325Captain TYLER thanked the Meeting, in the first place, for the way in which his Paper had been received ; and Mr. Fell, in the next, for a great deal of the information contained in it. Since it was written, Mr. Fell had made some improvements in the engine, which he nrould be able to explain in person. He had also to thank Mr. Brunlees, the Engineer of the Mont Cenis R'ailway, for having prepared the large plan and section of that railway, with the section showing the central rail, and its attachment between the bearing rails.There was one interesting question to which he had only briefly alluded, and that was with regard to the engines for working both severe gradients and sharp curves, which were advocated by M. Thouvenot, in France, and Mr. Fairlie, in this country.The latter adopted the principle of attaching the boilers of two engines together, firebox to firebox, and carrying them upon two bogie fra'mes, the wheels under these frames being respectively coupled together and worked by separate cylinders. The former, by using peculiar cranks and coupling chains, proposed to transmit the power obtained. by his double engines to the wheels of the carriages. There 'was no doubt much in favour of Mr.Fairlie's form of locomotive for certain purposes. Captain Tyler considered there was frequently a certain amount of extra risk in the employment of tank engines. He had always been of opinion that they were not calculated to run safely at h g h speeds, especially with passenger trains, and he thought such engines might properly be superseded, at all events for passenger traffic, by engines of a construction somewhat similar to that advocated by Mr. Fairlie. At the same time, tank engines were found to be convenient for the mineral traffic of short lines, for heavy gradients, and for frequent stoppages. I n working steep inclines? one tank engine was often placed in front, and another at the tail of the train; and this was in one respect a safe mode of working, inasmuch as if a coupling gave way there was an engine as well as tl break-van behind to prevent any of the wagons from running back.He had omitted all notice of tlle Pneumatic system, because he did not think it applicable to the working of very steep gradients. It might perhaps be usefully employed in tunnel lines for metropolitan passenger traffic, on account of the absence of steam and smoke ; and he thought it was a pity it had not been tried in practice for that purpose.I n contrast to the working by the central rail system on the Mont Cenis, he would refer to some practical results of the working of a steep gradient on a railway which he had recently visited, viz., the Navigation incline of the Taff Vale Railway, near the Aberdnre dnnction, 16 miles from Cardiff, He was accompanied by the Engineer of the line, Mr. George Fisher, who had furnished him with the following particulars of the incline, and of the engines with which it was worked. The gradients were, in ascending, successively, 1 in 28, 1 in 21-80, l in 20.74, for shorter distances, and t...
