House of Commons, Great Britain

“ Nicholas Wood's Treatise on Rail Roads, published in 1820, he states that a Locomotive Engine, weighing 61⁄2 tons, and containing one ton of water equal to 71⁄2 tons, dragged twelve loaded Carriages, each weighing 9,408 lbs. up a plane ascending 134 inches in 1,164 feet, and also the conveying Carriage, weighing 11⁄2 tons, the wheels not slipping, the rails dry. ”

“ In this experiment the Engine was allowed to traverse a given space, to put the train of carriage into their proper velocity before the time was noted, the time was then marked until the velocity was again checked at the further end of the stage. ”

“ Wheels, four feet; nine Carriages, weighing 7311⁄2 cwt., were drawn ap the same plane nineteen times in 302 minutes, and nineteen times down the plane in 265 minutes, distance traversed, 48.8 miles in 9 hours, 27 minutes: coals consumed, 2,534 lbs. ”