innocent and unoffending servants. 
 Such a course of conduct can ultimately do him no good, and cannot 
 affect my exposures in the smallest degree. 
 
 With respect to the Committee of Inquiry on this line, I cannot but 
 take tbe liberty of differing with you on one point. You say you yuite 
 ayree with the Committee that these superior officers are not overpaid, 
 and therefore you would regret to see them reduced. For the duty they 
 have to perform they are overpaid. I know well to what extent their 
 duty is ; and, besides, there are too many of them. Is it not shame¬ 
 ful to see those gentlemen straining every nerve not only in the reduc¬ 
 tion of their inferiors’ wages, but at the same time decreasing their 
 numbers, thereby lessening their own labour; and while they are in¬ 
 culcating contentment on the labourers under reduction, they arc draw¬ 
 ing on the beggared finances of the Company for greater pay to them¬ 
 selves ! The fact is, there is barely sufficient labour for a person of 
 ordinary qualification to perform in the departments of Mr. Wetherall 
 and of Mr. M‘Connell together, and such properly qualified person 
 would be well remunerated with the pay that Mr. M‘Connell alone 
 receives at present. 
 
 Of the second circumstance to which I have already alluded, you ap¬ 
 pear to have got some information, but in this your informant has been 
 rather in a mistake. The occurrence (I mean the collision on the 
 Gloucester line) was nearly attended with more disastrous consequences 
 than any I have ever yet brought forward, and under very peculiar cir¬ 
 cumstances. Tewkesbury races were held last week, and the conse¬ 
 quence was that a great influx of passengers was expected from Glou¬ 
 cester to that place, on the Wednesday. Mr. Wetherall, General 
 Superintendent of the line, and Mr. M'Connell, had repaired to Glou¬ 
 cester to superintend the departure of the trains, and a pretty superin¬ 
 tendence they made of it! A special train was required, and there 
 
arter unconnected with the 
 Because the two engine- 
 superintendents they will 
 on the line had fallen into 
 itendents would have joined 
 ’ and they would not only 
 would have got a few weeks 
 e expense of this disaster 
 ngine must appear, as also 
 ce of the pig, for which the 
 
38 RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 he owe the Company for the use of a lad from the shed to assist Mrs. 
 Kirtley’s servant in her kitchen, and run her messages ? 
 
 In consequence of Mr. Allport having identified himself with the 
 management of Mr. Kirtley, I cannot but bring him also under review. 
 In the first place, I must refer to the remark, “ that if he were appointed 
 goods’ manager, he would double the traffic over that of Mr. Dixon.” 
 The presumption of Air. A. is unbounded, but he is not fit to “ hold a 
 candle ” to Mr. Dixon, who, for integrity, intelligence, and general good 
 management, cannot be surpassed, and is seldom equalled. I will give 
 you a specimen of Mr. Allport’s system of proceeding: —About two 
 years and a half ago, a fatal accident took place on the Derby line, by a 
 passenger train coming in contact with a plate-laver’s “lurry,” pro¬ 
 ceeding in an opposite direction on the same line. By the collision the 
 train was thrown olf the line, and a third class carriage overturned, in 
 which were two of the Company’s servants; one was killed on the spot, 
 the other was severely injured. He had a wife and family, and was 
 confined for a great length of time. When he was able to get out, 
 Mr. Birkenshaw very humanely procured him a job which he was able 
 
 took place, Air. Allport and Air. Kirtley removed this man up the line 
 to attend some gates seven days in the week at Ids. a week. The man 
 complained to these gentlemen that his wages were too low, and craved 
 an advance; Air. Allport replied that 10s. was too much for him, and 
 told him to remain contented! Again, at Kingsbury station there was 
 a clerk at 24*. per week, aud a man to pump water for the engines at 
 21*. per week. At the reduction the waterman was discharged, and the 
 duty of pumping the water was put upon the clerk, and at the same 
 time his wages were reduced to 21s. per week. At the station that 
 leads to Fazeley, the clerk there had 24s. per week. He was informed 
 that his wages were to be reduced to 21s. He said he could not do his 
 duty efficiently at that rate, and resigned. The duty has since been 
 performed by a porter. The clerk at Kingsbury complained of his 
 heavy work, and perhaps because he was once coachman to D. Ledsam, 
 Esq., he was removed to the Fazely station, aud the Kingsbury became 
 vacant. A respectable individual applied for it; Air. Allport inquired 
 what he would do the duty for ? He said 30s. Air. Allport told him 
 he would not give more than 10s. per week, and that was quite enough 
 for a man who was out of employment! No doubt these officials pique 
 themselves on the “ savings” they have effected, but for my own part I 
 do not much admire the conduct of parties—“ gentlemen” though they 
 be—who can screw down their inferiors’ wages below the starving point, 
 and at the same time apply for an increase of their own. 
 
 I have just learned that Air. Allport’s “ saving,” at the Kingsbury 
 station, is, in practice, little to the interest of the Company. One day 
 last week a train arrived at that station, when the fireman, not having 
 the least idea that there was no water in the cistern, turned the cock of 
 the pipe so much that he broke it. The following train arrived and 
 wanted water; of course they could not obtain it, whereupon the driver 
 pulled his fire out, not being aware that he had sufficient steam to carry 
 him to the station (only thirteen miles). He had no alternative but to 
 
m wliicu lie ■would nave out small cnancc or success, it ne ue deter- 
 mined to enter into personal attack, I have not the least objection ; but 
 it will be necessary to involve several respectable individuals, ibr whom 
 you, as well as myself, have a high respect, and upon the friendship of 
 some of those individuals the present, and, no doubt, the future, bread 
 of my assailant • depends: so let him have a care. To convince the 
 public, and this pompous little gentleman, that I am not in the least 
 intimidated, I shall, with your kind permission, proceed in my usual 
 course; but before doing so, I beg leave to sa}-, that nothing could 
 possibly afford me greater pleasure than to see any gentleman come 
 forward and show that what I have already advanced, and may further 
 advance, is not founded on fact. If he can do so, I shall at once publicly 
 atone for my error; but, till that is done, I hold that I have hitherto 
 adhered to the truth. In personal attacks the public can have no 
 interest; nor would any charge made against me, whether true or false, 
 have the effect of overturning my statements. * * * * * * 
 
 It will be remembered, that when the half-yearly meeting of the York 
 and North Midland Company was held at York, on the 13th of February 
 last, you then justly observed, that it was more like a meeting of the 
 proprietors of the North Midland Railway held at York than anything 
 else. In Mr. Hudson’s ever-memorable speech, when he referred to 
 the imprudent changes on the North Midland, he averred that the 
 damage done to the engines during the first six weeks of the change did 
 not exceed 2001. Mr. Cabrey responded, “ considerably under that.” 
 In my letter, dated the 21st of February, which appeared in the 
 supplement of your journal, dated the 1 Sth March, I took the liberty 
 of contradicting those gentlemen ; and upon referring to the last half- 
 yearly accounts of the North Midland, I find that the repairs of the 
 engines amounted in twenty-six weeks to 3,G2GI. 3s. 3d., which evidently 
 proves that I was justified in stating that Messrs. Hudson and Cabrey 
 
 were in error in declaring that the first six weeks’ repairs would be 
 considerably under 20W. At the last half-yearly meeting of the North 
 
Midland Company, the Chairman stated that there was a considerable 
 deficiency in the traffic as compared with that of the corresponding half- 
 year, and this deficiency I attribute to the want of confidence on the 
 part of the public when the change became generally known. The 
 deficiency I make out, by comparing tbe corresponding half-year, is 
 5,2S5/. 12s. C id. The Chairman said, “ there was, however, a most 
 ample set off to any diminution which might have arisen on that score, 
 in the large, he might say the immense, reductions which had during 
 that period been effected, amounting, he believed, to no less a sum than 
 11,430/.” I shall endeavour to analyse this saving, but before doing so 
 I think it will not be uninteresting to railway proprietors generally, and 
 perhaps to many Directors, to give you a slight estimate of the cost of 
 the repairs of an engine which lias been burned by the incompetence of 
 the engineman. Many such have been seen on the North Midland, and 
 are in that state at this moment, as a visit to the repairing shed will 
 prove. As I pointed out in my last, the Leeds and Selby line is another 
 striking proof to wliat extent the destruction of railway property may 
 be created by the visionary notions of Locomotive Superintendents, and 
 the reckless manner in which new appointments have of late been made. 
 Theory and practice are very different. 
 
 Estimates for the repair of a Burnt Engine. 
 
IAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE 
 
 nent way, and there are very dangerous expedients resorted to on this 
 line to bring grist to the mill of the contractor. Our arrangements will 
 he such that neither manager, superintendent, nor contractor, can inter¬ 
 fere. I saw Colonel Blane at the station the other day, and heard the 
 remark he made as to the two gentlemen “ absent without leave,” and 
 I can assure him that by more frequent visits he would find that what 
 he had cause to complain of is of no uncommon occurrence. 
 
 There appears to be one consolation in prospect. The Marquis of 
 Clanriearde has given notice in the House of Lords that next session he 
 will move for a Select Committee of their Lordships to inquire into the 
 propriety of placing the whole locomotive management of the kingdom 
 under some public Board of Control. A far higher degree of safety 
 would be guaranteed to the public, and great pecuniary benefit would 
 result to the pockets of the shareholders, were such a measure carried 
 out (hut not absolute control), which, as I have in previous letters pointed 
 out, could he effected at a very small expense to the country. 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 Ix the concluding part of my last letter, I noticed the gratifying pro¬ 
 spect of having a Parliamentary Committee to inquire into the exist¬ 
 ing imperfect state of the railway locomotive management of this king¬ 
 dom. I shall, for the present, content myself with cursorily alluding 
 to the subject, leaving all details to a future letter, which I intend, with 
 your kind permission, to devote entirely to that important subject. 
 There is nothing in our Government Railway Inspectorship but a “name.” 
 
 Previous to the openmg of the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway, 
 it was inspected by Sir Frederick Smith, General Pasley’s predecessor 
 (and those gentlemen have very opposite views on locomotive manage¬ 
 ment). Sir Frederick, in the usual way, passed over the line in a spe¬ 
 cial train with the Directors, and they arrived safe at their destination; 
 but being in a close carriage, and running at the rate of from 30 to 3.1 
 miles an hour, it cannot he expected that Sir Frederick could have 
 examined minutely the state of the permanent way, much less could lie 
 have seen the state of the dark Coffin tunnel, which was then in an 
 unfinished state, and continued so until in my letters it was brought 
 under the notice of the public, when the Directors ordered its com¬ 
 pletion, during which operation you reported that a passenger, by the 
 falling of a loose brick, nearly lost his life. 
 
 Before the Birmingham and Derby Junction branch was opened, it 
 was inspected by General Paslev, who passed over it in a similar man¬ 
 ner, and reported that it was perfectly completed, and quite safe for the 
 public, whereas there were about four miles of it only temporarily laid, 
 and when the inspection was over, this length of rail's had to be lifted, 
 and the permanent rails were laid while passengers were dangerously 
 conveyed along it. Does not this show that such an inspection is, to 
 use a vulgar hut expressive term, “all humbug!” 
 
RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 47 
 
 Ill mv last I referred to the York and North Midland Railway, and 
 Mr. Cabrey, of whom by the way, it is said that he has availed himself 
 of the labour of other men’s brains in reference to a so-called invention 
 of his connected with the engine. I would recommend Mr. Cabrey, if 
 he still feds inclined to carry out his recent “ amendments,” to take 
 a run down to Hull, and call upon Mr. John Gray, Locomotive Super¬ 
 intendent of the Hull and Selby Railway, and examine the admirable 
 state of repair the engines of that Company are in, the moderate quan¬ 
 tity of coke consumed, the efficient staff of engincmen he has, the small 
 amount of repair the engines require under such drivership, and above 
 all, his general system of locomotive management. It may be equalled, 
 but cannot be sui'pc sed; and I hope when I have occasion to allude to 
 that line again, which may be at no distant period, I shall see no reason 
 to alter my favourable opinion of it. I beg to say that I am ns totally 
 unacquainted with Mr. Gray as I am with Mr. Cabrey. 
 
 "With respect to the accident that took place on the North Midland 
 Railway on the 2nd instant, and which you took notice of in your 
 paper of the 9th, it was not surprising that the particulars could not be 
 got at by your Derby correspondent. Well might the officials wish to 
 have it kept a secret, for a more disgraceful and wanton piece of reck¬ 
 lessness you never had occasion to put on record. The driver who 
 occasioned it, previous to the North Midland change, was placed under 
 Mr. Cabrey, both on the York and North Midland and Leeds and 
 Selby. He was tried on both these lines as a driver, and when Mr. 
 Cabrey last discharged him, he said he would never be a fit person to 
 have charge of an engine. When the North Midland Management was 
 nearly at a stand for want of men, Mr. Peter Clarke (his uncle) gave 
 him an engine, and many a pound lie lias cost that Company. The 
 character of the accident was this :—The mineral train comes upon the 
 line a little beyond the north end of Clay Cross tunnel, and if the goods’ 
 train from Leeds arrive there at the same time, it must remain a full 
 half-hour after the mineral train starts, in case of a break down and to 
 prevent a collision. In this case the mineral train had started previous 
 to the coming up of the goods’. The engineman was “signalled” to 
 lessen his speed, and was to he informed that the mineral train had to 
 stop at the Canal Coal Wharf, about a mile on this side of Normanton. 
 The engineman, however, regardless of all signals, proceeded on and 
 overtook the mineral train, the brakesman of which signalled him to 
 lessen his speed, for they had to stop. Nevertheless, lie kept back and 
 came up three times, until at last the mineral train did stop as required, 
 and the goods’ train ran forward at the rate of fifteen miles an hour, 
 “pitched” right into the mineral train, knocked six waggons filled with 
 lime to pieces, damaged three coal waggons materially, and by the 
 concussion carried away the chimney of his engine, unseated the cylin¬ 
 ders, broke the cylinder covers, and otherwise seriously injured the 
 working gear, &c. &c. This damage will be to the tunc of upwards of 
 500/., and I hesitate not to say, was occasioned wholly by the selection of 
 an improper driver. The replacing of these waggons, repairing the 
 broken ones, and making compensation for the goods destroyed, should 
 he all debited to the locomotive department; but I have no doubt that 
 this will be avoided. 
 
Y LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 the Solyhill brickfield, where, up to a recent period, Mr. Joseph Peyton 
 has been employed. Perhaps, however, the “ brutum fulmen” was 
 lugged in to show his learning by the young gentleman emplo)-ed to pen 
 the epistle—I mean Master Maydon (more famous for the outside 
 garniture of his head than for its furniture within) who is employed at 
 25*. a week hv Mr. Matthew Kirtley as a draftsman—a draftsman in a 
 repairing shop! The letter of “ Justitia” I shall regard, therefore, as 
 that of Mr. Joseph Peyton, of 92, Bloomsbury, Birmingham, although 
 Mr. “Justitia” affects a finer address, by dating from Great Charles- 
 street. What a lack of talent. Sir, there must be in these quarters 
 when Mr. Joseph Peyton is [he will see that I am equally learned as 
 himself] the facile princeps —the Great Champion of Locomotive 
 Management, as displayed in and around the ancient town of Derby! 
 
 “ Justitia” commences by stating, that it is “ no small surprise to 
 many of your readers that you continue to pollute your pages with” my 
 “brazen and malicious fabrications.” I recommend “ Justitia” to apply 
 his own observations to himself. I challenge him, or any one else, to 
 
RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 51 
 
 management of Mr. T. Kirtley calls forth the nnmixeil a])prolmtion of 
 the Directors.” As “ Justitia,” no doubt, wishes that I should give a 
 specimen or two of that gentleman’s economical management, I shall 
 do so, although, perhapsrMr. T. K. may not thank his eulogist for it, 
 and may blush to find that his “ management” has attracted so much 
 
 Is it consistent with good management to cut the lap from off the 
 slide valves ? Is it prudent to reduce the blast-pipes of the engines 
 
MANAGEMENT. 
 
 tements, or rather “ mis-state- 
 jarefacedly impeached, perhaps 
 er remarks with further decisive 
 
RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 55 
 
 proofs of the correctness of my allegations, in the course of which, 
 should I have cause to bring more fully before the public any individual, 
 that individual must blame the advocate he employed to denounce me, 
 or if that advocate was not authorised so to do, on him must the blame 
 
 With reference to the imperfect manner in which Mr. Joseph Peyton 
 had, previously to my exposure, attended to the conditions of his per¬ 
 manent way contract, and the manner in which his superiors overlooked 
 such conduct, I find, by walking down the line, that a great number of 
 hands had been employed, commencing from Birmingham, clearing the 
 quick fences, slopes, ditches, and rails from weeds, and by this clearing 
 I saw in many places along the line blanks in the fence to the extent of 
 from forty to fifty yards without a single plant, and innumerable blanks 
 of 12 inches. I'nlso witnessed, along with two friends, a rail joint (it 
 is the thirteenth from Church-bridge crossing on the down line) in a 
 most disgraceful state ; it is split up at the joint in two places eight 
 inches long, the rail pressed out to about four inches, and if one of those 
 splits were to rise up, the engine would be thrown off the line, and in all 
 likelihood the train cast over the embankment. I was informed, when 
 on the line, that orders arc given to proceed on to Whitacre with all 
 possible dispatch. Thus, Sir, if I had not been correct in my former 
 allegations, why are so many men now put on that part of the line 
 which I pointed out ? To show that my strictures are not undeserved I 
 may mention, that in consequence of Mr. Peyton allowing the switches to 
 get out of repair at the Birmingham station, the Blythe engiue with the 
 goods’ train was thrown off the line this morning. 
 
 Before I take leave of the permanent way on the Birmingham and 
 Derby line, I would beg to bring under the notice of Directors generally, 
 one suggestion which, if carried out, would be of infinite benefit to the 
 
5G RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 when extra work is wanted, the contractor employed calls his whole 
 force from the permanent way, to its great neglect, and while he is 
 receiving an extra profit from this sort of work, he at the same time is 
 pocketing the permanent way pay. There are many contractors who 
 would undertake to do all the extra work of whatever nature or kind, 
 as efficiently as the permanent way contractor, and at considerably less 
 expense to the Company, and this I am perfectly prepared to prove. 
 
 With regard to my comments on Mr. Cabrey and the Leeds and Selby 
 line, I repeat again that I was correct, with this difference, that the Is. 
 per day advance to good men was recommended by Mr. Hudson, which 
 Mr. Cabrey carried out with but one exception. He retained a man whom 
 he considered unworthy of the advance, and by persisting in this, the 
 Company have become considerable losers, for this man ran a coal train 
 against several empty waggons, and the concussion was so great, that 
 the empty waggons were driven against a stone wall, which they broke 
 down and caused considerable damage. It was allowed by those who 
 witnessed the occurrence, that if the empty waggons bad not been there, 
 the engine and part of the train would speedily have been in the river 
 Ouse. Thus, for the saving of a few shillings, damage was created to a 
 greater amount than would have paid an efficient driver for a whole 
 
 In support of what I before advanced, that Mr. T. Kirtley had 
 thrown his “improved motion” into the scrap heap, I appeal to Mr. 
 Peter Clarke, who, when he heard of the circumstance, ordered two 
 labourers to turn over the heap, and find the relics of the “ invention,” 
 which they did. The engine was immediately refitted, but it works 
 very imperfectly, and it is with difficulty that it can be kept together. 
 As to Air. T. Kirtley insisting that the cutting off the lap from the 
 valves is done by the most eminent engineers, how is it that those altered 
 engines are using from 20 to 25 per cent, more coke than they did 
 formerly, and keeping very bad time ? How is it that the long expe¬ 
 rience of the engineers of the Liverpool and Manchester, Grand Junc¬ 
 tion, Manchester and Leeds, and other great lines, give as much lap as 
 they possibly can ; or how is it that Mr. T. Kirtley has not got his 
 younger brother, Mr. Matthew, to follow his example on the Birmingham 
 and Derby ? 
 
 Mhile upon the North Midland I may as well refer to another grand 
 “smash”—I hope you will excuse me if you think I am using the least 
 levity, because from the frecpient occurrence of these “smashes,” 
 Directors and officials seem to think that unless life be sacrificed pas¬ 
 sengers have no cause to be alanned. You must know that this 
 “smash” is kept a profound secret on the North Midland. Not one 
 of the servants of the Company have “heard” anything at all about it 
 (at least they are told to say so). Nevertheless, the facts are these:— 
 On Friday evening last, IIulsc, driver of No. G5 engine, left Derby with 
 the goods’ train for Leeds, and had only proceeded about a mile when 
 the engine became so disabled that he could not go on with the train, 
 and he was just able to return. On reaching Derby he was asked what 
 was the matter; he said he did not know exactly—he had either lost a 
 valve or a piston—a strange answer from an experienced driver (as Mr. 
 
LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 T. K. would call him). Upon examination, it was ascertained that one 
 of the pistons had gone to pieces in consequence of not being properly 
 fitted; for this engine had been running only a few days after having 
 undergone a “ thorough repair,” under the direction of the Superin¬ 
 tendent. Ilulse was then provided with No. fid engine. It is only a 
 week or two since this engine was completely overhauled. On he pro¬ 
 ceeded with the train to about a mile on the other side of Heckton, 
 when he found that the engine was disabled, and on examination, it turned 
 out that he had dropped a valve pin. lie immediately dispatched his 
 fireman and brakesman back in search of the pin ; these three men 
 
 You must not be surprised, Sir, that I have another “ smash” to 
 bring before you. It occurred at the Gloucester station on the morning 
 of Wednesday last, and was occasioned by the mismanagement of a 
 driver of Mr. M‘Connell's own making. The person referred to never 
 was a fireman on any engine ; lie was a selected labourer put into the 
 shed to clean the engines, and was allowed to shift them about in the 
 shed. Mr. M‘C. then made him a turner, and after a short time gave 
 him an engine. The nature of the disaster was this : — On Wednesday 
 morning last, the second mail train out of Birmingham, which reaches 
 Gloucester at 5.40 a.m., on passing Cheltenham, where the line inclines 
 1 in 300, gained considerable speed and completely got the better of the 
 driver, so much so, that on reaching the Gloucester station he could not 
 stop it. There were two empty carriages on the station into which the 
 
WAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 management, I hope you will indulge me, and many of your readers, by 
 inserting a general outline of the fete from me, which I took on the spot. 
 
 I have been over the Chester and Birkenhead; of the result of that 
 journey I shall apprise you next week. 
 
 On the day referred to, I arrived at Crewe. It is certainly a splendid 
 station, and almost completely finished. Although the shops have been 
 occupied nearly twelve months, still this was styled by the Directors the 
 “ opening of the works.” Having procured a ticket of admission, I 
 proceeded to the. place. There was a profusion of flags floating in the 
 breeze, the royal jack surmounting them all from the highest part of 
 the building. In a field close by were half-a-dozen six-pounders, which 
 at different periods of the day were not idle. I then visited the rooms 
 which were tastefully fitted up ; they were in the coach building depart¬ 
 ment. The one on the ground floor was appropriated for the dinner. 
 This room is capable of dining 800 persons. The entrance was at one 
 end, on the right of which were painted the royal arms; on the other 
 side of the entrance were placed two mailed knights of grim visage. At 
 the other end of this large room, to the left of the entrance, was placed 
 the chair, over which was painted on canvass extending the whole width 
 of the room, in large letters, “Prosperity to the Grand Junction 
 Railway,” and over the chair were the crown and cushion. In this 
 place I expected to have seen the whole of the servants connected with 
 the Grand Junction that could he spared from their duties, but in this I 
 was disappointed, for the locomotive fitters at Liverpool and those at 
 Vauxhall station-did not receive tickets. I know it was the design and 
 intention of the Directors that they should have tickets, hut these orders 
 did not seem to have been carried out to the strict letter. 
 
 Everything having been announced ready, about 300 sat down to 
 dinner, Mr. Allen, Superintendent at Crewe, placing himself in the 
 chair. On the right of the chair, in clerical robes, sat the chaplain ap¬ 
 pointed to the establishment. On the word “ Order,” from the Chair¬ 
 man, there were seen approaching a number of the Directors, accom¬ 
 panied by their Secretary; Mr. Locke unostentatiously followed in their 
 train. Having taken their scats, and the dinner over, Mr. Braithwaite 
 Poole began prompting the Chairman from behind, in so rough a man¬ 
 ner as nearly to push liim off his seat, telling him it was now time for 
 him to propose the first toast. Thereupon the Chairman got upon his 
 legs, and imperfectly, and almost inaudibly, muttered out “ The Queen,” 
 which was shouted, as if through a trumpet, by Mr. B. Poole, without 
 which condescending assistance the company would not have known 
 what the toast was. The three succeeding toasts were prompted and 
 announced in a similar manner—“Prince Albert,” “Prince of'Wales,” 
 “ Queen Dowager, and the rest of the Royal family.” Mr. Allen then 
 gave “Prosperity to the Grand Junction Railway,” which was echoed 
 by the stentorian lungs of Mr. B. P. Mr. Moss, Chairman of the 
 Directors, responded to this toast with ease and ability. Part of his ad¬ 
 dress ran thus: “ I am fully persuaded that many of you (the workmen) 
 in coming here (meaning to the new village) have deprived yourselves of 
 many sweet enjoyments, the pleasing stir and busy hum of populous 
 and engaging localities; the early ties of parents, kindred, love, and 
 
LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 some Crewe fete. You would be surprised if I were to inform you 
 of the nature of the principal toasts given, and would see how easy it is 
 to “diddle" shareholders. 
 
 In my last communication, I referred to Mr. M. Kirtley and his 
 “improvements” on his engines. The engine I noticed he has had the 
 temerity to send out again. lie ordered a plate to be screwed upon 
 the burnt plate, which will eventually create another explosion ; and in 
 further proof of my charges relative to his abilities as a Locomotive 
 Superintendent, I may state that his “improved” working gear created 
 so much friction, that the connecting rods of both engines gave way, 
 and the consequence was that the cylinders were broken. The Company 
 will thus suffer to the tune, in one week, of upwards of 100/., indepen¬ 
 dent of what I stated in my last! "With regard to the repairs of the 
 Tamworth engine, she had the whole of her tubes burnt out as well 
 as several others. Mr. Kirtley ordered a number of old tubes to be 
 selected, and had certain alterations completed under his own direction. 
 An attempt was then made to till the boiler with water, but it leaked 
 faster than the tank could supply it. 'When Kirtley found this to be 
 the case, lie ordered all the brazed tubes which lie had inserted to be 
 taken out, and a perfect new set to be put. in, and gave special directions 
 to all, upon the pain of being discharged, not to communicate the same 
 to me! I can assure Mr. M. K. that no one over whom lie lias any 
 control lias anything to do with my information. 
 
 One word as regards Trcvetliick’s litter, of whom I have already said 
 so much. He was sent from Crewe on Monday last with two engines, 
 the Lynx and Basilisk. Thence lie was sent back at 8.13 with the 
 Hecate and Wizard, a carriage truck, four waggons of coke, and a wag¬ 
 gon of timber. The officials at Warrington made themselves sure that 
 lie would be able to run at mail-train speed, and get out of the way of 
 the luggage-train, hut in this they were disappointed, for when lie had 
 passetf Preston Brook, where there is a rise of 1 ill 100 for about 300 
 yards, lie came to another rise of 1 in 300, to the top of which lie should 
 have gone, but from liis want of skill he came to a stand. The waggons 
 were parted from the dead engine to the sidings ill the middle of that 
 hank, leaving the waggons on the main line. On liis return, it being 
 dark, he forgot where lie bad left them, and coming up at full speed lie 
 pitched right into the first waggon, “ smashed” it, and the tender of his 
 engine, doubling up the foot-plate. From the concussion the other 
 waggons were sent down the incline for about half a mile, blocking up 
 the main line, and detaining the luggage train for about two hours. 
 The engine was completely disabled. It was a miracle that the fireman 
 escaped when the tender was shivered. 
 
 I have heard that when some favourite engines get out of order, and 
 cause considerable expense, in order to blind the Directors the cost of 
 repairs is divided amongst the others. Does Mr. Allen know v ho 
 directed some of the spring balances to lie cut, in order that the drivers 
 might not know the extent of pressure the engine was running with ? 
 
 With your permission, it is my intention in your opening number for 
 the new year to take a retrospective view of the past, and the prospects 
 of locomotive management for the future. 
 

 LETTER XXIII. 
 
 Birmingham, January 2, 1S44. 
 
 Whkn- I addressed you ou the 2Gth of December, 1842, for the 
 first time, I could not help congratulating you upon the good you had 
 effected to railway property generally up to that eventful period; 
 but at the same time I remarked, that much had still to he effected. 
 That, during the past year, vour journal has exhibited an additional 
 proof of your energy and zeal, no one will, I think, attempt to deny. 
 
 Previous to writing upon Locomotive Management, it was long a 
 matter of surprise to me that no one had taken up the subject in detail; 
 and what still more astonished me was, that Railway Directors were 
 silent as to this important department; for it is an undeniable fact, that 
 as soon as a railway came into action, the locomotii e management was 
 vested solely in the hands of one individual. Whether that individual 
 were competent or not, did not matter, provided he was hacked by 
 influence; influence was a quite sufficient qualification. True it is that 
 of those who have been entrusted with such important duties— 
 important, both as regards the safety of the public and the care of expen¬ 
 sive machinery—some have, by their talent, experience, and persevering 
 attention, approached to perfection : and in proof of this statement, 1 
 deem it a duty to cite, from mv own knowledge, a few of those 
 instances where lines have been managed by experienced Superin¬ 
 tendents, viz., the Liverpool and Manchester, London and Birmingham, 
 Great AVestem, Midland Counties’, Hull and Selby, Manchester and 
 Leeds, &c. By particularly noticing those lines, I do not mean it to he 
 understood that no accident of any kind has occurred in the locomotive 
 department (for accidents of a fatal nature hare occurred) ; hut however 
 lamentable such accidents have been, still not one of them could be 
 attributed to the personal incompetence of the principal Superintendent, 
 or to the appointment by him of inefficient and inexperienced drivers. 
 The parties referred to have pursued an undeviating and prudent course, 
 by employing those alone who have a thorough knowledge of their 
 duty, never attempting a pseudo-economy at risk of life and destruction 
 of property. In the above list I should have been most happy to 
 place the Grand Junction, but during the course of the last twelve 
 months the locomotive management of that line has been conducted in 
 a way anything hut satisfactory'. That the enginemen upon that esta¬ 
 blishment are generally what Mr. Locke at the Crewe fete stated them 
 to he there can be no doubt, for Air. Locke has given various and most 
 decisive proofs of this ; but many are the objections that I might bring 
 forward as to impolitic measures adopted by their (so-called) superiors. 
 For instance, by “paltry economy” the Superintendents (you know they 
 are numerous) have created much dissension and bad feeling betwixt 
 the enginemen and firemen, and this had feeling does still to a certain 
 extent exist. I need not remind yon there are not two sets of men between 
 whom it is more absolutely necessary that the utmost harmony should 
 
A'AY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 it is not uncommon to see two of these (should-bc-powerful) engines 
 attached to a train of 2-1 waggons, and still have to be assisted up the 
 inclines by the pilots! As further proof of the dilapidated state of these 
 engines, I may mention that Mr. Fenton requires nine pilot enginemen 
 to go in search of, and render assistance to, the manifold mishaps. 
 There are other striking features of Mr. Fenton’s impolicy. When an 
 engine has run the distance from cither end, it is not left in the charge 
 of the engineman, as it ought to be, and as is so successfully practised 
 on the London and Birmingham. The engineman no sooner steps off 
 than another steps on, and returns with the engine at all hazards. When 
 a goods’ train man comes in, after being out not fewer than twenty hours, 
 he must inquire before he goes away when he shall be wanted again, 
 and he gets for answer, “I don’t know ; call again in an hour.” This 
 fatiguing and slavish system is resorted to because no confidence can be 
 placed upon the safe return of the trains. On all well-regulated lines 
 there is a notice put up in the engine shed every Saturday, pointing out 
 to each engineman the hours that he has to be in attendance, and the 
 trains he has to run during the ensuing week, which prevents many a 
 misunderstanding between the Superintendent and his enginemen. 
 
 I must now refer to the lamentable accident that occurred on Tuesday 
 evening, at fifteen minutes past seven, i’.m., at Oakley station, on the 
 Birmingham and Derby Railway, and which you noticed last week. 
 Wliat motive Mr. Ivirtlev could have for extending the platform on to 
 the bridge, no one can tell; but whatever steps may be taken to amend 
 the error, it will'be a serious loss to the proprietors. It is allowed by 
 all that such extension was perfectly unnecessary, for there has been no 
 influx of passengers. If the Directors order the extension to be taken 
 down, the material, and expense of erecting and taking down, will be so 
 much extracted from the pockets of the shareholders; on the other 
 hand, if an iron pallisading be ordered, both sides of the bridge must 
 be uniform, and this additional outlay the dividends are ill able to bear. 
 It is an incontrovertible fact, that since the alteration in the Direction, 
 and in the Management, not a single act has been done on this line 
 but has been fraught with evil and destructive consequences. 
 
 Not long ago, Mr. Sewell thought it necessary to put on a number of 
 men to repair the permanent way, in terms of the contract, which runs 
 thus:—" If the contractor shall* at anytime fail to fulfil the terms of 
 
 principal Engineer of the Company for the time being, the Company 
 shall be at liberty to close the contract, on giving fourteen days’ notice, 
 or to employ so many workmen, and to provide such materials at the 
 expense of the contractor, as may appear to Mr. Robert Stephenson, or 
 the Engineer for the time being, to be necessary.” When the contractor 
 found that the Company’s permanent wav Inspector had so employed 
 men, lie complained to Mr. Kirtlcy, who look upon himself to write a 
 sharp letter to Mr. Sewell, ordering him to take off the men, and dared 
 him at his peril to interfere with the line without his order. Now, if 
 Mr. Kirtlcy be so empowered by the Directors, Mr. Sewell should be 
 discharged, and his salary given to this would-be principal Civil 
 Engineer on the Derby. A very dangerous occurrence look place the 
 
LOCOMOTIVE 
 
 known to be far superior in point of talent, notwithstanding the perti¬ 
 nacity of Mr. Hudson and Sir Jolui Simpson in holding him forth to 
 the locomotive world as the “superior of them all.” When these 
 “Yorkers” leased the Leeds and Selby, there was an engine nearly new 
 (the Firefly), a very excellent coupled goods’ engine. Mr. Cabrey sent 
 her to Leeds, got her uncoupled, and made for a train-engine at consi¬ 
 derable expense —a most unjustifiable step, which will appear from his 
 own doings as I proceed. A considerable time after this he got a 
 repairing-shop erected and a quantity of superior tools, at a very great 
 expense; and to show that his talents would compensate for this large 
 outlay, he thought he could not do better than take this same engine 
 (the Firefly), and re-construct her into a coupled engine again, although 
 she did her work exceedingly well, both before and after the alteration 
 at Leeds. He ordered a new crank axle to be made of certain dimensions. 
 The axle arrived, and when being fitted on the engine, he found that 
 he had ordered it too long. He appeared to have no alternative but to 
 order the inside frame to he reduced, to admit of it to work clear. This 
 being done, the engine was completed and brought out for trial, but, 
 alas! the unlucky crank-axle still caught the frame, and down it came, 
 bringing along with it all the working machinery! Such talent as this, 
 Sir John, I dare say, would never think of exposing to his colleagues 
 at the Brighton Board. It appears very plain to me, that Mr. Hudson 
 and Sir John would be very glad to get rid of Mr. Cabrey to any Com¬ 
 pany, at whatever sacrifice. 
 
 Before I conclude, I would beg to whisper a quiet word to the Mr. 
 ■Wright above referred to. For the future, let him not step out of his 
 way to take the specie out of his neighbour’s eye, before he takes the 
 beam out of his own. At the same time, I would recommend him to be 
 contented where he is, and give up all hopes of following his uncle, to 
 be Permanent Way Inspector on the Brighton. Sufficient has been set 
 forth to show that Mr. Cabrey will never be commander-iu-chief on that 
 line, maugre the disinterested intercession of Sir John. 
 
 LETTER XXVI. 
 
 So deplorable an accident, as that to which I have now to refer, would 
 never have occurred had the imprudent reduction of the tunnel police¬ 
 men not been persisted in, which I pointed out in my letter of the 
 21st March, 1843; nor would the collision have taken place, which 
 I noticed in my letter of the 25tli July of the same year. 
 
 Before I enter upon the particulars of this accident, allow me, in 
 order to refresh the memory of your readers, to quote two paragraphs 
 from those letters, which will convince them that what I then advanced 
 and predicted, was, in the first instance, verified to a certain extent, on 
 the 25th July following, and most woefully and literally by what 
 occurred on the afternoon of the 30th March last. 
 
I shall limv notice the unfortunate affair that took place on Saturday, 
 the 30th March, about three i\ si. Since the imprudent reduction of 
 the police at both cuds of the Clay Cross tunnel, in order to avoid 
 accident from want of watchmen the mineral-train is ordered to he 
 divided, and taken through the tunnel at twice, to ensure its not coming 
 to a stand still. On the day stated above, the train was taken through 
 entire, but when it had nearly arrived at the south end of the tunnel, 
 the way-bar shaft broke, and, of course, the engine could proceed no 
 further. The engineman (Lends) went under the engine to unconnect 
 the disabled engine. Before doing this, .lie sent the brakesman back to 
 apprise the policeman not to allow the passenger-train (which was due) 
 to enter the tunnel until it was clear; hut the policeman not being at his 
 post to observe the brakesman’s signal, the passenger-train entered the 
 tunnel, passed the brakesman, and pitched into the mineral-train. By 
 the concussion the mineral-train was driven forward, and the wheel of 
 
LOCOMOTIVE M 
 
 man, although it had not been oiled above half a dozen times during 
 that period. I allow it might have been considerably indented and 
 worn, but then it was the imperative duty of either Mr. ICirtley or his 
 foreman to have examined regularly all the machinery which is com¬ 
 mitted to their care. They are placed in their situations for no other 
 purpose, and this accident bears me fully out in all my former allega¬ 
 tions, that the greater part of the machinery connected with the engines 
 of the North Midland Railway is not in a perfect and safe condition. 
 I repeat, that it was perfectly preposterous for Mr. Kirtlev to advance 
 before the jury that the shaft broke from want of oil. 
 
 Mr. Marlow also was very inconsistent in his evidence. It was lie 
 who brought Lewis forward as an engineman from the Birmingham and 
 Derby line to the North Midland, and always held him forth to be a 
 very attentive man, equal to any he had on the line. Now, however, 
 that the poor man has lost his life from the mismanagement of his supe¬ 
 riors, Mr. Marlow steps forward and pronounces Lewis, his own jirolege, 
 to be careless and neglectful! 
 
 The policeman was next called, and stated, that instead of being on 
 duty at the tunnel end, he was at the Clay Cross station, when thepas- 
 senger train passed him, and of course he could not be aware of the mis¬ 
 fortune in the tunnel, or that it was blocked up. The station is nearly 
 a quarter of a mile distant from the tunnel. He had received money 
 from a passenger, and had gone to the station with it. It is a common 
 practice for him to visit the station, but in this particular instance he 
 did not prove that lie was obliged to be there at that time; consequently 
 the whole bliimc of the "disaster was saddled on him, and a verdict was 
 returned, “That the deceased came to his death by the neglect of the 
 policeman,” and a deodand of 1/. was imposed on the engine. From 
 the manner in which the whole inquiry was conducted, it was impossible 
 for the jury to censure the Directors for imprudently reducing the 
 number of policemen at so important a situation. 
 
 General Paslev visited Clay Cross tunnel on the Monday afternoon 
 after the accident, accompanied by Messrs. Clarke, Swanwick, and 
 Kirtlev, but what does this avail '! As on a former fatal occasion, the 
 General, doubtless, heard the regrets of the Directors and officials, and 
 there the matter drops 1 
 
 It is fortunate that I have not to record, at the same time, a falal 
 accident on the Birmingham and Derby Railway. It would appear that 
 nothing, however flagrant or dangerous, will lead to Mr. Matthew 
 Iiirtley’s amendment. Three weeks ago, on the arrival of the goods’- 
 train at Birmingham from Derby, betwixt three and four i'.m., when 
 the engine was returning from the luggage-yard to the engine-shed on 
 the main line, and when in the act of crossing, out comes Mr. Kirtlev’s 
 foreman on an engine, without any signal whatevev, and pitches right 
 into the goods’-eugine, driving her off the line, straining her axles, and 
 otherwise damaging both engines, and nearly causing the loss of life. I 
 have repeatedly pointed out similar imprudent acts on various lines, 
 and observed that if the same thing were done hy an engineman he 
 would be discharged instantly; but it seems that railway officials of a 
 higher grade can do no wrong, whatever disastrous consequences may 
 
100 
 
 RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 devoted to walking over the certain portions of each line before-men¬ 
 tioned, to inspect the permanent war minutely. Should any cause of 
 complaint appear, it would then be the duty of the Inspector-General to 
 visit the same place, and if he found his assistant’s report correct, he 
 would place the matter before the Board for them to consider and decide 
 upon. The arrangements once commenced would go on smoothly, for 
 there would not be the smallest risk of the general Inspector’s infe¬ 
 rior officer not doing his duty, as he might be called upon to keep a 
 diary, in which would be recorded every mile he travelled, and every 
 foot he walked, together with the substance of the conversations he had 
 held upon the business that was committed to his charge ; and upon his 
 periodical return to London, this diary might be transcribed for the 
 future reference of the Board. By such an arrangement, the Board of 
 Trade would at all times be in possession of all the proceedings of all 
 the railways in the country, just as perfectly as the active partners of 
 a mercantile establishment are acquainted with the position of their 
 customers throughout the kingdom. 
 
 The duties of a Government officer should he upon the same footing 
 as any other business ; it is not necessary that because he is employed 
 by the Government he should be freed from walking. The labour I put 
 upon him may appear great, but it could not be fatiguing in practice. 
 The transit by railway is quick and easy, and on the average he would 
 not perhaps have to walk above twenty miles per week. It would 
 never exceed this, unless when a line was defective, and upon the 
 inspection of a new line. The qualifications he would require to 
 possess are industry and intelligence, without austerity of manner on the 
 one hand, or being subject to be led from his duty by the flattery of the 
 great on the other. From the appointment of such an officer the 
 greatest satisfaction would result to the State, to Boards of Direction, 
 to railway proprietors, and last, though by no means least, to the tra¬ 
 velling public. 
 
 The length of this letter obliges me to defer my promised remarks on 
 the last week’s Gloucester affair, along with other important matters ; 
 but I must put you right as to a small error that you have been led into. 
 You stated that the new engine which Mr. M'Connell was driving was of 
 his own manufacture. Now, the engine was manufactured by Messrs. 
 Jones and Potts, of Newton; aud it is a pity that Mr. M'Connell did 
 not attend to the admonition given him by Mr. Jones, when he first put 
 the steam on the engine. It is easy to sec how your correspondent has 
 been led into error. Mr. M'Connell is making a new engine for the 
 Lickey incline, and the accident taking place at the incline, strangers 
 would conclude that it had arisen with the engine which Mr. M'Connell 
 has been boasting will do such wonders. More of this hy and by. 
 
 LETTER XXIX. 
 
 Birmingham, September 12, 1S44. 
 
 From the ill-advised scheme of the North Midland locomotive economy 
 being persisted in upon the amalgamated Midland Railways, the repetition 
 
at a station, and the manner they were jerked upon the incline in this 
 instance was much more severe than is usually caused at starting from 
 
 Thus I have stated the real cause of the accident, and my statement, 
 I think, fully hears out the charge of incapacity and negligence—a fault 
 doubly inexcusable from being done under the eye of the Locomotive 
 Superintendent of the line. The whole of the evidence brought forward 
 seemed to have for its object to implicate Mould, who came up with his 
 train, whereas no possible blame could fairly be attached to him. lie 
 was running at his speed until he rounded the curve, and it was only 
 then he saw the obstruction, when he was within 200 yards of the train. 
 Indeed he cannot receive too much praise for the manner in which he 
 brought up his train. If it had been in many hands on the line, the 
 
RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 107 
 
 It would be occupying your space to no purpose to animadvert on 
 the various Managements and individual officials in stronger terms than 
 I have had repeated occasion and too much cause to do; for both the 
 Management and officials appear to be hardened against all sound advice 
 and public censure, and unless the authorised and responsible officers 
 of the Government step in and interfere, there will be no want of alarm¬ 
 ing collisions and fatal accidents, during these dark nights, to put 
 upon record. 
 
 I have already stated, that it is not my intention to be severe on 
 individuals; I shall simply rclntc facts, sufficient for your readers to 
 judge of Jhe justness of my opinion expressed against the Board of 
 Trade, at the same time redeeming my pledge, that “if I failed in 
 obtaining a judicious interference from high quarters, I should not fail 
 to let your readers and the railway public know where the blame should 
 really be attached.” 
 
 It is then a fact, notwithstanding the general opinion to the con¬ 
 trary, that there are not upon record so many destructive collisions 
 within the short space of time as those that have taken place within 
 the last month. 
 
 1st. The Brandling Junction accident. I shall not occupy your 
 space by relating the whole circumstances connected with this lamentable 
 catastrophe. It will long be remembered ; and, besides, there is not a 
 newspaper in the kingdom but can be referred to for those particulars. 
 My intention is to show that nothing but destruction could have been 
 expected from the manner in which that short line lias hitherto been 
 worked, and still, to a certain extent, must be worked, until the Board 
 of Trade compel a considerable alteration. If the hints so repeatedly 
 thrown out in these letters, as to the improvement of Government 
 inspection, had been attended to, this fatal affair would not have taken 
 place; for every dangerous expedient resorted to on that line would 
 have been made known to the Board of Trade, who would certainly have 
 found just cause for interference. Previous to the accident, it was the 
 regular practice every Wednesday morning to start two passenger-trains 
 from Shields station—the one on the up-line, and the other on the down, 
 as if they were put on for a race to the first station. On their arrival 
 there they were then both placed on one and the same line, the first 
 train at the station taking the lead. In a former letter I commented 
 strongly upon the impropriety of running passenger-trains tender first; 
 the dangerous consequences attending such a practice are allowed bvall. 
 On these short lines this practice cannot be avoided until the Directors 
 are compelled to put down a sufficient number of turn-tables. From 
 the form of the' Shields line, they run from Gateshead to Sunderland 
 engine first; from Sunderland to Shields tender first; and from Shields to 
 Gateshead engine first, and so on. The accident occurred on that part 
 of the line where it was customary to run up and down-trains on one 
 line, without proper caution being resorted to to prevent collision. It 
 was also the practice to give only a verbal order when an engine was to 
 proceed from one station to another (probably the motive was economy 
 in the article of paper), and a mistaken verbal order to the engincma'n 
 was the cause of the accident. The managers, in this instance, were 
 
Engineer in tlie kingdom more able than he to give a practical opinion 
 on such matters. 
 
 From the foregoing statements it must appear plain to every one of 
 your readers that if the Board of Trade, upon obtaining their extended 
 powers, had instituted an inspection of all the railways similar to that 
 suggested by me, not one life would have been sacrificed, and the railway 
 proprietors would have been gainers. If the Inspector-General’s yearly 
 report be candidly drawn up for this year, lie will have little to say of 
 the good that has accrued from his inspection. I have repeatedly proved 
 that it is impossible for him to do it effectively by himself; the very 
 station he holds, and the manner in which he inspects the lines, forbid it. 
 As usnal, he will no doubt show how many thousands of miles he has 
 travelled, to prove that he has not been idle ; but what docs this avail ? 
 Nothing! I have not the least hesitation in stating that I could obtain 
 more real practical information as to the actual working of the railways 
 by travelling 1,001) miles, without the power the Inspector-General is 
 possessed of, but by putting questions, and walking to and fro upon anv 
 line he thinks proper, than he could do with all his great powers, tra¬ 
 velling over 10,000 miles. I have read in the newspapers of Govern¬ 
 ment officers being sent to several stations to inspect the state of the 
 third-class carriages. Tins is all very good in its way ; but I have not 
 heard of any steps being taken to prevent the putting on of incompetent 
 and inexperienced men as drivers. It is certainly far more important 
 for passengers to be guarded against the loss of life and limb, than that 
 the attention of the Board of Trade should be wholly engrossed to guard 
 them against “ a wet jacket,” or from paying a farthing a mile extra. 
 The same expense to the Board would realise both. I am not particu¬ 
 larly wedded to the plan previously suggested ; I would cheerfully 
 advocate any measure that would tend to the putting down of sucii dis¬ 
 graceful management as has been witnessed, and still is persisted in, on 
 
 I see a rumour noticed in your last week's paper that Mr. Gladstone 
 is to leave the Board of Trade, and to he replaced by Mr. Cardwell, 
 M.P. I trust that if this gentleman does step into Mr. Gladstone’s 
 shoes, he will not follow in his footsteps, and trouble himself about 
 many things which it was proved to Mr. Gladstone publicly and pri¬ 
 vately that he had no right to do, hut that he will turn his attention to 
 more effective measures for securing the public safety. It was admitted 
 by the majority of the leading railway gentlemen examined before the 
 Parliamentary'Committee that it would he desirable that the Govern¬ 
 ment should have a discretionary power over the working of railways, 
 and that such would have a very salutary effect. I am decidedly opposed 
 to all interference as to financial matters; my principal desire is that a 
 check should he put upon the imprudence of incompetent Locomotive 
 Superintendents. I know many Superintendents who require no such 
 check, but I know as many who do require to he checked. I have no 
 objection that a Superintendent should give his enginemen only 2s. (ul. 
 a day, provided lie can get perfectly qualified men for that money ; but 
 
 able, that the public safety should he periled at the whim of any man ? 
 

 numerous trains! It requires the utmost caution of the most experi¬ 
 enced drivers to avoid collision, and the danger is doubly increased by 
 so many inexperienced men being employed. Mr. Kirtley stated before 
 the Coroner that “ his enginemen are placed under persons well skilled 
 in the working of railways.” Again, I beg leave to differ from Mr. K. 
 The two men he has placed immediately over the enginemen are not 
 well skilled in the duties they have to perform ; neither Mr. Marloiv 
 nor Mr. Cherry is properly qualified for the respective situations, and 
 if I had time I could give many particulars which would prove this. 
 There are many persons connected with that locomotive establishment 
 who can bear testimony to this assertion, and if I am called upon I will 
 prove it. In fact, the present state of repair the engines are in would 
 be sufficient testimony that neither is Mr. Kirtley nor are his two foremen 
 competent to attend to them. Mr. Kearslev had always a number of 
 spare engines in first-rate repair, but at this moment there is not a spare 
 engine on that establishment lit to be sent out with a train in safety. 
 Two or three dangerous accidents have been occasioned lately in conse¬ 
 quence of the dilapidated state of the engines. Should there be a sudden 
 fall of snow for fifty miles round Derby, the working of the various lines 
 would be at a stand, for it would be out of the power of Mr. Ivirtlev to 
 supply the trains with a sufficient number of engines to clear off the 
 obstruction. 
 
 Besides tire shocking state the engines are in, I would call upon Mr. 
 Ellis, the Deputy-Chairman, to put the following question candidly to 
 Mr. Ivirtlev':—“ Have you a sufficient number of good, efficient, and 
 experienced enginemen at your command, to send out with extra engines, 
 if required, upon an emergency?” He must say he has not, for at the 
 moment I write he is not possessed of such men ; inasmuch as, with the 
 exception of a very few, the whole of the best men have left the line since 
 the amalgamation. "What a deplorable state is this for such an important 
 and extensive station to be reduced to ! At this season of the year fur¬ 
 ther fatal accidents arc inevitable. 
 
 In reverting once more to the Grand Junction, it affords me much 
 pleasure to state that I have little more to complain of on this line ; 
 but I am anxious that Mr. Norris should endeavour to persuade Mr. 
 Trcvctliick to listen to the many sound admonitions I have given him. 
 I also take the liberty of asking Mr. Norris to give Mr. lteid a caution 
 to attend strictly to his own business, and not to further interfere w ith 
 that of which he knows nothing—although, by the way, I confess I am 
 unable to define what his business is; in fact, I know no one on the line 
 who can tell, for he holds a useless sinecure. I have no wish to cast the 
 smallest reflection on Mr. Norris, for a more assiduous, attentive, and 
 upright llailway Superintendent is not to be met with ; but I am very 
 anxious to see "realised what Mr. Moss, the worthy Chairman of the 
 Directors, declared this line would shortly be—“Second to none in 
 
 Government interference will speedily be requisite in respect of the 
 old and very useful practice of having “ pilot-enginesthese have been, 
 in many instances, reduced on the score of economy. I have repeatedly 
 pointed out the hardships to which passengers have been exposed for 
 
RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE 
 
 
 11R 
 
 many hours in a cold, wet, winter night, besides the fatal consequences 
 that might ensue. 
 
 The single line from Leamington to Coventry is now open. In my 
 opinion, this ought not to have been done before an electric telegraph 
 had been erected, for until it is supplied with this invaluable invention, 
 it will be subject to the same inconvenience as those lines which have 
 been deprived of “ pilots.” In fact, it is in a much worse position from 
 being a single line. Suppose an accident were to happen to the engine 
 betwixt Leamington and Kenilworth, whence is the engincman to obtain 
 assistance ? From Birmingham, a distance from him above twenty-five 
 miles! Suppose a pilot-engine were at Coventry (which is often the 
 case), and the train from Leamington half an hour or more behind time, 
 no engineman would be justified in running on that line to see what was 
 the matter; if he did, it would be at the risk of utter destruction to himself 
 and others. Under such circumstances, the line should not be worked 
 until an electric telegraph is erected, or a pilot-engine stationed at 
 Kenilworth. Both the propositions I know will be objected to, on the 
 ground of expense; but what have the public to do with expense when 
 their lives are at stake ? On every single line in the kingdom parties 
 should be compelled instantly to erect an electric telegraph. The 
 Leamington line belongs to the London and Birmingham Company, ami 
 I have not the smallest intention to find fault with the locomotive 
 management of that line. I am perfectly able to bear ample testimony 
 to the excellence of all the internal arrangements Mr. Bury has adopted'; 
 they are nearly perfect and complete, as far as the present principle in 
 locomotive management can suggest. But although this be true, I would 
 recommend to the pettySuperiutendent at Rugby to desist for the future 
 from sowing the seeds of that “ wild flower” which has so profusely 
 overgrown the Midland and Gloucester lines. If he does not desist, I 
 shall remind him of this hint. 
 
 I cannot conclude this letter without once more calling upon General 
 Pasley to go down to Bromsgrove, and watch the dangerous way in 
 which the public are conveyed upon the Birmingham and Gloucester 
 line. It is true, they have been lucky in not having fatal accidents, but 
 it is also true that liair-breadtli escapes have been numerous ; and should 
 a fatal accident occur, the Board of Trade can have no excuse in not 
 putting a stop to the danger. When a death takes place on any line. 
 General Pasley is at the spot soon after; but then he is too late. He 
 cannot produce a single instance in which he has suggested the adoption 
 of any precautionary measures, with the exception of recommending the 
 detonating canisters! 
 
 LETTER. XXXII. 
 
 Birmingham, January 1S45. 
 
 In your paper of Saturday last I noticed in your answer to corres¬ 
 pondents that my attention is called bv a correspondent, styling himsclt 
 “A Shareholder of the Grand Junction Railway,” to (lie circumstance 
 
LOCOMOTIVI 
 
 121 
 
 E MANAGEMENT. 
 
 the inland mail-train and passengers were subjected to considerable delay. 
 This train leaves Liverpool at 11 a.m., and reaches Birmingham at 
 3.20 p.m. On getting to Stafford the engine broke down, and they 
 were obliged to remain there until the 1.30 p.m. train from Liverpool 
 came up, which brought both trains on to Birmingham, after a delay of 
 three hours to the mail-train. At the time this pilot-engine was taken 
 from Stafford, a Government officer remarked, that if the mail were 
 detained on any occasion from this cause, the Post-office authorities 
 were determined to proceed against the Company. "Whether this threat 
 will be carried out, I cannot of course tell. 
 
 LETTER XXXIII. 
 
 When I wrote last, it was not my intention to address you again 
 until I had fulfilled my promise of reviewing the railway locomotive 
 management of last year, lint having had several personal conversations 
 regarding two assertions made in the letter referred to, I take the earliest 
 opportunity of setting myself right with the public. 
 
 In the first place, I have been asked to specify in what respect the 
 Managers of the locomotive department of the Birmingham and Glou¬ 
 cester Railway disregard the safety of the public ? My answer to my 
 private questioners was, that I had very frequently given decided proofs 
 of it, and that I would go fully into the matter in my next letter, and 
 explain my reasons. This did not satisfy the parties; and, therefore, 
 I promised with your permission, that I would explain in your number 
 of next Saturday. In doing so, I shall not occupy your space by intro¬ 
 ducing all the particulars I could have referred to at the time I wrote ; I 
 think I shall corroborate my assertion much better by referring to events 
 subsequent to the date of my letter. 
 
 About a fortnight ago, as No. 2G engine, from Gloucester, was getting 
 near the Defford station, a narrow escape from loss of life took place. 
 It will be necessary to premise, that on this line the American engines 
 have four small wheels, called bogie wheels, to a frame, independent of 
 the engine frame, but fixed to it by a swivel-bolt (this frame is called the 
 bogie, hence the name of the wheels). One of these wheels flew off 
 while the engine was at full speed, the wheel, from its velocity, tearing 
 up the other line; and the passengers were in much danger and greatly 
 frightened. Outlie 4th instant, at Bromsgrove, the luggage-engine was, 
 
 a’passenger-train was coming up. Mr. M'Connell was present, and 
 from his usual “ flurried ” manner in giving directions to avert the im¬ 
 pending danger, the engine was taken on to the siding, and thrown off 
 the line. On the afternoon of the same day, by the "same mismanage¬ 
 ment, the bank-engine was thrown off the’ line’; No. 34 engine, by a 
 “pitch in” broke the buffer plank. On a subsequent day, when’an 
 engine was proceeding along at a rapid rate, the tender jumped off 
 the line ; the driver could not control the engine ; on it proceeded, 
 
OCOMOTIYE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 sacrificed, or taking a ride with Directors 
 ilway, on an appointed day fixed by those 
 is put “in apple-pie order,” even to the 
 buttons,—an inspection which is a perfect 
 
alters men's mimls. Oil the Grand Junction Mr. Buddicombe was but 
 a servant; on the Paris and Rouen he is a contractor for the working of 
 the locomotive department. After I read the “ Engincman’s” letter, I 
 made inquiry to learn if the complaints were well-founded, and much 
 surprised I'was to find that Mr. Buddicombe had become a perfect 
 tyrant, and that this may be said also of his assistant, Mr. Wilson, at 
 Sutteville, whom I would recommend to give no cause for further obser¬ 
 vations. Mr. Buddicombe, it seems, wishes to “gag” the men. If they 
 endeavour to expostulate with him upon the hardships he subjects them 
 to, lie gives them for answer, “ If you don’t like it you may leave it.” 
 lie has beeii paying men off because’tliey stated their complaint to some 
 of the Directors, using the term that liewould be revenged of the others 
 if they breathed a word. Again, when complaint was made as to the 
 long hours they were compelled to be out, causing them to be so much 
 fatigued that they were liable to be overtaken by sleep, lie said he would 
 go to England and bring over cast-iron men, who would stand the 
 fatigue. I believe he is in England at the present time, endeavouring 
 to get cast-iron men, as he styles them; but I am afraid he will find a 
 difficulty in procuring them. I have no doubt he may be able to obtain 
 men, but not such as he has at present, for a better set of men is not 
 to be found anvwhere. It appears to me, from wliat I can learn, that 
 he intends to make a “North Midland” affair of the Paris and Rouen. 
 In the meantime, I would recommend to the Directors to institute a 
 rigid inquiry, and know where the fault lies that is creating so much 
 dissatisfaction. I am confident that if they do not, the French Govern¬ 
 ment will not remain so apathetic as the British Government; they 
 will interfere, and I trust they will do so before human life is sacri¬ 
 ficed to gratify the whims or save the pockets of the locomotive con- 
 
 I intended to go into some important particulars relative to the conduct 
 of Captain Charlewood, Superintendent of traffic on the South-Eastern, 
 in stepping out of his own duty, and interfering with that of which he 
 knows nothing. It is reported that Mr. Benjamin Cubitt, the present 
 Locomotive Superintendent, is to leave, and that Captain Charlewood 
 has an eye to the situation. My next letter will appear before such an 
 appointment can be made, and I shall give my opinion of Captain 
 Charlewood’s qualifications for so important an office. I intend to visit 
 that line in the course of a week or two. 
 
 LETTER XXXVI. 
 
 In my last letter I intimated an intention of paying a visit to the 
 various railways around London. That visit I have paid, but not to the 
 extent I meant in the outset, although I remained several days longer 
 than the time prescribed. I shall endeavour to give you an outline of 
 
 My attention was first drawn to 
 
 the Great IVest 
 

 Railway, that whatever may he his opinion of the general arrangements 
 at the Birmingham station, under the able management of Captain 
 Eboral, I can affirm they are not to be surpassed in the kingdom. I 
 am often on this station when the greatest hustle prevails upon the 
 arrival of the London trains, and in the course of a minute or two all is 
 arranged. Captain Ehoral is most assiduous and ever in attendance, 
 both at arrivals and departures. It is my opinion that Captain lluisli 
 prefers being in a hustle ; if so, why does lie not take up his residence 
 in Birmingham ? I know he could" lie very well spared at Liverpool—• 
 in fact, the Company would be gainers if lie were superseded. 
 
 On my arrival at home I was astonished to find that an individual 
 had been sent by Captain Iiuisli from Liverpool to be a spy on this 
 station, at a salary of 100/. a-year, under pretence that he was to fill 
 Mr. Dowling’s place, though no such appointment was necessary, for an 
 additional inspector had been appointed sonic time before Mr. Dowling 
 left. If Mr. Dowling’s place (lit! reeprire to be filled up, ought not one 
 to have been selected who knew how to perform the duty ! 
 
 LETTER XXXVII. 
 
 Birmingham. August 27, 184S. 
 
 It was not my intention to address you again until I had completed 
 my last visit for the season to the eastern lines; but from repeated con¬ 
 versations with several of your readers relative to the very many serious 
 accidents which have taken place since the date of my last, I am 
 induced, at the request of these parties, to trouble you at present. 
 Before entering upon the subject, however, I think it only right to 
 premise that not one of these accidents occasioned me the least suprise, for 
 I had in a great number of instances predicted that the catastrophies of 
 the most direful description might be looked for, and in no single 
 instance have I been mistaken. M ere it not that it would oecujiv too 
 much of Your valuable space, I could select a number of passages from 
 my former letters, which many of your present readers may not have 
 seen, and these extracts would have satisfied them on this point. Sir 
 Robert Peel spoke in the House of Commons immediately after the 
 collision at Camden Town in almost the same words as I had used to 
 General Paslcy upwards of two years ago, namely, that if greater safety 
 to the travelling public were nor ensured, the day must arrive when the 
 Government would be compelled to interfere to secure that desirable 
 end. I am of opinion that an edict from her Majesty’s Cabinet would 
 be quite sufficient without waiting for the re-assembling of Parliament. 
 It requires no extensive or complicated measure. It is certainly incum¬ 
 bent upon Government to resort to every means in their power to prevent 
 such calamities as are daily taking place. In a letter I addressed to you 
 some months ago, calling your attention to the present locomotive 
 management of this country, I concluded “ that we remain as to our 
 future safety just as we were, so far as Government interference goes.” 
 It is certainly lamentable that notwithstanding the sacrifice of life, and 
 
13S 
 
 tlicse lines perfect, while the contrary has been found to he the fact. 
 On the 20th, the evening after the accident, he made his appearance at 
 the hotel in Ely, to commence his inquiry in his usual manner. He was 
 waited on by engineers and others, who only knew of the accident by 
 report, and hating heard their story, repaired next morning to the place, 
 exactly two nights and a day after the accident; thus giving plenty of 
 time for the line to be put in proper order, and the joints all examined 
 for a considerable distance each way: and he will report to Lord Dal- 
 housie that no line is in better condition than that from which the 
 engine went off! Of course he will have no other resource but to throw 
 the entire blame upon the flange. But, Sir, can any Report of General 
 Pasley's after this have any effect in satisfying the public mind ! If 
 this line had been inspected upon my principle, by a proper person, 
 neither of those accidents would have taken place, for much greater care 
 would be resorted to by contractors, that the joints were properly fixed, 
 knowing, as they would, that their appointments would be scrutinised. 
 Does it not now become important that the whole of this line should 
 undergo a proper inspection ? From every inquiry I have made, no fault 
 can be attached to any part of the locomotive management in the 
 slightest degree. 
 
 Mr. Bmyeres, of the London and Birmingham Railway, made quite 
 as foolish an affair of his evidence before Mr. Waklev as the General did 
 before Hr. Lewis. In a former letter I stated that Mr. Bmyeres had, 
 on many occasions, to my personal knowledge, proved himself totally 
 unfit for his office; and I intimated that, under a continuance of his 
 
 shown the public that I was right, and I assure you his conduct has not 
 passed unobserved, for Mr. Wakley declared at the close of Mr. 
 Bruyeres' evidence, that he might be, as he stated, the head Super¬ 
 intendent on the London and Birmingham Railway in name, but he 
 certainly was not a Superintendent in practice. So convinced was Mr. 
 Waklev of this, that he repeated it over again to the jury. My reason 
 for referring to this accident more particularly, is to endeavour to prove 
 the injustice that was done to James Undsworth, the engineman, by Mr. 
 Bruyeres and General Pasley, in throwing the whole blame of the occur¬ 
 rence upon him, and in causing his discharge. I shall prove, Sir, that 
 the man did nothing on that occasion that was not regularly sanctioned by 
 almost all the Superintendents in the kingdom, and by General Pasley 
 also. In doing this, I wish you clearly to understand, that it is not my 
 intention to denounce the locomotive management of this line or any 
 other line, with reference to the point on which I shall lay most stress, 
 nor is it my intention to praise the engineman above his deserts. I am 
 not personally acquainted with him, although I know he has enjoyed 
 for upwards of seven years as good a character for an experienced 
 engineman as any on the line. It is the evidence and the principle on 
 which he was discharged that I find fault with, his discharge having no 
 tendency to do good to the community, to say nothing of the cruelty of 
 General Pasley’s penalty in disqualifying the man from ever again 
 driving an engine in England. 
 
 In taking a review of Mr. Bruyeres’ evidence at Camden Town, I 
 
slinll be as sparing of your space as possible. His principal aim was lo 
 show that Undswortli was an irregular driver, and he brought forth a 
 month’s statement to prove it. That statement was found to he incor¬ 
 rect to a considerable extent, and an explanation was called for by the 
 Coroner. Mr. Bruyeres could not explain, but said he would send for 
 the original reports, and upon being examined, Undswortli’s statement 
 was found to be correct, and Mr. Bruyeres’ wrong. Mr. Bruvercs was 
 asked how many carriages there were in the train. lie said he could 
 not tell exactly. 'When pressed to be particular as to the number, lie 
 said he would make inquiry, and he found there were seven. lie was 
 again asked to whom the carriages belonged, but lie could not answer 
 the question without making another inquiry. He was then asked the 
 price of a first-class carriage ; he said about 2 ">U?.—which is not half 
 its real value. lie was asked to whom the enginemen aud guards gave 
 their reports. lie could not “ tell exactly his general order was, 
 they should be left at bis office. He was asked, in the event of several 
 passengers arriving at any station just before the bell rang for starting, 
 and the trains were detained ten minutes, what the engine-driver was to 
 do? Was lie ordered to bring up his lost time? He could not say; 
 he had nothing to do with that ! “ You have nothing to do with that,” 
 
 remarked the Coroner, “ and yet you bring an engineman up for not 
 keeping his exact time!” 
 
 You will observe, Sir, that through the whole course of his examina¬ 
 tion, Mr. Bruyeres was prepared with nothing except the allegation 
 that Undswortli was an irregular driver, and on this point the evidence 
 lie brought forward was found to be incorrect. Mr. Bruyeres made 
 another charge against the driver, that he had been fined on a previous 
 occasion for coming in too early with his train. Now, he never was so 
 lined, nor any other driver on the line, with the exception of one, and 
 that was upwards of four years ago. 
 
 The point on which hinges the injustice done to Undswortli is this ;— 
 It was the regular and understood practice that all the enginemen were 
 to make up their loss of time, and likewise to arrive as much before time 
 as possible. There is not an engineman on the London line who did not 
 endeavour always to be in before time. It was regularly practised and 
 countenanced by all the Superintendents, high and low ; and the engine- 
 men piqued themselves on it, because they were aware that their dex¬ 
 terity was estimated thereby. As a proof of this I would ask Mr. 
 Parker, of AVolverton, how many men he changed on No. 1/ and No. 
 2-1 engines because they could not come in with the express-train fifteen 
 or twenty minutes before time. This over-speed was sanctioned when 
 Mr. Parker himself and Mr. Bury were on the foot-plate. And yet 
 .lames Undswortli is publicly condemned by General l’asley and Mr. 
 Bruyeres for acting in conformity with the usual practice of the line, as 
 encouraged by his masters of all grades, Air. Bruyeres not excepted. 
 Sir, I cannot see that any blame can he attached to the locomotive 
 management in this instance ; the whole blame of that melancholy affair 
 rests with the luggage department. In the first place, the evidence of the 
 luggage engineman justifies this conclusion, and in the second place, 
 the inefficiency of the signals between the station and the tunnel in 
 
foggy weather; aud, as a matter of course, this inefficiency must he 
 attributed to Mr. Bruyeres alone, for the whole of the signals, and men 
 who have the charge of them, are under his peculiar care. From this 
 charge he cannot escape, for if his arrangements had been perfect the 
 accident would not have happened; Undsworth would have been still 
 in his place, and the old system of extra speed would never have 
 been interfered with. 
 
 On no line has the plan of not coming in before time been more rigidly 
 
 carried out than on the Grand Junction, and yet the men are many 
 
 times at a loss how they should act, from the interference of officials, 
 and especially of Captain Huish. A short time since, the express-train 
 arrived at Crewe six or eight minutes before time. The cngineman was 
 waiting for the proper time to start, when the Captain called to the 
 
 guard to know the cause of stopping. “ Time not up. Sir.” “-the 
 
 time,” was the rejoinder, “ go on as fast as you can.” The engincman 
 did so, and completed tlie^ forty-three and a-lialf miles in forty-five 
 minutes. 
 
 General Pasley, who represents the Government in matters of rail¬ 
 ways, has always given his sanction to extra speed, both with special 
 engines or otherwise ; at all events, I never read a Report from him 
 against it. Now, Sir, it seems to me that the General can ride through 
 an Act of Parliament (Lord Seymour's) ; at all events, be rides through 
 a Standing Order of all Boards, which is, that no engine or train shall 
 proceed past any station above the rate of ten miles an hour. Mr. 
 Bruyeres issued an order front his office to that effect; and yet he comes 
 down in the express-train, and past the stations against his own order, 
 at a greatly increased speed. How inconsistently do Superintendents 
 act! And no Superintendent ever acted with so much imprudence as Mr. 
 Bruyeres. At one time he was in the practice of ordering a special 
 engine and carriage to convey him up and down the line at pleasure, 
 and without giving orders for the proper signals. This system he 
 carried on until he nearly lost his own life, and the lives also of a whole 
 train of passengers, in Kilsby tunnel. It was owing solely to the pre¬ 
 sence of mind of the engineman that he has not long since been “ off 
 the line,” in a sense for which, with all his inefficiency, I should really 
 
 I have caused considerable offence by giving you a hint as to the 
 absurdities in the Birmingham shed, because the manufacture of the 
 rings and pictures is stopped. There are further alterations still want¬ 
 ing ; aud I can assure Mr. Johnstone and his protege. Palmer, that all 
 the influence they are possessed of with Mr. Bruyeres will amount to 
 nothing. I have convinced gentlemen of much higher standing than 
 either of them that they will never arrive at the source of my infor¬ 
 mation, although Palmer says he has put Mr. Bruyeres in possession 
 thereof. Palmer is quite welcome to call Mr. Bruyeres his friend, as he 
 says he is proud of doing. For my own part, I think Mr. Bury is his 
 best friend, in allowing him to carry on a private manufactory in a public 
 establishment; and I think Mr. Bruyeres has quite sufficient to attend 
 to, without takingunder his care any locomotive shed whatever. I have 
 uot douc with tliis gentleman; I still have something of very great 
 
mtented himself with fining him 20s.! 
 raid that the Directors misfit ask how lone 
 id how he had been fired.'' This man, Cll 
 ;o, in consequence of his inexperience, ca 
 
below, and, above all, were asked at how 
 running during tbe time you were in the c 
 Why, I suppose your answer would be 
 Baird, namely, that you were below, and ( 
 deck, and as to tbe rate of speed, that 
 answer, unless you had been on deck and 
 
 Now, Mr. Editor, I shall prove to you ' 
 
 Secretary Sanders and Mr. Supcrintenden 
 of tbe statement of thirty miles an hour, 1 
 recklessness to Ward in passingthe station. .. . 
 
 most experienced engine-driver in the kingdom if it was not absolutely 
 impossible for Ward to have attained that speed in running a mile. From 
 what occurred before reaching Eckington, the water must have been 
 very low in the boiler; the fire was down when the pumps began to 
 work -, cold water was put in; tbe fire damped considerably by the 
 supply of fresh coke, which, as a matter of course, would bring down 
 tbe steam; and under these circumstances, tbe reasonable and practical 
 calculation is, that he was not running above ten miles an hour, with 
 twentv loaded wasgons behind him. I do not blame the young man, 
 Baird; for the mis-statement, for he said before and after the foreman 
 threatened him with a committal, that he might “ tell a be.” 
 
 It will be necessary to make a remark or two on Mr. M'Connell’s 
 evidence, as it principally referred to the importance of proper signals, 
 and the inefficiency of those used on the Birmingham and Gloucester 
 Kailway. Mr. M'Connell, in corroborating what Mr. Sanders had stated, 
 added that the accident had called the attention of the Directors to the 
 matter; and that when General Pasley made objections to the present 
 mode of their night signals, he was told that they formerly used the 
 lamps on poles, hut that, in consequence of those poles being too low, 
 the signals were not seen on approaching the stations, and that they, in 
 consequence, resorted to the use of the hand-lamp. A juror inquired 
 what was the cause of that! Mr, M'Connell explained, that it unfortu¬ 
 
 nately happened that at all their stations there was a bridge close by, 
 
150 
 
 LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEM 
 
 taken a review of the unwarrantable conduct of Mr. AVhatcly, the Soli¬ 
 citor, during the whole of the proceedings, and his unaccountable speech 
 to bias the jury at the close. 
 
 I should like to ask General Pasley why, when the catastrophe at 
 Camphill took place, and he visited the spot three days after, he did not 
 make it his business to examine the ineffective state of the signals, and 
 the unconscionable labour that is put upon the switchmen. General 
 Pasley surely knew, or ought to have known, that the switchman who 
 caused the accident at Camphill, had all the numerous points and signals 
 to attend to, and also to do duty in the office. 
 
 The Birkenhead management; the change of management on the Hull 
 and Selby under Mr. Cahrey, since Mr. Gray left, and the probable 
 dangerous results ; the South-Eastern and Mr. Cudworth; and the other 
 matters I referred to at the close of my last, shall be the subject of my 
 next communication. 
 
 LETTER XL. 
 
 It must surprise your readers in general to he informed that, 
 although so very many fatal catastrophes have taken place within so 
 short a period as three months, and on various lines, many Superin¬ 
 tendents in power will not take a lesson from the past, and endeavour by 
 every means at their command to resort to measures (so far as experience 
 suggests) that will, for the future, prevent such lamentable results. The 
 fact of their being so obstinate hi neglecting to lend lieed to the sound 
 advice I have so often given them, through your aid (and for which I feel 
 assured the travelling public owe you a debt of gratitude), is unaccount¬ 
 able. Nevertheless, I must allow that many of my suggestions have been 
 adopted by Mr. Kirtley, of the Midland Railway; and believe me. Sir, 
 it will always afford me much pleasure to he able to continue to speak 
 favourably of him. He has long since found, to liis sad experience (I 
 would desire others to mark this), that although he was very wroth 
 against me at the time I w-rote so bitterly against him, I was in the 
 right, and he in the wrong. While I am mentioning the Midland, may 
 I call Mr. Hartley’s attention, and more especially that of the Directors, 
 to the dangerous state in which the permanent way again is at this 
 season of the year, while it should have been in the best possible order. 
 It is most surprising to me how the trains keep on the rails, the oscil¬ 
 lation is so great on many portions of it. I would recommend the 
 Directors to compare the original Midland Counties’ permanent way 
 with that of the Birmingham and Derby. I assure you it would afford 
 me delight if I could congratulate many others upon their amendment; 
 but you”will observe, before the close of this letter, that I have little 
 prospect of doing so just yet. It is my belief, that if very energytic 
 exertions are not resorted to immediately, it will he my lot to put upon 
 record some more direful calamities during the approaching foggy 
 weather, than any I have hitherto had the unpleasant duty of noticing. 
 
RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. Ij3 
 
 respective duties ; and experience lias sufficiently shown that a fit and 
 proper person will not remain at the same point for 1 G«. when another 
 gets 20s. I would seriously call the Directors’ attention to this fact 
 before it be too late. I would beg leave to refer them to what took place 
 there on the 30tli July last. If it had occurred in the winter season 
 there unquestionably would have been a jury required, all through the 
 imprudence of Mr. Bruyeres, who is neeesarily, but injudiciously, 
 entrusted with those matters. 
 
 Before I leave this line I wish to ask Mr. Parker why, the other week, 
 he thought proper to act in direct opposition to an express order from 
 the Board of Trade, and also from his own Board, that he is not to give 
 a pilot-man a verbal order to contradict a previous one ? The engineman 
 declared he delivered the order of Mr. Parker just as he received it. 
 The circumstance was this :—The rail-blocks were not properly ballasted 
 from the circumstance of tile extension of the sidings not being finished, 
 which caused the luggage-engine to get off the line. An order was sent 
 back that the down-line was blocked up. Mr. Parker was present, and 
 matters were soon put right, when he despatched the pilot (he says) to 
 order the train to proceed on the down-line, as it was clear. Instead of 
 this, the pilot gave the order for the train to come down on the up-liue 
 to the next crossing, and thus the matter rests. Both maintain they 
 are correct; but, of course, “ a Superintendent ” was never known to 
 be in the wrong! The express passenger-train from Birmingham at 
 this time became due, and all of a sudden both trains came in sight, at 
 full speed, from opposite directions, on the same line, the one running 
 at forty-five, and the other at thirty-five miles an hour ; and if it had not 
 been for the foresight and prudence of the station-master, the collision 
 would have been dreadful. I shall give another instance of the improper 
 assumption of power by Superintendents. At Rugby, on Thursday last, 
 about 8 o’clock i>. m., there were two engines with goods waiting to come 
 out of the siding which extends on the outside of the up-signal. The 
 policeman on duty was engaged about fifty feet from the signal-post, 
 for the purpose of getting an engine from one line to the other, to assist 
 the goods’-engine to make a start out of the siding. The red signal was 
 on for the luggage-men not to stir until it was turned. Mr. Green, 
 stepping out of his duty, thought there was plenty of time for the 
 luggage to cross the line, although the express-train was about due, and 
 he ordered a porter to turn off the signal, and desired the engineman to 
 come on. Upon the policeman turning round, and seeing his signal 
 changed, he ran to it with all speed, and put it on again, and was just 
 making inquiry as to who turned it when the express-train passed. 
 Here is superintendence and unwarrantable interference! Of course, 
 the policeman reported Mr. Green’s conduct to the Inspector next 
 morning. When Mr. Green understood this, he begged the Inspector 
 to make no further report in the matter. Thus, Sir, things are managed 
 betwixt officials, and the matter is hushed up; hut if any engineman 
 had ordered his fireman to turn a policeman’s signal, Mr. Green would 
 have been the first to have him conveyed before a magistrate, and then 
 he would have been certain of three months’ hard labour; but as Mr. 
 Green is a “ Superintendent,” and under the protection of Mr. Bury, 
 
I would particularly beg Mr. Green that, when he makes out a 
 against any man, he should, as a matter of honesty, abide by the 
 for by these reports a man’s bread is at stake. I have shown 
 that Sir. Green is not infallible himself, and that he subjects him 
 be reported upon, but fortunately for him he has the means al 
 mand to get out of it; for example, 1 shall instance a cruel case i 
 pity that truth is not more inquired after by principals). A for 
 ago a driver of the name of Watkins came with a new engine 
 Wolverton to Bugby with a train of goods; after shunting the wi 
 on to the siding he went to get water, and having done so, he fou 
 water in the boiler rather low, when he signalled the policeman 
 might run his engine on to the line to pump wati 1 j ol m 
 up his red signal not to stir. At the moment the express-tra: 
 coming up, and the engineman noticing it, lessened his speed so t 
 might be able to bring up. On coming up, nothing being the i 
 lie kept on, but the lessening of this speed caused inquiry, an 
 Green sent in a report against 'Watkins, who was not allowed to 
 word, and in consequence he received “ notice.” In vain did M 
 wish the policeman to be examined on the point; there’was no In 
 so on Saturday the man is out of bread. “ Jedburgh justice” is 
 uncommon thing on railways. 
 
 I shall now refer to the imprudent course Mr. Cudworth is ah 
 adopt on the Dover line. I cannot make myself believe that the 
 tors of that line are properly acquainted with the danger wide 
 change will cause. Mr. Cudworth has given notice that he is tc 
 a complete swoop of the Ashford station, and cause the men to ru 
 through from London to Dover in one day, which will make a d 
 of 182 miles each day, for five days out of six; and when they w 
 Sundays, which will be in two out of every three, the week’s woi 
 amount to 1,092 miles. Now, I would appeal to any medical gen 
 if the constitution of men is able to stand such work, exposed 
 weathers. Under Mr. Cubitt’s arrangements the men worked 141 
 a-day, and made no complaints—a distance I consider quite suf 
 and more than sufficient for such exposed work. I have no dou 
 
 Cudworth will say that he pays the men better than did Mr. I 
 Nominally he does so. When they applied for an increase of wai 
 
NAGEMENT. 
 
 2 s. per week; and for this 2s., from such extraordinary labour, in one 
 winter season their constitutions will become so broken down that they 
 will be entirely useless for such work for the future. Would you believe 
 it, Sir, Mr. Cudworth says 1,092 miles per week are not too much work 
 for any man! It is a pity but he could be subjected to make trial 
 himself in the approaching winter. Long before the term ceased, he 
 would wish to be back to his 500/. or 000/. a-year, with his bauds in 
 his pockets. The fact is, the men are not able to do it, and the Direc¬ 
 tors will find, to their sad experience, that this trial of the strength of 
 the human constitution will turn out to be a very expensive experiment. 
 
 I wish they would reconsider the matter in time. I am sure the Legis¬ 
 lature would never sanction such inordinate labour. Mr. M'Counell, 
 at the Coroner’s inquest at Defford, declared upon oath his belief that 
 the engineman was paid too little in having only from 6s. to 7s. per day. 
 He wished, he said, to see so important a body of men better educated 
 and better paid. I was glad to hear Mr. M‘Connell make such a decla¬ 
 ration, cancelling his former opinions; this is the commencement of 
 amendment, and believe me, Sir, nothing will gratify me more than to 
 be able to congratulate him on his improved opinion. It would appear 
 that Mr. Cudworth has to go through some severe ordeals of his own 
 making before he arrives at the present opinions of Mr. M'Conuell. 
 What would it avail to the Dover men if they were to receive 10s. per 
 day, if in a few weeks they were certain to be laid upon a bed of sieknes, 
 perhaps never to rise therefrom again ? The poor firemen will be con¬ 
 siderable sufferers and losers. They will have half a day’s less pay in the 
 week, and for this loss will be obliged to put into the fire 1,176 lbs. more 
 coke, not taking into account the arduous duty of extra “ fire-picking,” 
 &c. I can assure Mr. Cudworth, that if he does not relinquish his 
 present notion, he will soon find himself in inextricable difficulty from 
 the high wages held out to the men to go to France and the West 
 Indies. From sickness and other casualties he will soon be unable to work 
 the line effectively. 
 
 In a former letter I intimated my opinion that Mr. Fairnihough was 
 working the locomotive department of the Eastern Counties’ Railway 
 very creditably, and that when the Cambridge and Ely arrangements 
 were completed, he would be able to carry the work on even still more 
 effectively. At that time I had no idea that in so short a period he 
 would fall so much in my estimation, and not only in mine, but in the 
 estimation of all who know any thing of the business of which he is at 
 the head on these lines. He has resorted to the practice of putting ou 
 men for enginemen who never had the charge of an engine at all, 
 causing the passengers to complain of continual delays, which have 
 frequently been remarked on in the daily papers. Mr. F. is following 
 in the footseps of the iniquities of the North Midland. I would press 
 upon the Direction of this line to take a lesson from the Board at Derby, 
 and from Mr. M'Connell’s present opinion, noticed above. No one knows 
 better than Mr. M'ConnclI that Mr. Fairnihough must retrace his 
 steps. I would recommend him to do it of his own accord, for he may 
 rest assured he will not succeed. He has put on a person named James 
 Ilopkinson, who never was even a fireman ; Gundy, a fireman about 
 
156 
 
 RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 four months only; and William Haden, only firing about three 
 months. Need it he wondered at that the trains are delayed. He 
 perhaps may say he could not get better men, but this would be untrue, 
 for there are firemen on the line who have been in that situation from 
 four to sis years, and who have had much experience, and know the 
 line well. I hope I shall not have occasion to write in this strain again 
 with reference to Mr. F., but be able to return to my former good 
 opinion. 
 
 -Much mischief having been done from want of sufficient and proper 
 signals on railways, I would call Mr. Norris’s attention to AValsall sta¬ 
 tion, it having now been made into a luggage-station also. From the 
 great additional traffic, I think it would be very advisable if an addi¬ 
 tional signal-post were placed half-way between James’s Bridge and 
 Walsall. In foggy weather there is hardly time for the engineman to 
 see the signal. At all events, I consider it absolutely necessary during 
 the winter months, for the line is often necessarily obstructed with 
 waggons. 
 
 Sir. Norris may remember that a short time ago an accident took 
 place, because when the policeman was attending his flag he could not 
 see to the points, so that the firemen of the luggage-train shifted the 
 points for themselves, and left them wrong, and when the passenger- 
 train followed, it ran over the points, fortunately without doing any 
 injury, but it might have been very serious. The man has to attend to 
 the signal and points at the same time, and with additional traffic and 
 dark weather, it is impossible he can do it with safety. While I am 
 thus calling upon Mr. Norris (which I do with all respect, for I have a 
 high esteem for his general management), I would state that it has long 
 been a surprise to me that the signal-lamps at Crewe station have never 
 yet been lighted up with gas, when the Company have a gas establish¬ 
 ment. Every one must know that too good a light cannot be put in a 
 signal-lamp. Should Mr. Norris think of making the alteration, I 
 would recommend an increased size of lamp. At present, as Mr. 
 Norris must allow, they are by far too small.* 
 
 It was my intention in the conclusion of this letter to call General 
 Pasley’s attention to the foregoing facts, but perhaps it would be wast¬ 
 ing your time. His reports are private, and, besides, they go for nothing; 
 for all that the Board of Trade has ever yet done has been only to issue 
 a recommendation from their Lordships to do such and such a thing. 
 A promise perhaps was given at the time that it would be obeyed, and 
 if ever such recommendation was attended to it was only for a day. 
 
 LETTER XLI. 
 
 I do not pretend to the gift of prophecy, but your readers may 
 have remarked that I have over and over again predicted that fatal 
 
results would ensue on various railways, consequent upon flagrant mis¬ 
 management. Those predictions have unfortunately heen realised. Any 
 other individual would be able to foretell the same, were he to apply 
 himself as assiduously to the general railway locomotive system of this 
 country. 
 
 In my last letter, which appeared in your journal of the 22nd of 
 October,' there is the following sentence “ It is my belief that, if very 
 energetic exertions are not resorted to immediately, it will be my lot to 
 put upon record some more direful calamities during the approaching 
 foggy weather than any I have had the unpleasant duty of noticing.” 
 From all that has occurred, it is just as requisite that I make the same 
 appeal again. Scarcely had the above been written, when it was awfully 
 verified in the loss of the life of Mr. Boteler, the Commissioner, and 
 Mr. Stubbs, serjeant of police. This melancholy catastrophe was caused 
 by the same ill-judged management which I so severely denounced in my 
 last letter, while referring to the Eastern Comities’ and' Mr. Fairnihougli, 
 to which I would earnestly beg leave to refer your readers, and more 
 particularly such of them as are Railway Superintendents, of whatsoever 
 
 Believe me. Sir, it is a growing evil, which I fear in a short time most 
 Superintendents in England will be obliged, more or less, to resort to, 
 however dangerous the consequences to the travelling public and destruc¬ 
 tive to railway property generally. For this evil, Locomotive Superin¬ 
 tendents of the first eminence are to blame. Some time ago I foretold the 
 dilemma into which Superintendents would inevitably fall, if they did not 
 listen to my advice. The growing evil of which I complain wili be fully 
 illustrated in the course of this letter. 
 
 To return to the lamentable accident on the Midland Railway, for the 
 purpose of tracing the true and only cause of that catastrophe. As 
 usual, there have been two lengthened inquests upon the two unfor¬ 
 tunate gentlemen, and every prospect of a third, the whole of the 
 proceedings of which were conducted under the special guidance of an 
 eminent solicitor, attended by several members of the Board of Directors, 
 making a flourish to the community that their presence indicated that 
 they were anxious to have the tidiest investigation gone into, while all 
 the'time it was the very reverse; for it was not hinted in the whole 
 proceedings who inquired into the appointment of Wheatley, the driver. 
 I have previously clearly proved similar facts. You will remember I 
 did so after the inquests on the Brandling Junction, Derby, Notting¬ 
 ham, Camden Town, Eastern Counties’, and Defford. I shall now 
 substantiate the same fact at the late inquests above referred to, in 
 a very few words. There is no mystery or difficulty in the matter. 
 
 In the first instance, the actual (but not the culpable) cause must be 
 attributed to the total incapacity and want of experience of Thomas 
 Wheatley, the engineman. I consider it unjust that the verdict of man¬ 
 slaughter should have been brought against him, for what he did was 
 no more than might have been expected. To whom, then, is the blame 
 to be attached ? In the first place, to Mr. ICirtley, the Locomotive 
 Superintendcnt-in-Chief of the Midland Railway, for deputing the power 
 of putting on enginemen to Mr. Scott, his petty Superintendent at 
 
158 RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 Leeds (now removed by Mr. Hudson to be chief Locomotive Superin¬ 
 tendent on the Eastern Counties’, of whom I shall have something to 
 say when I notice that line) ; and, in the second place, the moral culpa¬ 
 bility must rest upon Mr. Scott. It would be wasting space were I to 
 
 f o over all the circumstances of the case. That has already been done 
 y a number of witnesses, whose evidence has appeared in all the news¬ 
 papers. Nor need I make any comment on the evidence to attain my 
 object, which is not to traduce any one in his public capacity. My aim 
 is to show, that if Directors and Superintendents had listened to reason, 
 and the very many hints given from time to time, most of the fatal 
 accidents that have occurred in England during the last three years, 
 and that also on the Edinburgh and Glasgow in last May, would have 
 been prevented. The said Thomas Wheatley, who “pitched into” the 
 passenger-train, is a young man bred a fitter, never having been used to 
 run a locomotive engine, for he never was a fireman, nor acquainted 
 with the line, or with the use of the signals ; and, above all, he had not 
 sufficient knowledge in what distance he could bring up a tram when hi 
 full lead. These being facts, how can Mr. Scott be justified in puttmg 
 on so inexperienced a man 1 Ought not Mr. Scott to have been brought 
 to the bar of justice ? And he would have been so, if we had a public 
 prosecutor in England, as they have in Scotland. He was not ignorant 
 of what I have stated; but the young man was an apprentice of Mr. 
 Cabrey, and, as a matter of course, he had an ambition to be an engine- 
 driver, and obtained the patronage of his old master; and Mr. Scott 
 would not dare to act contrary to Mr. Cabrey, for it is undeniable that 
 Mr. Cabrey is the head Locomotive Superintendent of all the lines of 
 which Mr. Hudson is the great governor, all the other Superintendents 
 being merely subordinates. Notwithstanding all this, Mr. Scott cannot, 
 nor never will, be justified, nor can any other Superintendent whatever, 
 in placing the lives of the public in jeopardy by the appointment of such 
 men as Wheatley. In support of this, I would seriously call upon Mr. 
 Scott to carefully peruse the Lord Advocate of Scotland’s address to 
 Paton and M‘Nab, previous to passing sentence upon those individuals, 
 and which has appeared in your paper. There is much in that address 
 applicable to Mr. Scott, and not only to him but it should be put 
 into the hands of every Superintendent and engine-driver in the United 
 Kingdom. " Oh, that it were written with an iron pen on a plate,” 
 and hung up in every engine-shed! 
 
 I also attach no small share of the blame to Mr. Hudson. However 
 gifted that gentleman may be with extraordinary acquirements for the 
 getting up of new lines, laying schemes and plans for amalgamations, 
 &c. &c.—all the praise that'is due to his “ gigantic mind” I freely grant; 
 but one thing he has ever shown himself egregiously to fall short of— 
 he appears to be totally wrong in bis calculations as to locomotive man¬ 
 agement. The saving of sixpence or eiglitpence a day upon the wages 
 of enginemen and firemen, and sanctioning the puttmg on of inexperi¬ 
 enced cheap hands to run the trains, proved his unbounded admiration 
 of economy. It was his imprudent acts in this most important depart¬ 
 ment that first brought him to be publicly noticed ; but what a sacrifice 
 of human life the measures then adopted and unfortunately copied by 
 
LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 others, have occasioned! He never suggested one single thing of im¬ 
 portance in locomotive management to add to the better safety of the 
 traveller. Well does Mr. Hudson know, indeed we all know, the tens 
 of thousands of pounds’ worth of property his schemes have demolished. 
 Before I leave the Midland, I must remark, that about the same time 
 that Mr. Scott installed Wheatley, Mr. Steele, a foreman, put on at 
 Masborough station two persons of the same description. They are 
 pilots when required, and consequently another fatal collision in the 
 same quarter need not be wondered at, but as a matter of course looked 
 for. How satisfactory this must be to the traveller! 
 
 Before I proceed to give a few more hints to the Superintendents of 
 all the principal railways from Bristol to Hull, and thence to the Channel, 
 
 I beg leave to repeat what I have often stated before, that whatever I 
 may deem it necessary to complain of, it is from no vindictive feeling 
 towards any one ; it is solely with a view to endeavour to arrive at an 
 improvement of locomotive management to ensure the greater safety of 
 the traveller. I can assure travellers that the railways are the safest 
 mode of travelling, and that the chances of accident are few and far 
 between, if the lines be prudently worked. I may state, that many of 
 my former hints have not been entirely disregarded, but my most vital 
 reconnnedations have still to be complied with before true safety can be 
 attained. I would call the attention of Directors and Superintendents 
 to a very important particular, and entreat of them not to overlook it. 
 It is a sacred truth that all mankind are “ liable to fall,” and I have 
 shown that our great railway king is not to be excepted. It is an 
 absurd ride for Bailway Directors to copy the laws of the “ Mcdes and 
 Persians,” a plan that is too much resorted to, namely, that if an intel¬ 
 ligent and experienced servant commit a fault, the unfortunate man is 
 doomed by this unalterable law to instant dismissal. I do not say that 
 it is not just to do so in some instances, but in making the rule general, 
 it is fraught with much evil. Before the dismissal of an experienced 
 servant. Directors and Superintendents should fully investigate and 
 well consider the matter. It looks so fiendish that Superintendents 
 should discharge men from caprice, without a real fault, that your readers 
 will scarcely credit it; it is so, however, and when those men are likely 
 to get another situation of a similar kind, they write ambiguously to the 
 employers, and prevent the man getting the place. Take the case of a 
 pointsman who commits a fault. Under the existing law he is imme¬ 
 diately discharged, without the least consideration who is to fill his 
 place ; the first man that comes in the way is appointed ; qualifications 
 are no object, provided he is backed by influence. Here is a man placed 
 in one of the most important situations on a railway, although humble, 
 as to safety; he gets a long string of rules about the use of signals, 
 and perhaps he also has three or four sets of points to attend to, for 
 which lie receives only a few verbal instructions, and is then left to com¬ 
 mence his work in a bewildered state, scarcely knowing whether to turn 
 to the right hand or the left. I almost forgot to mention his last injunc¬ 
 tion, under pain of dismissal, which must be attended to paramount to 
 all others—that on no account shall he allow a superior officer to pass 
 without doffing his hat! I should say that a suitable fine inflicted several 
 
164 
 
 RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE 
 
 INAGE5IEKT. 
 
 should he called “idleboys” to the engine. I do not state these truths 
 from hearsay; I do it from my own personal knowledge and observation. 
 In proof of the engines being turned out by Mr. Johnstone in a 
 disgraceful state, I may state that his luggage-engines are often over¬ 
 taken, and very unexpectedly, by the passenger-trains; and no later 
 than last Saturday night, the luggage-train came to a dead stand within 
 about two miles of Birmingham, which delayed the passenger-train above 
 an hour. The Derby passengers were obliged to get out and walk that 
 distance, to be able to get on with the Derby train. The management 
 on that night was disgraceful. Then, on Sunday, a similar thing 
 happened to the engine which was sent from Birmingham to bring the 
 train from Leamington, and which is not fit to drag a cargo of “ Irish 
 pigs,” and Johnstone knows this perfectly well. Some of the passengers 
 in that train informed me they could have walked to Coventry as soon 
 as the train. I could follow up this subject to a much greater length. 
 I shall pursue it no further, however, for the present. I have one word 
 more to say to Mr. Bruyeres. With all his continual flurry, he has not 
 got his orders attended to yet in a proper manner. How is it that he 
 does not cause the drivers of the ballast-waggons to be more careful in 
 getting out of the way of the passenger-trains ? On Monday night last, 
 this carelessness nearly caused a serious accident. Near Sudbury station, 
 the line is being relaid. The third-class train from Birmingham came 
 up (driven by Martin Cole) while a train of rails was standing on the 
 same line. The third-class train “ pitched into ” it, the engineman 
 escaping by leaping, the passengers with a fright and a jumble. This 
 collision caused the delay of the York mail and another train, which 
 reached London an hour and a half late. There can be no excuse for 
 placing the public in this jeopardy, for Mr. Bruyeres must know that 
 Cole fas of late been overtaken repeatedly. I appeal to the guards for 
 the truth of this. I have no doubt Mr. Bruyeres will throw the blame 
 on Mr. Madigan, the contractor; at all events, the blame rests with one 
 or other of those two gentlemen. If any one had been killed, it would 
 have puzzled them not a little to get out of the scrape. I beg leave to 
 give Mr. Bruyeres a hint, that there is to be (I have it from first 
 authority) an olfer made to old and experienced guards to leave their 
 present situations. I merely warn him and all other Superintendents 
 of this, that they may not get into the same dilemma that Locomotive 
 Superintendents have already got into. 
 
 It appears (from the note which you did me the favour to transmit) 
 that my last letter gave apparent offence to William Perry, the half- 
 and-half foreman of the fitters at Romford station, on the Eastern 
 Counties’ line. He is offended with me for stating that Mr. Faimiliough 
 had put on three fitters who were not sufficiently acquainted with the 
 running of an engine. Peny declares that they are of “ transcendent 
 abilities.” This may be so; I never questioned'it, nor do I now; but I 
 fearlessly repeat, that they are totally unfit for running trains with safety, 
 they never having been sufficiently bred for enginemen. Their qualifi¬ 
 cations as fitters may be “ transcendant” but if they are no better than 
 Perry’s, they have little to brag of. May I call to this Perry’s remem¬ 
 brance the “talent” he displayed when under Mr. Alcnrd at War- 
 
RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 107 
 
 the strictures in this letter be added to them. They will tell their own 
 tale; there are hundreds who can corroborate the truths I bring for¬ 
 ward. 
 
 Again, I ask, are not such circumstances disgraceful to her Majesty’s 
 Lords of the Privy Council ? I think I am justified in agitating for 
 
 severe till more certain safety for railway travellers is obtained. X am a 
 firm believer that that mode of travelling is the best and safest; but the 
 locomotive management must undergo a very material change before I 
 can give it my full confidence. 
 
 I have long since given up all hope that General Pasley will ever pro¬ 
 pose any amendment; for as I have repeatedly remarked, he has 
 scarcely ever seen any cause of complaint, although so many lives have 
 been lost, his sentiments being usually an echo of the opinions of Direc¬ 
 tors and officials. The delinquencies of locomotive management are 
 
 the nature of railways, for I have several times suggested a simple and 
 almost perfect remedy. I grant that many mistakes and short-comings 
 must he overlooked in General Pasley, but he appears to have the con¬ 
 fidence of the Government and the Board of Trade as a superlatively 
 good Inspector, while there exist, and I have freely commented upon, 
 the perils and disasters that surround us, through his extraordinary, and 
 as I say very culpable, forbearance. I do not expect marvels of him, 
 but the public have a right to demand of this officer of the Government 
 impartiality, determination, and energy, and that he should disregard 
 all fulsome flattery and pretended deference which Directors extend to 
 
 and weak mind. He ought to apply himself fearlessly to the perform¬ 
 ance of the duty he is entrusted with. We know that some men, even 
 when convinced, continue to act foolishly, until by some accident they 
 are compelled to reform. I trust that General Pasley will have now 
 
 with comfort "to himself. It is astonishing that railway delinquencies are 
 perpetuated, notwithstanding almost every one has come to condemn 
 them. It is to be lamented that the time has not yet arrived to induce 
 our Railway Inspector to listen to sound reason ; nay, blood shed upon 
 blood has not yet had the desired effect. Is there not something in the 
 present locomotive management suggestive of hope that the Govern¬ 
 ment may be led to dispense with the ignorance and imbecility of General 
 Pasley and his obstinacy in what is wrong ? I would beg leave to ask 
 General Pasley a few questions :— 
 
 Have you ever had the moral courage publicly to reprove the mis¬ 
 conduct of Directors or Superintendents ? 
 
 Have you ever proposed any measure that would cause that important 
 body, euginemen, to be put upon a better footing, so as to ascertain 
 their qualifications before they are entrusted with the lives of the 
 
 Have you ever suggested one single thing that would ensure greater 
 safety to the railway traveller ? 
 
 What have you been doing whilst all those objects have remained so 
 much desired ? 
 
If General Easley will permit, I shall answer the last question in 
 truth. I say then to him, “You have been squandering the public 
 money in pleasure trips with Directors (I cannot say inspections), ami 
 the Directors in their turn have treated you to luxurious entertainments 
 in order to silence you.” 
 
 The inquest upon the bodies of the two unfortunate men who lost 
 their lives at the late accident on the Norfolk Railway haring been 
 brought to a close, and the verdict being now before the public, I wish, 
 Mr. Editor, to call your attention to this important subject, because I 
 am dissatisfied with that verdict; and I think I shall have as little diffi¬ 
 culty in proving that it is not what it ought to he, as I have had in 
 other cases of a similar nature. The blame is thrown upon the deceased 
 driver, because he canuot speak for himself. If he had been spared, I 
 have no doubt he would have prevented the erroneous opinions of Mr. 
 Bidder and General Pasley from having any weight with the jury. The 
 verdict was, “ Accidental death, caused by the imprudence of the 
 engine-driver ninning at an excessive speed.” I maintain there was no 
 evidence given to warrant such a verdict. General Pasley and Mr. 
 Bidder could only suppose such and such a thing, for neither of them 
 was present at the occurrence. In my opinion, there was evidence given 
 that would warrant a different verdict, while there are other circum¬ 
 stances connected with that affair to justify this conclusion, as I shall 
 endeavour to show. In the first place, Mr. Bidder was an interested 
 party. He is the Engineer of the line, and of course it was to his 
 credit to show, if possible, that the line was in perfect condition, and 
 that all his other arrangements were good. Tinder these circumstances, 
 it is natural to suppose that he would wish to have a verdict against the 
 driver. I shall prove to you in another letter (for I shall not have 
 space in this), that the Norfolk Railway has never been in perfect 
 condition, and that, as regards signals, they have been, and still 
 are, of the most imperfect description, to say nothing of the ineffi¬ 
 ciency of the men who are entrusted with them. I have abundant 
 evidence to substantiate these allegations. The platelayer, Johnson, 
 was also personally interested, because he was culpable in not haring 
 a red signal on the line from six hundred to eight hundred yards 
 distant from the place where the railway was undergoing repair. 
 Immediately after the accident, one of the platelayers was questioned 
 about the nature of it, when he stated they had a rail out, hut that they 
 had put it iu again, although they had not time to “ key” it down. He 
 was then asked if, in consequence of having occasion to take up a rail, 
 there was a red signal put up at the proper distance to give a coining 
 train warning. He said, “ No, they had not put up such a signal, hut 
 they hadagreen flag about eighty yards distant, which signified caution.” 
 This man thought he had gone a step too far, for he wound up his 
 observations by saying, “ It did not matter, for engineermen did not pay 
 any attention to signals,” a most unfounded accusation. A green signal, 
 in tills instance, was not the proper signal; and, besides, eighty yards 
 was by far too short a distance, when the line was in the state described. 
 Johnson declared to the jury that the engine was running at the rate of 
 sixty miles an hour. Now I fearlessly contradict him on this point. 
 
170 
 
 attained tlie speed of sixty miles on hour, for he was running up an 
 incline of 1 in 100. On reaching the top, the incline down is 1 in 800, 
 which is approaching to a level, and he had only proceeded about 100 
 yards down this slight incline when the accident occurred. I would 
 appeal to any experienced engineman if the driver could possibly have 
 arrived at the alleged speed under such circumstances 1 
 
 There is another important point which appears also to have been 
 overlooked, namely, as to the rail which went through the fire-box, and 
 then through the boiler. This must have been the unkeyed rail spoken 
 of by the plate-layer, for the guard declared that when Pickering shut 
 off the steam, he looked to one side and shook his head. The driver 
 must at this time have seen something wrong, and no doubt it was the 
 rail he saw raised; for immediately the engine was enveloped in steam, 
 and that steam must have come from the incision made in the boiler by 
 the rail; certainly not from shutting the regulator suddenly. Besides, the 
 men must have seen the approaching danger, for, upon examining the 
 tender, the brake was found to be very firmly screwed down ; so much 
 so, that both men had been at it together. Under all these circum¬ 
 stances, there can be no doubt but the accident must lie at the door of 
 those who have charge of the line, in not using more caution with the 
 signals, and from plate-layers allowing a train to proceed over an 
 unkeyed rail. 
 
 It is passing strange that gentlemen who attach C. E. to their names 
 can be so very inconsistent in their remarks as they sometimes are. We 
 have just seen Mr. Bidder accusing the unfortunate driver of running 
 sixty miles an hour, while he has been the greatest advocate for that 
 speed upon the narrow gauge, endeavouring, if possible, to outstrip Mr. 
 Brunei and the broad gauge, and that, too, under the sanction of a 
 Government Commission 1 If Mr. Bidder be correct in his opinion of 
 poor Pickering, how can he be justified in encouraging that speed by his 
 personal presence on the foot-plate of the engine ? 
 
 What will General Paslev and Mr. Bidder think of the projected 
 engine of Messrs. Brunei and Gooch ? They have decided upon a plan, 
 and have calculated that the engine will ruu eighty miles per hour; it is 
 to outdo the Atmospheric. Tins engine is to have 18-inch cylinders, 
 2-feet stroke, 8-feet driving wheel, and an increased diameter of boiler, 
 to contain 270 tubes. If you had not been so much pressed for room, 
 I should have made a few remarks on the Great Western line, but I 
 must postpone them until my next. 
 
 I must once more give Mr. Norris his due meed of praise for extreme 
 attention to the responsible duties entrusted to him upon the Grand 
 Junction Railway. He has now erected a very superior signal betwixt 
 Walsall and James’s Bridge. It does him much credit. From its size 
 and altitude, it can easily be observed by the conductor of a train from 
 either of the two places. The keeper can discern the signal at Walsall, 
 and make the same signal, which can be seen at James’s Bridge; so 
 that, with common prudence, a collision is almost impossible at the now 
 busy station at Walsall. The other improvements and signals of Mr. 
 Norris are highly praiseworthy; and it would be to the credit of a great 
 many Superintendents if they did but take a lesson from Mr. Norris’s 
 
172 RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 statement I would refer to Mr. Parker, who is aware of it, though 
 Morris not being one of his men, he has no control over him. Mr. 
 Trevethick and Mr. Allen were alone responsible for this recklessness. 
 Instead, however, of Mr. Allen finding fault, he indirectly encourages 
 him, for this reason, that by acting so, the driver makes his engine do 
 more work, thus running heavier trains than other men could with 
 the regulated pressure. If a man should object to a heavy train that 
 he could not get on with it, Allen will immediately say, “ look at Morris, 
 he can do it easily enough.” Kemonstrance is of no use. Sir, you 
 made a very just remark in your last week’s paper, while ably treating 
 of railway management, that “ the pitcher may go often to the well 
 without being broken, let it be carried ever so carelessly, but when the 
 smash does take place, people soon find out where the blame lies.” 
 Here is a case in point; Morris had been lucky a long time in locking 
 bis safety-valves, but last Saturday morning produced the “ smash.” 
 He got his engine attached to the train at Crewe. Having made all ready 
 to start, and, as usual, screwed down and locked the valves, be left 
 the foot-plate for a few minutes while the fireman was arranging his 
 coke on the tender, and, during this short interval, the steam got up 
 beyond what the boiler was able to bear, when off flew the steam-dome 
 of the engine (it was a dome without a flaw), and was carried from 
 thirty to forty yards. The fireman narrowly escaped being scalded to 
 death. If the men bad been on the foot-plate, they most assuredly 
 would have been killed. Mr. Allen is more to blame than the man (he 
 is aware of this, but not a word lias been said to the man about it), for he 
 knew well the danger. Mr. Trevethick is not so much to blame, for be 
 is not so well acquainted with the capabilities of a locomotive engine, 
 though he fills a very responsible and important situation. As a proof 
 of bis incapacity, I may repeat what I believe I have mentioned in a 
 previous letter, that, on one occasion, when Mr. Locke was at Crewe 
 with another gentleman, Mr. Trevethick was in attendance, and in 
 passing over the works where there was a pilot-engine standing, Mr. 
 Locke turned round and asked Air. Trevethick what pressure upon the 
 square inch the engine was blowing off at? Mr. Trevethick mounted the 
 foot-plate, but could not give a satisfactory answer. Mr. Locke, sur¬ 
 prised, said (though not in terms so refined), “ a pretty sort of Super¬ 
 intendent you are ; ” and turned upon his heel! If Mr. Trevethick had 
 not been recommended by Mr. Locke to the situation, his days would 
 have been numbered from that hour. 
 
 Lord Alford stated, at the cutting of the first sod of the Bradford 
 Branch Railway, that the Company were fortunate in being in connection 
 with the London and Birmingham, for it was one of the best managed 
 lines in England. Sir, it was so at one time, but I regret to say is not 
 so now. If his Lordship had been in the 4 p.m. York mail-train from 
 Bugby, about three weeks ago, he would have changed his opinion, as 
 many others have done of late. In my last letter I fully explained the 
 cause of this unfortunate alteration, namely, employing engine-drivers 
 totally unfit for the duty; and I also stated that it would be to the 
 advantage of the Company were they to give some of them their wages 
 to stop at home. The following circumstance is a proof, and there are 
 
RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 175 
 
 drove the Midland No. G engine, which was literally shivered to pieces. 
 He must, or should have been, well known to Mr. Kirtley; he was a 
 fitter, and a very short time a driver on the Manchester and Leeds, and 
 discharged from that line for a similar act. Moreover, Mr. Kirtley 
 must have known him from what he has committed since he came oil 
 the Midland, which was only two months ago. During that short 
 time, however, he has given ample proof of his inefficiency. Previous 
 to what I have related, he committed three or four blunders. On one 
 of these occasions, he caused the destruction of several second-class 
 carriages, besides other damage; still Mr. Kirtley continued to 
 entrust him with an engine, because lie was “cheap.” When will 
 this pseudo-economy have an end ? I would once more beseech 
 Mr. Hudson to turn his mind to this most important and neglected 
 department of railways. Surely the frequency of such notorious 
 cases may cause him to reflect. He has the power to amend; and 
 if he still declines, he must be held culpable. I have no desire to 
 rob him of the legitimate rewards which his towering ambition has 
 attained, and which his wonderful aptitude for railway business com¬ 
 mands. I must, however, confess my utter astonishment that any class 
 of men— much less such men as Mr. Hudson —should for so long be 
 fooled by such Superintendents as a Cabrey or a M'Connell. 
 
 I have been compelled in this letter to go far beyond the limits I 
 originally prescribed to myself, and this necessarily keeps back my retro¬ 
 spective review. I shall endeavour to send it next week ; and my pro¬ 
 mised letter to Sir Robert Peel on our Railway System shall follow in 
 
 LETTER XLIII. 
 
 Ui’ON reading in your journal the report of the speech which Mr. 
 Hudson delivered before the assembled proprietors of the York and 
 North Midland Railway at the late half-yearly meeting, my attention 
 was forcibly arrested by an expression he made use of, to the effect “ that 
 he had much pleasure in congratulating the proprietors that the loco¬ 
 motive stock was equal to any in the world.” This, Sir, startled me, 
 for I knew that, but little more than two months ago, the working of 
 the York and North Midland line was nearly at a stand from want of 
 locomotive power; and hence I could not make myself believe that Mr. 
 Hudson had spoken the truth. To put my mincl at rest, I examined 
 the mystical accounts, but could find nothing in support of my own views. 
 Since then, however, haring occasion to be in Manchester, I resolved, 
 before I returned home, to visit York, to ascertain if I were right in the 
 conclusion I had arrived at, that Mr. Hudson had been himself deceived, 
 or was deceiving his constituency. On arri’ ring at York, I found, upon 
 entering on my inquiry, that I had considerable difficulty to contend with, 
 for my last letter had given Mr. Cabrey very great offence, from the expo¬ 
 sure there set forth of his Hull and Selby management. If I had had 
 
LO COM 01 
 
 VNAREMENT. 
 
 may observe, that I noticed at York the Vulcan, the Ariel, and the 
 Antelope, all of Gray’s patent, and which Mr. Gray left perfect, but 
 which will now require a very heavy repair, for upon examination I 
 found there are two of them with their fire-boxes and tubes burned out. 
 Were it not that you are so much pressed for room, I would give you 
 a detailed estimate of the enormous cost it will take to reinstate them. 
 No such conduct as I have described in this letter, and in my last, ever 
 took place on the Hull and Selby, while under the lengthened manage¬ 
 ment of Mr. Gray. I should be glad to know how Mr. Hudson and 
 Mr. Cabrey make out that the saving of Is. per day, or even 2s. or 3s., 
 to about a dozen enginemen, can ever redeem the destruction of 
 thousands of pounds worth of property caused by such paltry saving. 
 To me it appears that there is anything rather than a saving, but on the 
 contrary, an immense pecuniary loss. It would seem, however, that Mr. 
 Hudson calculates in this way, that while the country is prosperous, he 
 will always be able to produce from 8 to 10 per cent, dividend, and 
 while he does so the proprietors have no right to pry into particulars. 
 For my own part, I consider such reasoning fallacious. To quote the 
 old proverb—•" We should make hay while the sun shines.” No country 
 in the world should pay more attention to this adage than England, for 
 it has always been afflicted with a periodical stagnation in trade ; and 
 from my experience in such matters, I am inclined to think that the next 
 stagnation is not far distant.* When it does come, Mr. Hudson will, 
 perhaps, prevent prying minutely into the expenditure by stating that 
 the defalcation has arisen from unforeseen circumstances over which the 
 Directors had no control. Now, this would be so far truth; but still 
 why not always adhere to a well-regulated system of management, which 
 would prevent much destruction of property, the value of which could 
 be kept to assist the depressed dividend in the days of unforeseen 
 calamity? Next half-year the York and North Midland will be taxed 
 with an additional sum for new engines and repairs of about 20,000?., 
 independent of the regular current expenses, which are necessarily always 
 great; and besides the above 20,000?., there will be the extra charge 
 on the goods’ department, to make up for the destruction of waggons 
 and payment for the goods destroyed; and the carriage department will 
 suffer in the same degree. Upon the lowest calculation, therefore, the 
 extra charge upon the next six months cannot be less than 30,000?. 
 This is a great sum for so short a line, however prosperous it may be ; 
 and I maintain it might have been saved by common prudence. All 
 that Mr. Cabrey will be able to show for it will be some 200?. or 300?. 
 saving in the pay-sheet. I may be answered that he will still have the 
 new stock of engines ; but unless a very considerable change come over 
 Mr. Cabrey’s proceedings, these engines will, before six months, have 
 become complete wrecks, similar to the half-dozen I have described on 
 the Hull and Selby, within the same short space of time. 
 
 You may remember, when the present Locomotive Superintendent, 
 Mr. Jenkins, succeeded Mr. Fenton on the Manchester and Leeds 
 Bailway, I told you whence he came, and that I should keep an eye 
 
ft*AY LOCOMOTIVE 
 
 ance, being that of Railway Locomotive Management—a department 
 •which has not been duly considered by Railway Directors, and com¬ 
 pletely mismanaged by those who have been appointed as Superin¬ 
 tendents—in truth, which has hcen neglected less or more by every 
 establishment of that description in the kingdom. 
 
 At the cutting of the first sod of the Trent Valley Railway, you, hi 
 yonr address to the Directors of the line, specially called their attention 
 to the importance of the regularity of the trains, and very judiciously 
 recommended that every attention should be paid to the comfort of the 
 third-class passengers. This was so far good; hut you apparently 
 forgot the most important of all considerations to be impressed upon 
 the min ds of the Directors, namely, safety. What. would it avail to a 
 first-class passenger that the carriages were fitted up with all the elegance 
 that Royalty can command; or to a third-class passenger, if the car¬ 
 riages were lined with down, if, in the course of the journey, he were in 
 constant fear of being hurled into eternity? A “wet jacket,” with 
 an assurance of absolute safety, would be far more esteemed by the 
 travelling public than all the elegance and comfort alluded to. But, 
 Sir, why should not comfort and safety be combined ? The supply of 
 the additional comfort you recommend will be attended with a little 
 extra expense, but an improved management in the locomotive depart¬ 
 ment would be attended with no additional cost whatever, nay, there 
 would be an absolute saving. The first point to be attained would be a 
 selection of intelligent and well-educated Superintendents; and then, 
 and in consequence, would follow a judicious appointment of engine- 
 drivers, as in the instance of the careful appointment of river and coast 
 pilots. Important as the latter body of men are, I consider that with loco¬ 
 motive enginemen the responsibility is much greater; for every hour in 
 the day the lives of thousands of thousands of individuals are placed 
 under their care. Of late, the selection of these men has been, and still 
 is, notoriously defective. A better arrangement hi this respect is a con¬ 
 summation much to be desired; and its attainment would ensure a great 
 pecuniary saving to Railway Companies, while loss of life would become 
 a peradventure, though, under the present system, it is almost of 
 necessity. 
 
 You must be aware. Sir, that there are two foundations ou which all 
 railways, to be effective, should be constructed. The fact is, that due 
 regard should be paid to the requirements of the country through which 
 they are to pass, including among other things a reasonable probability 
 of a satisfactory return for the capital invested ; and this consideration 
 invariably calls forth the attention of the Senate. The second is of much 
 more importance, because the public generally are interested, namely, 
 that regulations should be laid down to ensure perfect safety to the 
 traveller; and the Senate has never yet given this subject one particle 
 of consideration. If the former foundation should unfortunately be 
 built upon a quicksand, and the concern should fail in a pecuniary point 
 of view, the result can affect onlr* a few, who may have unfortunately 
 invested their capital in a scheme which had not be’en properly digested. 
 The consequence may be that the whole of the capital is lost; but then, 
 great as that evil would be, and however disastrous to many families. 
 
llty. If lie refuses to do the will t 
 rdent lie is reported as being insolent, 
 ing to the tenor of the Report, whe 
 nieal conduct is covered by the Sup< 
 he must have his Superintendents obe 
 ?p up subordination. I agree that th 
 e is a method of commanding ohedi 
 of a subordinate, and having rccour: 
 l used at Exeter, Swindon, and Wolver 
 of this before. The conduct pursuei 
 
regulations in his face, and asks him boldly, how he dared to break 
 through the printed rules ? The Directors and Superintendents know 
 all this, and wink at it. I remember hearing of Captain Huisli haring 
 given a similar order in the presence of some Directors. Here was an 
 example from a Superintendent, who now ranks himself amongst the 
 greatest officials in the kingdom, since he has become the responsible 
 Manager of the Great London and North-Western. Ilis capabilities 
 for such a situation I question very much. He seems to be an enemy 
 to all solid improvement; his head is stuffed with all possible vagaries. 
 If the Captain would but take a lesson from the forbearance and pru¬ 
 dence exhibited by the joint Secretaries, he might expect to secure the 
 fame these gentlemen have acquired. 
 
 The majority of Locomotive Superintendents, and particularly the 
 “ petty,” have no more care for the property of their employers, or the 
 lives of the public, than if they had nothing to answer for. New and 
 extraordinary appointments have lately taken place. Some of them are 
 already allowing pride to get the better of their prudence ; but I shall 
 keep a watchful eye upon them. There is no effort made to inspire 
 confidence in railway travelling but by Chairmen’s sophistry at half- 
 yearly meetings, of which Mr. Hudson’s is the most prominent. That 
 gentleman, at the half-yearly meeting of the Eastern Counties’ Com¬ 
 pany, affirmed what was not correct, as I shall presently show. Before 
 I enter upon tliis, however, I must express my opinion, that though 
 Mr. Hudson has been lucky and fortunate, as he himself stated, in 
 adding to his private fortune by his connection with railways, and in 
 the majority of instances has similarly benefitted the Companies, still he 
 has been rash and precipitate. His first attempt was at Derby ; and 
 many will remember with regret his North Midland affair. His ambi¬ 
 tion has been continually fanned by unbounded flattery. But although 
 I admit that he is a man of talent, and adapted to discharge the duties 
 of a Bailway Chairman in a financial point of view, still the aptitude 
 which he exhibits is no reason why he should arrogate to himself that 
 he is the best man in the realm to conduct the locomotive .'establish¬ 
 ments thereof. In no one instance, on any line with which he is con¬ 
 nected, have these departments been conducted with prudence. The 
 contrary is the fact. Mr. Hudson’s previous habits are not adequate to 
 cope with the difficulties that surround so important a department. 
 
 Mr. Hudson, at the Eastern Counties’ meeting, grievously complained 
 that it was asserted in the House of Commons, that the management of 
 the Eastern Counties’ Kailway was the worst in the kingdom. He 
 seemed also to think that the public had no right to complain if he and 
 his colleagues were satisfied with themselves. lie appeared to flatter 
 himself that he could satisfy the assembly by holding out to them the 
 prospect that he would make it a 9 per cent, line; ns if, in respect of a 
 line paying 9 or 10 per cent., the public could afford to lose a life or 
 two occasionally! Now, Sir, I am prepared to confirm Colonel Peel’s 
 assertion in the House of Commons, and more particularly previous to 
 the appointment of Mr. Craven to the locomotive department at Strat¬ 
 ford. Can Mr. Hudson inform me how it was that all the new engines 
 which were brought upon the line at the time I refer to became so soon 
 
hed has got into a deplorable 
 it was difficult to get proper 
 i all the persuasion of Mr. Cr; 
 
190 RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 From this statement, the truth of which I can vouch for, can it be 
 wondered, that so much destruction of machinery exists on this line 1 It 
 will continue to be so while Mr. Jenkins remains at the head, and pur¬ 
 sues the same course. I feel assured that, even should no interference 
 he made, the system will cure itself, though, I fear, not without lament¬ 
 able consequences; and disconsolate relatives will be condoled with in 
 fine speeches from the Directors and officials sentimentalising over the 
 mortal remains of the unfortunate. 
 
 I had intended to go over the last six months mismanagement of Mr. 
 Cudworth, on the Dover line, and pointed out the cause of such a 
 “ sweep” of his old experienced engine-drivers having taken place, as 
 noticed in your columns at the time. There were more left than the 
 number yon stated. The reason of my not carrying out this intention 
 is, that the able Chairman of that line lias paid a visit to New Cross, and 
 expostulated with Mr. Cudworth upon his imprudence, and caused him 
 to resort to the system of management of his worthy predecessor, Mr. 
 Benjamin Cubitt. It affords me pleasure that Mr. M‘Gregor lias saved 
 me the trouble of going into detail of Mr. Cudworth’s northern pecu¬ 
 liarities; it would have done him little credit, and far less credit to that 
 great Company. If he should return to his former habits, he may rest 
 assured that I shall not be “ backward in coming forward.” It would 
 be for the benefit of many Companies if other Chairmen were to take a 
 lesson from the Chairman of the South-Eastern. It would cost them 
 nothing, and much benefit must accrue. 
 
 I must postpone some intended remarks upon the Great Western 
 •Bailway until a future letter, as I have already trespassed so much upon 
 your columns; but I cannot forbear noticing the conduct pursued 
 by the foreman, Mr. Appleby, at Swindon. Is it possible that the 
 Directors, or Mr. Gooch, can authorise him to shut up the waiting-room 
 of the enginemen just as the whim suits him, that when the engineineii 
 arrive at night, drenched with wet, they are compelled to resort to a 
 public-house to get their clothes dried. What was the waiting-room 
 erected for ? Certainly for the comfort of the men ; and why then 
 should they be deprived of it ? Does Mr. Appleby mean to encourage 
 sobriety? I think not. If the men decline going to the beer-shop, 
 they must stand about in their wet clothes, and return home in the 
 same state, to the injury of their constitutions. Surely they are suffi¬ 
 ciently exposed to the weather in the performance of their duty, with¬ 
 out being subjected to such uncalled-for treatment. In passing, I would 
 also wish to give the gentlemanly sub-Superintendent at Exeter a little 
 advice—to pay more attention to his duties than to regattas, and other 
 sports. If I had space, I would enter particularly into his manage¬ 
 ment. Even with the assistance of a man, paid extra to keep him 
 right, he is very defective. While I am referring to the Great Western, 
 I cannot omit noticing, with regret, the retirement of Mr. L. S. Demay, 
 from the Deputy-Superintendentship at Paddington. A more vigilant, 
 attentive, and effective officer is not to be fouud on any railway. Few 
 are possessed of so much of the suavity of manner so peculiarly adapted 
 for such a situation. The respect which has been shown him by his 
 equals and inferiors cannot but make Mr. Seymour Clarke feel that he 
 
IAII.WAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 must have been in error, to have caused his retirement. It is to he 
 hoped that Mr. Demay’s indefatigable exertions will he more appre¬ 
 ciated on some other line. 
 
 Though I have been denouncing Managements, allow me to congra¬ 
 tulate the proprietors of the Great Southern and Western Hailway of 
 Ireland, and the public, upon the judicious selection of the Locomotive 
 Superintendent of that line, Mr. Deurance, a gentleman who so long 
 distinguished himself under Mr. Wood, on the Liverpool and Man¬ 
 chester Railway. The care he has taken in the selection of his drivers, 
 clearly proves that he is no advocate of the modern “ system,” which 
 I have been illustrating. He is, I understand, making arrangements to 
 prevent the possibility of his men being tempted to go abroad with the 
 offer of 10s. per day. Some of our greatest lines have suffered, and are 
 suffering, by this temptation. If Mr. Deurance had considered a four 
 shillings or four shillings and sixpenny-man quite competent to take 
 such an important charge, he would have chosen him ; his experience, 
 however, teaches him better, and his employers will be the gainers. He 
 is determined, I am told, that when the line is opened throughout, and 
 all his arrangements completed, with engines of his own manufacture, 
 no locomotive establishment in Europe shall surpass his in point of 
 safety, regularity, and expedition. I verily believe his intentions will 
 be realised. 
 
 In my next letter, I shall bring the present position of that important 
 body of men, the guards, under review, and notice the grumbling of 
 great heads—as if there, were any difficulty in devising how they should 
 get rid of the great disparity, ill-treatment, and neglect that have long 
 existed, and which the recent amalgamations have brought to light. I 
 shall also bring under the notice of the Railway Commissions and Boards 
 of Direction the existing state of the permanent ways; show that the 
 cheapest contracts are in the best condition; and point out how Com¬ 
 panies are taken advantage of with their own money. 
 
 After my long silence, I ought to take notice of several other lines ; 
 but they must stand over for the present. I must conclude by briefly 
 remarking, that foreigners are reaping benefit from the defectiveness of 
 
 Before the opening of a French line, the Directors call their Loco¬ 
 motive Engineer before them, and impress upon him the importance of 
 engaging engine-drivers of long standing and experience ; for on no 
 account will they allow a driver to have the charge of an engine, who 
 does not understand the duties thoroughly. Our English Directors seem 
 never to give this important matter the smallest consideration until it is 
 too late ; and even then they only make a promise, to be broken so soon 
 ns a catastrophe is forgotten. I know there are upwards of fifty old 
 experienced drivers who left England this season, besides others I do 
 not know of; and, what renders the evil worse is, that they generally go 
 in a batch, and leave on a sudden. The consequence is, that their places 
 must be filled up by inexperienced hands. Thus, you will observe, we 
 have been all along making experienced engine-drivers for the benefit of 
 the French. Our Locomotive Superintendents are suffering severely by 
 this emigration; for, at the opening of an English line, they cannot 
 
192 
 
 RAILWAY 
 
 MANAGEMENT. 
 
 get experienced hands, though there is no difficulty to find them to 
 go abroad. This, of itself, proves there must be something wrong in 
 
 I have already dilated upon our Government inspection; I shall com¬ 
 pare it in a single point or two with the French. If the French In¬ 
 spector know of an incompetent engine-driver, he can order him off the 
 engine at once; if he should see the machinery of an engine defective, 
 no matter on what part of the line, he can order it to a siding, wrap a 
 cord round the spoke of the wheel and frame, and put his seal of autho¬ 
 rity upon it, and the Company dare not with that engine run a train 
 again until repaired and re-examined by the Government authority. I 
 shall return to this subject. 
 
 LETTER XLVI. 
 
 Birmingham, December 24, 1846. 
 
 I have no doubt many of your readers have been expecting that I 
 would follow up my promised remarks, but various circumstances have 
 made me defer them. Several strictures, of a very important nature, 
 must also stand over for a short time; and for this reason, that the 
 reports I have received are of so startling a nature, that I must make 
 further inquiries. If all be true, the facts must call forth the indigna¬ 
 tion not only of the new Railway Board, but of every shareholder and 
 railway traveller. Business has prevented me from taking my annual 
 tour over the principal lines at the usual time ; but I am at present 
 making arrangements which, I hope, will enable me to institute personal 
 inquiries respecting the truth of what I have hinted at. You, Sir, have 
 long been aware that I never bring forward an accusation against any 
 management or public servant until I am fully satisfied that it is true. 
 I have never been a mere visionary theorist, or a mere declamatory 
 writer for the sake of writing (as Mr. Hudson was pleased, in one of his 
 speeches, to designate all railway writers) ; my remarks are based on 
 existing facts, showing that an immense amount of “ corruption” does 
 exist in our locomotive establishments and Government inspections. 
 
 The Spectator recently, in a paragraph which you quoted, .gave a 
 very significant hint, showing how General Pasley was hoodwinked. 
 Something of the same sort must have taken place when the “Coffin” 
 tunnel of the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway was inspected. That 
 line should not have been opened when it was. You may remember 
 that I publicly explained the great danger of passengers in being con¬ 
 veyed through that tunnel, stating that the roof, never haring been 
 completed, was continually falling in ; and this exposure caused a Te- 
 inspection by the General, when workmen were immediately put on to 
 complete it. You may also remember that a passenger nearly lost his 
 life through a quantity of loose rock falling from the roof of the tunnel 
 upon him while the train was passing. Let Government inspection be 
 substantial and real—not imaginary —now that General Pasley has 
 resigned; and then Directors and Superintendents will tremble! 
 
af the 
 
to alter it when it suits their own individual purpose. It would appear 
 that it was the invariable practice of Earl Fitzliardinge, when he tra¬ 
 velled on the Great Western, to present (unsolicited) the guard with a 
 sovereign; and when he went by a special-train of his own, he gave, in 
 addition to the gratuity to the guard, two sovereigns to the enginemen, 
 and one to the fireman. This, no doubt, was to encourage a strict 
 look out by all parties. A few weeks ago, his Lordship ordered a spe¬ 
 cial-train from Paddington, and acted towards the men employed as 
 above described. Some busy-body having whispered into Mr. Seymour 
 Clarke’s ear how handsomely his Lordship always acted, Mr. Clarke 
 next day called the guard, and put the question to him. He honestly 
 and frankly informed him of his Lordship’s generosity, when Mr. 
 Clarke immediately demanded of him the sovereign, which was given 
 up. Mr. Clarke at the same time stated that he would lay the cir¬ 
 cumstance before the Board, and endeavour to get it back again, but lie 
 feared he would not he able. What duplicity was this! If Mr. Clarke 
 had had a wish to to be really friendly, why did he take any notice of 
 the circumstance ? It afterwards turned out, as I am told, that another 
 officer of the Company claimed the sovereign ; upon what principle I 
 know not. When Mr. Seymour Clarke demanded the sovereign of the 
 guard, I suppose he forgot the basket of game his Lordship so kindly 
 ordered to be sent to him a few days before. I would ask Mr. Sey¬ 
 mour Clarke if he laid his own present of game upon the Directors’ 
 table, and respectfully asked them how he was to dispose of Earl Fitz- 
 liardinge’s gift ? Can you, Sir, tell me what difference there is betwixt 
 twenty shillings’ worth of game, packed up by Lord Fitzhardinge’s 
 gamekeeper, and forwarded, by his order, to a superior railway servant, 
 and twenty shillings’ worth of gold, presented to an inferior servant by 
 his Lordship himself? I think they are the same; but if there be any 
 culpability in the matter (I do not think there is much), Mr. Seymour 
 Clarke is the more guilty of the two ; for he is a high-salaried servant, 
 placed there to show forth a perfect and pure example, and not to break 
 any law, whereas the other servant had only his one duty to perform, and, 
 moreover, his miserably low pay compels him to accept anything that may 
 be voluntarily presented by the wealthy. It is a well-known fact, that 
 guards generally are miserably paid, and on the Great Western in par¬ 
 ticular. If you allow for the rents of two homes, and the expense of 
 half the time from home, it is a wonder to me how they can show any 
 appearance of respectability at all in their families. This is a subject I 
 shall have occasion to refer to by-and-by. Mr. Seymour Clarke was, 
 I am told, sadly puzzled how he was to get at the enginemen’s sove¬ 
 reigns. Upon reflection, he was compelled to let them keep theirs, for 
 he knew he dared not deal with enginemen as he might do with guards. 
 Men that will suit Mr. Gooch at the present time are not to be met 
 with every day ; and, to the credit of Mr. Gooch he it spoken, he is, 
 and ever lias been, very particular in the selection of his men. I wish 
 I could say as much of many others, who bring themselves forward with 
 high pretensions. 
 
■201 
 
 Coast Railway, and of Mr. Bury from the southern division of the 
 London and North-Western, and the injudicious appointment of their 
 
 I shall commence with them in the order of their appointment; and 
 first, of Mr. Thomas Kirlley, late of the old North Midland, whom, at 
 that time, I had much and just cause to condemn. This appointment 
 must plainly prove to the public that the Directors have given up the whole 
 of the working interest of this valuable concern to the hands of Mr. 
 Peter Clarke, who has shown, in a multitude of cases, that he cares for 
 no one’s interests hut his own. In no way can I account why the 
 Directors should have been so blinded as to listen to his sophistry, or to 
 give their sanction that Mr. T. Kirtley should he the successor of Mr. 
 Gray. To convince, you, Sir, and your readers, that I am just in my 
 condemnation of this appointment, I will state how he has commenced. 
 He has discharged three experienced enginemen and three firemen, 
 under the cloak of reduction. Two of the enginemen had been in the 
 service of the Croydon Company for a period of eight years, and would 
 never have been placed in their present position had it not been for the 
 amalgamation. During the whole period, they gave the utmost satis¬ 
 faction to their employers, never having been in fault, nor destroyed 
 property to the value of even a lead-plug. Still, Mr. Kirtlev must dis¬ 
 charge them, under pretence of reducing the staff! This must have 
 been a pretence ; for, immediately, he converted four firemen into 
 enginemen, and put on two new hands, because they were cheap ; and 
 moreover, he purposes, I have reason to know, to proceed further in this 
 unwise step, to please Iris patron. Previous to this “manufacture” of 
 firemen into drivers, he did the same. I have not space to enumerate 
 all the mishaps these “ snobs ” have caused; I shall only mention a few, 
 by way of proof. No. 49 engine had just come out of the shed, having 
 had a thorough repair ; but, after running three days, she “burned” so 
 badly, that she now stands in the repairing-shed with half the tubes 
 burned out. No. 13, after undergoing the same repairs, and running 
 for a few days, stands by the side of 49, in a similar condition. No. 21, 
 burned more seriously than the others; the lagging of the boiler burned, 
 and the ennine otherwise was completely spoiled. Now, the utmost 
 saving Mr. Kirtley can make, in one week, by the change of hands, is 
 18s. ; and to meet this paltry sum, the destruction these men have 
 caused in one week will amount to upwards of as many hundreds of 
 pounds as he has saved shillings ! I expect I shall be able to lay before 
 your readers an estimate of the expense Mr. Kirtley’s new hands will 
 cause during the first quarter of his appointment. I shall endeavour to 
 do this, because Mr. Peter Clarke will cover over the iniquity in a 
 mystical locomotive account, such as he so successfully produced 
 while he and his protege had the command of the old North Midland 
 shed. 
 
 Would you believe it, Sir, Mr. Thomas Kirtley and his master mean 
 to discharge the whole staff of Mr. Gray, although they have got them¬ 
 selves into interminable difficulty with respect to engines ? They are 
 actually at this moment nearly at a stand for effective and safe engines 
 to run the passenger-trams ; and yet, in the face of this, Mr. Kirtley 
 
RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 mmle, namely, locomotive engines. On the Great Southern and Western 
 line they are' composed of two sets from different makers; and from 
 difference of opinion as to the capabilities of the two, emanates the dis¬ 
 cord alluded to. The first set of engines was made by Messrs. Sharp, 
 Brothers, and Co. On being tried, these were found to be com¬ 
 pletely adapted for the line, which has many heavy inclines and sharp 
 curves. The other set are made by Messrs. Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy. 
 On these being tried, they could not compete with the others. The 
 consecpience was, that the Company would not take the delivery of 
 them until they were fit for the work. This is what the Irish Editor 
 referred to in the latter part of his paragraph. After transmogrifying 
 the “ill-written letter,” he says, “any person must admit that the 
 Directors are right in seeing that the engines supplied are fully capable 
 and efficient.” There can he no two opinions upon this point; but then 
 an independent and unbiassed course should be taken to prove the fact. 
 Is it just and proper that Mr. Colville, who lias been sent to overhaul, 
 
 just, when he finds all his attempts unavailable, to make a sweeping 
 declaration that there is not a fit and proper engineman employed by 
 Mr. Deurance ? IIow' can the men but he offended, when they are a 
 body who hold as high a reputation, as experienced and trustworthy 
 enginemen, as any body of enginemen in the three kingdoms ? Mr. 
 Colville had the audacity to recommend to the Directors to let all the 
 enginemen go, and he would find plenty of men. What balderdash! 
 He knows a first-rate engineman would not serve under him. I have 
 no doubt he included Mr. Deurance in his own mind, and that he 
 would fill liis shoes, “the latclict of which he is unworthy to unloose.” 
 
 The next grievance is, that when any part of the machinery breaks 
 on the road with Bury’s engines, Mr. Colville immediately throws the 
 whole blame on the engineman, and flatly tells him that he did it on 
 purpose, just because Sharp’s engines run for months without repair. 
 I presume it matters not to the engineman who the maker is, provided 
 the engine does the work satisfactorily; he can have no possible private 
 interest to serve. 
 
 After many remarks by Mr. Colville, and to satisfy that gentleman 
 that there was no undue advantage desired, he was allowed to choose 
 two enginemen for himself to run his engines against Sharp’s, to ascer¬ 
 tain which did the work most effectively, burned the least coke, and 
 had to undergo the least repair. Those men were induced by some 
 power or other to burn as much coal in secret as they could obtain, in 
 order to keep down his consumption of coke ; and this could easily be 
 accomplished, for no part of the works is enclosed, every thing being 
 open. Again, Mr. Colville charged the men that they had used the 
 coke wantonly, to traduce the character of the engines, because they 
 had used more coke than had previously been used. This gave rise to 
 the letter as to which the Irish Editor felt sore. The writer of it meant, 
 by the “great weight” of the gentleman, to intimate that he was put 
 on the footplate to witness the consumption ; and, as in his presence no 
 deception could he resorted to, of course the consumption became as 
 great as with the others. Subsequently another person was sent out in 
 
LOCOMOTIVE M 
 
 the same may, and the consumption increased stdl more; which proved 
 the delusion, coupled with other collateral evidence, of which I was an 
 eye-witness, and in which the station-master (Mr. Dowling) took part. 
 Mr. Colville, being again found in the wrong, made a bold attempt to 
 interfere with the working time, which had been settled long before by 
 Mr. Deurance. When remonstrated with by the men, he said he had 
 the support of Sir John Macneil, and he should do as he liked. This, 
 however, I did not believe. I am certain Sir John would not interfere 
 with a department he has nothing to do with. He is sufficiently 
 engaged with his own work; and, to his honour he it named, that, as 
 respects the making of the line, stations, &c. &c., it has never been sur¬ 
 passed or equalled for stability. Ilis 5-t’eet gauge is a decided improve¬ 
 ment. The rails are such, aud the sleepers so placed, that the estimate 
 for keeping the permanent way in repair must be at a very low figure. 
 Mr. Colville asserts that Sir John declares Bury’s engines to be superior 
 to Sharp’s. This cannot he true; and, for this reason, that two of the 
 engines of Bury now at Inchicore, were first run on the Dublin aud 
 Drogheda line ; and Sir John himself stopped them, because of their 
 destruction of coke. Mr. Deurance altered and improved them. An¬ 
 other sort of a man than Mr. Colville must be sent to decide this matter, 
 for he can make nothing of it when put to the fair test. For example, 
 he was to run two engines from Dublin to Carlow and back for fourteen 
 days, without repairs, against Sharp’s from Carlow to Dublin and back. 
 The following is the result:— 
 
 Monday. IS Cornel. Lion. 
 
 Tuesday . 19 do do. 
 
 Wednesday... 20 do. do. 
 
 Friday. 22 do. do. 
 
 Sunday 21 do. —' 
 
 Monday . 25 do. — 
 
 Tuesday . 26 do. — 
 
 Wcdndsday... 27 do. — 
 
 Thursday. 28 do. — 
 
 Friday. 29 do. — 
 
 Sunday 
 
 31 — — do. — 
 
 14 11 6 8 1 1 
 
 Thus, there were five engines used during fourteen days, instead of 
 two; and instead of being done without repairs, the Camel was repaired 
 three times, the Lion five times, and the Dromedary twice; while Sharp’s, 
 at Carlow, went under no repair whatever; in fact, there are not fitters 
 there yet, because they are not required. 
 
 Why should an establishment of this kind be kept in hot water for 
 such a length of time 1 The settlement of the matter is just as far off 
 as ever; and it is all in reference to what I may say is a private squabble, 
 besides placing the passengers in danger, through Mr. Colville’s capers. 
 MTiy do not the Directors take a proper step to decide it? If it had 
 been on this side the water it would soon have been settled. These Irish 
 Directors should at once employ an independent and competent judge. 
 
IANAGEMENT. 
 
 wlio would do the thing effectively. To this they must conic at last; 
 and the sooner the better, so as to restore the good' feeling and harmony 
 which are so desirable in a work of this kind. 
 
 Before I proceed, let me recommend to Mr. Deurance not further to 
 trouble himself as to my obtaining information respecting his works, 
 although asked by the Directors to prevent me. I excuse them on that 
 side of the water for the attempt, for they do not know that it is beyond 
 their reach. You, Sir, know well that it has been tried repeatedly on 
 this side the Channel, and has as repeatedly failed. I hope Mr. 
 Deurance will never act in such a manner that he will be afraid of 
 exposure; but be that as it may, I shall pursue my old course, in spite 
 of attempted restrictions. 
 
 Although I have trespassed so much upon your space, I must refer to 
 the disgraceful arrangements at the King’s-bridge station, at Dublin, 
 in order that greater attention may he paid to the comfort of the passen¬ 
 gers. Such flagrant treatment I never witnessed before. On Monday, 
 January 27, the passenger-train from Carlow arrived at 3.45 a.m., when 
 the arrival-station was tilled with cattle-waggons. The train had to be 
 stopped at the bottom of the incline until the waggons were drawn out, 
 and then the goods’-engine had to be attached to the train to take 
 passengers to the platform (your renders must understand that the train 
 comes down from the ticket-platform by its own momentum). After a 
 delay of twenty minutes all the passengers got out, except two ladies, 
 who had their private carriage on a truck. They patiently waited, 
 expecting some servant would come and open the carriage-door, after the 
 confusion was over (for it was great) ; hut, to their dismay, they found 
 themselves backed into the station-yard, amidst still greater confusion, 
 for they got among five engines running about, “blowing off,” “shunt¬ 
 ing” goods, ballast, and cattle ; and there they were, detained upwards 
 of an hour, in the greatest alarm, for they could not understand why 
 they were placed in such a position: and yet there was Mr. Dowling, 
 strutting about the station as if nothing was the matter! Again, on 
 Saturday, the 30tli, a special-train from Dublin to Salins and back, was 
 engaged by a party of gentlemen. On the return to the Dublin station, 
 neither station-master nor porter was to be seen. The carriage-doors 
 were locked, and the party could not get out. After a short period of 
 excitement, a gentleman was seen crawling out of one of the windows. 
 The example was soon followed, when the whole got out in the lapse of 
 three minutes. If you had witnessed the scene, you could not, while 
 you condemned, but have laughed; for the last was a gentleman 
 remarkable for rotundity, and it required three of his friends to drag 
 him out! If this had been a stout lady, or any lady at all, she would 
 have been rather awkwardly situated. But the matter did not end with 
 this. There were a number of gentlemen not connected with the specials 
 (it was a hunting day), who were at liberty to get into the train, upon 
 condition that they should pay their fares on arrival at Dublin; but, as 
 all followed the example of the station-master, no one was there to 
 receive the cash j and off the parties went, laughing at the joke, as they 
 called it. I would recommend, by way of improvement, to the Directors 
 to make the chief, deputy-master ; and the deputy, chief-master. Much 
 
212 
 
 LOCOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 after! Every one knows that the Birmingham line has much traffic ; 
 and, under present circumstances, pilot-engines should always be kept 
 in the best possible condition, and particularly under night duty. Now, 
 the other week, this would-be sole “ Gaffer” strutted home, leaving his 
 deputy sleeping in the office, without a pilot-engine on the station, or 
 an engineman. If the Directors do not interfere in this matter, I shall 
 at all hazards enter into particulars, so that the public may be placed on 
 their guard as to what they may expect under such flagrant mismanage¬ 
 ment. I have all the particulars!—day, date, and hour,—so that there 
 can be no mistake. When my next letter appears, I shall have a few 
 theoretical and practical questions to put to Mr. M'Connell upon his 
 recent experiments upon the broad gauge, and his advocacy of it. 
 Surely lie does not know the position in which he is at present placed ? 
 
 You shall very shortly hear from me again. I have a variety of sub¬ 
 jects in my mind which will amuse your readers, although, perhaps, not 
 add anything to the pockets of many of them. 
 
 LETTER XLIX. 
 
 Birmingham, May 12, 1847. 
 
 In a letter which appeared in your journal of the 13th of March, I 
 had occasion to notice a ridiculous paragraph inserted in the Irish 
 Railway Gazette. In the same paper, dated 3rd Slav, there appeared 
 another leading paragraph, which evidently shows that the Editor is 
 totally ignorant of what he writes about. I shall prove distinctly that 
 he is quite as much so in this latter instance, as I clearly showed he was 
 in the former. 
 
 In writing respecting the experimental trips on the Midland Great 
 Western Railway of Ireland, he says, — “As to the satisfactory cha¬ 
 racter of these trips we cannot speak, not having had an opportunity of 
 being present. From occasional visits we paid to portions of the line, 
 we find that the rails are of a very light description—about 501bs. to 
 the vard; and that they are laid, not on cross sleepers, hut longitudinal 
 bearings. This certainly is not an improvement in railway construc- 
 
 If this Editor did not know the “ satisfactory” character of these 
 trips, in justice to all the parties connected with that undertaking, he 
 ought to have abstained from ambiguous allusions. Ilis “ occasional 
 visits to portions of the line,” must have been very superficial indeed, 
 when he states that the rails are about SOlbs. to the yard; wishing it 
 to be inferred, no doubt, that they are under that weight. Now, Sir, 
 what shall be said of this statement when I tell you that these rails 
 weigh from 70 to 75 lbs. to the yard, the average of them consequently 
 being upwards of 721bs. ? As to this, the firm of Messrs. Thompson 
 and Co., and the Blaemancn Company, can bear ample testimony. 
 
 The Editor complains that “ the rails arc not laid on cross sleepers, 
 but on longitudinal bearings.” This is a malicious statement, parti- 
 
lt.UI.WAY LOCOMOTIVE MANADEMENT. 
 
 LETTER L. 
 
 Birmingham, June 9, 1S47. 
 
 Since tlie date of my last letter, flic kingdom lias been thrown into 
 consternation, through its length and breadth, by three lamentable cata¬ 
 strophes on railways. Many people are in consequence denouncing the 
 railway system ; and though it was not my intention to address you at 
 present, my motive in now doing so is to endeavour to disabuse the 
 public mind of the many erroneous opinions iormed. pendimr the ver¬ 
 dicts of the juries. 
 
 I have made most minute inquiry respecting every one of these acci¬ 
 dents. I believe I can trace the cause of each ; and you may rely that 
 I shall not fail to supply your readers with the result of my inquiries. 
 Prudence, however, dictates the propriety of deferring going into 
 minute detail, not wishing to prejudice the question ; and, therefore, 
 I shall offer only a few general remarks at present, reserving other 
 matters till all the judicial inquiries are at an end. 
 
 First, then, with reference to the Dee-bridge affair. So far as this 
 inquiry has gone, the cx-Inspcctor-General has taken a very prominent 
 part in the evidence. He said he had pronounced the bridge perfectly 
 safe; but now that it is broken, he says it would not he safe, although 
 put into its original state ! His exposition of the deflection of metal is 
 as erroneous as possibly can be; and if the General will appoint any 
 day, giving me three days’ notice, I shall prove to him practically that 
 lie is in error. 
 
 The second event is the occurrence on the Brighton line. Mr. Tims. 
 Kirtley here takes a prominent part; but nothing direct or definite has 
 been elicited from him. Ilis ambiguous imputations on Stephenson’s 
 patent engines would be perfectly ludicrous, were they not something 
 worse. I shall enter upon this point in my next, when I proceed with 
 the particulars of this affair. The evidence given hv Robert Peel, bro¬ 
 ther of the unfortunate stoker, is of a piece with his master’s. No 
 experienced man would advance what he said with respect to shutting 
 off the steam. He was guilty, too, of attempting to mislead the jury, 
 by stating that lie had been a driver on the York and North Midland for 
 two years. lie was no such thing, as I shall hereafter show, when 1 
 give his history, and likewise that of his two brothers. I shall give also 
 a detail of Mix Bonner’s mission to the York line to obtain men for Mr. 
 Thomas ICirtley, and notice the misrepresentations he made. I shall 
 also enter into particulars respecting the deceased driver Gregory. You 
 will remember I predicted that something of this sort would take place, 
 through inexperienced men being employed. 
 
 The London and North-Western accident caused no astonishment to 
 me. The primary cause of the occurrence I shall, in a future letter, 
 prove to be the proceedings of Mr. Brnyeres. In June, July, and 
 August of last year, I predicted that something of a very serious nature 
 would take place under Mr. Bruyeres’ arrangement. The men he had 
 placed at the points were unfit for their duty. Even if the first had 
 

 LETTER H. 
 
 My long and unexpected detention ill Ireland has prevented me till 
 now fulfilling the promise I made in the conclusion of my last letter. 
 
 On my way to Ireland, I went via Chester, on the final day of the 
 inquest upon the parties killed by the falling of the Dee-bridge. I 
 attended the inquest, and was astonished to hear parties giving scientific 
 evidence to quite the contrary effect of that which they had given the 
 day before. I hope these parties will never again push themselves for¬ 
 ward as being really theoretical and scientific men. It is true they 
 have proved themselves to be very excellent practical men ; but that is 
 no reason why they should place themselves upon an equality with a 
 Stephenson or a Locke. I assure them they thereby only hold them¬ 
 selves up to be a laughing-stock to the public. I heard Captain Sim- 
 monds read the clever Report, drawn up by himself and Mr. "Walker; 
 and, during the recital, Mr. Stephenson very ably brought this youthful 
 Captain to a "dead fix.” It would be unentertaining to the majority 
 of your readers were I to state the details here, (although I have notes 
 of them), they being merely upon strictly scientific points on which 
 Mr. Stephenson stood his ground. 
 
 This Report has been allowed by all to be very ingenious in one 
 respect—namely, in “ trimming.” It turns about with the same faci¬ 
 lity as the weathercock to the wind; in fact, it leaves the merits of the 
 question just where they were before the inquest commenced. Never¬ 
 theless, it had the effect of “bamboozling” the jury ; indeed, the jury 
 was composed of materials totally inadequate to arrive at a due verdict 
 upon so much conflicting scientific testimony, nay, I am sure the 
 Report would have caused a variety of opinions amongst a jury composed 
 of the ablest C. E.’s in the kingdom. Mr. Walker lias been' long famed 
 for such Reports. This one brought to my remembrance a circumstance 
 that happened some fifteen years ago in a town in Scotland, where there 
 was wanted an Act of Parliament to enable certain persons to bring 
 water into the town. There were three or four conflicting parties, each 
 having a different locality to bring the water from. To satisfy all 
 parties, and to bring the matter to an amicable conclusion. Government 
 was applied to for an engineer to settle the business. Mr. Walker was 
 appointed. He went down, heard and examined the different schemes, 
 and made his Report in such a manner that every one of the parties 
 gathered from the Report that their particular scheme was the best, 
 thus leaving them in exactly the same position as they were in before 
 Mr. Walker was employed ! In like manner he has acted in the matter 
 of the Dee-bridge, thus verifying the old saying, that there is little or 
 nothing in a Government official but a name. 
 
 With reference to the fatal catastrophe on the Chichester branch of 
 the Brighton Railway and the proceedings of Mr. Thomas Kirtlev, it 
 would be a waste of your valuable columns to go over the evidence given 
 before the Coroner’s jury, as very little of it was at all to the purpose ; 
 
UNAGEMENT. 
 
 them, ill consequence of following the course of the canal. Mr. Ilemaus 
 has so carefully secured and hound the rails, that it is absolutely impos¬ 
 sible for them to get out of gauge; and where he had any doubt as to 
 the bank, he has so effectually secured it, that I feel confident it is by far 
 more safe than our high embankments are when first passed over. 
 There is no risk of having a slip, as always occurs, even on old lilies, 
 when a season of wet weather sets in. 
 
 I think the Directors have been rather premature in opening the line, 
 hut for one reason only, and that is, before they had more locomotive 
 power. They have, however, the advantage of a very able and inde¬ 
 fatigable Locomotive Superintendent in Mr. Denrance. If some of their 
 neighbours had had such a one, the Directors would not have been 
 obliged to stop the line until more 'power had been obtained. When 
 additional power does arrive from England, and on the completion of 
 Mr. Deurnncc’s arrangements, which, I have no doubt, will be in a 
 couple of months, the locomotive expense of this line will be under that 
 of any other in Ireland, or even in England. 
 
 Having said thus much as to this newline, allow me to offer a remark 
 or two upon the station arrangements at the two extremes. Mr. Win. 
 H. Sallas, considering the very short time, has put his department into 
 almost perfect order. The experience he obtained by liis long residence 
 on the Midland llailway (England), fully entitles him to the confidence 
 of the Directors. The energy, attention, and suavity of manner he dis¬ 
 plays, cannot but obtain for him the goodwill of the Irish public. Again, 
 at the Enfield station, they have a long-tried and praiseworthy servant. 
 A more fitting person for the duty devolving upon him, the Directors 
 could not have fixed upon. During his nine years’ experience, as a 
 railway official, no complaint, public or private, was ever known to be 
 brought against him. The Great Southern and Western Company lost, 
 truly, a faithful and able servant when they allowed him to depart, in 
 consequence of the proceedings of a Dowling. 
 
 Before I leave this line, I must congratulate the propreitary upon the 
 energy and zeal which their Deputy-Chairman (Alderman Bovce) dis- 
 plays'for the welfare of the concern: lie does not content himself with 
 merely visiting the Dublin station, going out of one office into another 
 —he traverses the line throughout; and, whenever I was there, I always 
 found him on one portion of the line or another. If the property were 
 
 such a Direction, Engineer, and officials, this line will, in a short time, 
 be a pattern, not only to Ireland, but to some of the first Companies in 
 England. 
 
 With regard to the Great Southern and Western Railway, no im¬ 
 provement has taken place in its locomotive management since my visit 
 in February. Mr. Colville has, as yet, failed in his Taff Vale clock¬ 
 work system. While Mr. Deurancc was there, Mr. Colville continually 
 kept ringing in the ears of the Directors that, so long as Mr. Deurancc 
 remained. Bury’s engines would not do the work properly, as Mr. 
 Deurancc was so prejudiced against them. Pray, how much better are 
 they now ? It is now two months since Mr. Colville has had them 
 completely under his own care; for Mr. Miller (I am sorry to say) is 
 
been shed at those places!), and particularly what sort of men were 
 placed at important points. This constant inquiry and examining for 
 himself besides, would have been a sufficient check on unjust removals 
 on the Birmingham line and injudicious appointments. 3rd. Mr. 
 M'Connell would not have dared to go against the Inspector’s instruc¬ 
 tions, and removed an experienced driver to make room for an inex¬ 
 perienced favourite. Is it not notorious that neither Inspectors-Geueral, 
 Board of Trade Commissioners, the Government, or even Parliament, 
 have ever troubled themselves to prevent the sacrifice of human life; 
 while, at the same time, so much has been written, that a simple method, 
 if applied, would have the desired effect, and at much less cost to the 
 public, than all the expensive inquiries after the deed is done? What 
 is more astonishing is, that not one of the multitude of inquiries has in¬ 
 duced even the suggestion of an amendment. Surely, we have had 
 sacrifices enouirh. and the time has arrived for at least an improvement 
 
 These Letters will he continued from time to time 
 in the Railway Record. 
 
 VERITAS JINCIT.