CHAP. XVII.] LOCOMOTIVE FACTORY PROJECTED. 193 mechanics working amongst the collieries in the north of England. But he had long felt that the accuracy and style of their workmanship admitted of great improvement, and that upon this the more perfect action of the locomotive engine, and its general adoption as the tractive power on railways, in a great measure depended. One great object that he had in view in establishing the proposed factory was, to concentrate a number of good workmen for the purpose of carrying out the improvements in detail which he was constantly making in his engine. He felt hampered by the want of efficient helpers in the shape of skilled mechanics, who could work out in a practical form the ideas of which his busy mind was always so prolific. Doubtless, too, he believed that the locomotive manufactory would prove a remunerative investment, and that, on the general adoption of the railway system, which he now anticipated, he would derive solid advantages from the fact of his manufactory being the only establishment of the kind for the special construction of railway locomotives. He still believed in the eventual success of railways, though it might be slow. Much, he believed, would depend upon the issue of this great experiment at Darlington; and as Mr. Pease was a man on whose sound judgment he could rely, he determined upon consulting him about his proposed locomotive factory. Mr. Pease approved of his design, and strongly recommended him to carry it into effect. But there was the question of means; and he did not think he had capital enough for the purpose. He told Mr. Pease that he could advance a thousand pounds - the amount of the testimonial presented by the coal-owners for his safety-lamp invention, and which he had still left untouched; but he did not think this sufficient for the purpose, and he thought that he should require at least another thousand pounds. Mr. Pease had been very much struck by the successful performances of the Killingworth engine; and being an accurate judge of character, he was not slow to perceive that he could not go far wrong in linking a portion of his fortune with the energy and industry of George Stephenson. He consulted his friend Thomas Richardson in the matter; and the two consented to advance 5001. each for the purpose of establishing the engine factory at Newcastle. A piece of land was accordingly purchased in Forth Street, in August, 1823, on which a small building was erected the nucleus of the gigantic establishment which was afterwards formed around it; and active operations commenced early in 1824. While the Stockton and Darlington Railway works were in progress, Mr. Stephenson held many interesting discussions with Mr. Pease, on points connected with its construction and working, the determination of which in a great measure affected the formation and working of all future railways. The most important points were these: 1. The comparative merits of cast and wrought-iron rails. 2. The gauge of the railway. 3. The employment of horse or engine power in working it when ready for traffic. The kind of rails to be laid down to form the permanent road, was a matter of considerable importance. A wooden tramroad had been contemplated when the first act was applied for; but Stephenson having advised that an iron road should be laid down, he was instructed to draw up a specification of the rails. He went before the directors to discuss with them the kind of rails which were to be specified. He was himself interested in the patent for cast-iron rails, which he had taken out in conjunction with Mr. Losh in 1816; and, of course, it was to his interest that his articles should be adopted. But when requested to give his opinion on the subject, he frankly said to the directors, "Well, gentlemen, to tell you the truth, although it would put 5007. in my pocket to specify my own patent rails, I cannot do so CHAP. XVII.] CAST v. WROUGHT-IRON RAILS. 195 after the experience I have had. If If you take my advice, you will not lay down a single cast-iron rail." "Why?" asked the directors. "Because they will not stand the weight; there is no wear in them, and you will be at no end of expense for repairs and re-lays." "What kind of road, then," he was asked, "would you recommend.” "Malleable rails, certainly," said he; " and I can recommend them with the more confidence from the fact that at Killingworth we have had some Swedish bars laid down-nailed to wooden sleepers -for a period of fourteen years, the waggons passing over them daily; and there they are, in use yet, whereas the cast rails are constantly giving way." The price of malleable rails was, however, so high-being then worth about 127. per ton-as compared with cast-iron rails at about 51. 10s., and the saving of expense was so important a consideration with the subscribers to the railway, that Mr. Stephenson was directed to provide, in the specification drawn by him, that only one-half of the quantity of the rails required-or 800 tons-should be of malleable iron, the remainder being of cast-iron. The malleable rails were required by the specification to be "made from scraps or good English bars re-manufactured." They were also of the kind called "fish bellied," after Birkenshaw's patent, and weighed only 28 lbs. to the yard, being 24 inches broad at the top, with the upper flange inch thick. They were only 2 inches in depth at the points at which they rested on the rails, and 3 inches in the middle or bellied part. When forming the road, the proper Gauge had also to be determined. What width was this to be? The gauge of the first tramroad laid down, had virtually settled the point. The gauge of wheels of the common vehicles of the country -of the carts and waggons employed on common roads, which were first used on the tramroads-was 4 feet 81 inches. And so the first tramroads were laid down of this gauge. The tools and machinery for constructing coalwaggons and locomotives were formed with this gauge in view. The Wylam waggon-way, afterwards the Wylam plate-way, the Killingworth railroad, and the Hetton railroad, were all laid down on this gauge. Some of the earthwaggons used to form the Stockton and Darlington road were brought from the Hetton railway; and others which were specially constructed were formed of the same dimensions, these being intended afterwards to be employed in the working of the traffic. As the time for the opening of the line approached, the question of the Tractive Power to be employed was warmly discussed. At the Brusselton incline, fixed engines must necessarily be made use of; and the designs for these were completed by Robert Stephenson in 1824, previous to his departure for Columbia, in South America. With respect to the mode of working the railway generally, it was decided that horses were to be largely employed, and arrangements were made for their purchase. The influence of Mr. Pease also secured that a fair trial should be given to the experiment of working the traffic by locomotive power; and three engines were ordered from the firm of George Stephenson and Co., at Newcastle, and were accordingly put in hand forthwith, in anticipation of the opening of the railway. These were constructed after Mr. Stephenson's most matured designs, and embodied all the improvements in the locomotive which he had contrived up to that time. No. 1 engine, the "Active," which was first delivered upon the line, weighed about eight tons. It had one large flue or tube through the boiler, through which the heated air passed direct from the furnace at one end, lined with fire-bricks, to the chimney at the other. The combustion in the furnace was quickened by the adoption of the steam-blast into the chimney. The heat raised was sometimes so great, and was so imperfectly ab CHAP. XVII.] INSPECTION OF WORKS. 197 stracted by the surrounding water, that the chimney became almost red-hot. These engines, when put to the top of their speed, were found capable of running at the rate of from twelve to sixteen miles an hour; but they were better adapted for the heavy work of hauling coal trains at low speeds-for which, indeed, they were specially constructed— than for running at the higher speeds afterwards adopted. Nor was it contemplated by the directors as possible, at the time when they were ordered, that locomotives could be made available for the purposes of passenger travelling. Besides, the Stockton and Darlington Railway did not run through a district in which passengers were ever likely to constitute any considerable portion of the traffic. We may easily imagine the anxiety felt by Mr. Stephenson during the progress of the works towards completion, and his mingled hopes and doubts (though his doubts were but few) as to the issue of this great experiment. When the formation of the line near Stockton was well advanced, Mr. Stephenson one day, accompanied by his son Robert and John Dixon, made a journey of inspection of the works. His son, as we have said, was about to set out for South America, having received an appointment to superintend some mining operations in Columbia, respecting which there was then a large amount of speculation on foot. His health also had recently suffered through the closeness of his application to work and study; and his father, hoping that he might derive benefit from the change of climate, encouraged him to undertake the charge which was offered him. On the day in question the party reached Stockton, and proceeded to dine at one of the inns there. After dinner, Mr. Stephenson ventured on the very unusual measure of ordering in a bottle of wine, to drink success to the railway. John Dixon remembers and relates with pride the utterance of the master on the occasion. "Now lads," said he to the two young men, “I |