House of Commons, Great Britain

“ This, in itself, injures the road, but not so much as when no drag is used, because the horses are then obliged to bear against the Carriage, and set down their feet very strongly; this often tears up the surface, particularly of weak roads. The time that is lost by the Coaches in descending some of the hills on the road between London and Birmingham, is full as much as is lost in ascending them, besides the imminent danger, even with the greatest caution on the part of the drivers. ”

“ Would the wear of such roads as you have described, be much affected by the greater or less velocity of the Steam Carriages?—It would be hardly affected at all, on a good road, by increased velocity; if any thing perhaps rather less.
Do you propose in your scheme of toll that weight should be the basis of toll, but that the wheel be an 'index to the weight?—Yes, that is the principle on which I have suggested the scale of tolls. ”

“ The eight-horse Waggons, though frequently weighing, with the load, seven tons, may probably be averaged at not more than six tons the year round; the wheel is nine inches in the tire, but from a very improper plan followed in its construction the bearing on a hard solid road is only three inches, for these wheels are generally shod with three hoops of three inch iron, the centre one of which is of a greater diameter than the others, and projects full half an inch beyond them, which on weak roads such as in the Neighbourhood of London, must be most injurious. ”

“ Do you think it essential that the wheels of Steam Carriages should follow in the same track, provided they have a proper breadth of tire?—Not at all, as regards the injury to the road; it would require more power to work them if the wheels did not follow in the same track. ”

“ Do you think it would be necessary to make any alteration in the form of the present line of turnpike road for the facility of working by steam?—I do not think it would be absolutely necessary; it would, however, be of great benefit to the country and every person in it, if the hills on the present lines of road were more reduced and the surface strengthened; no road should have a greater ascent than one in thirty or one in thirty-five ”

“ In the formation of such roads, and before they become bound or firth, a considerable portion of the sub-soil mixes with the stone or gravel in consequence of the necessity of putting the gravel on in thin layers; this mixture of earth or clay, in dry warm seasons, expands by the heat, and makes the road loose and open, the consequence is, that the stones are thrown out, and many of them are crushed and ground into dust, producing considerable wear and diminution of the materials ”

“ Supposing the Steam Carriages, either the propelling Carriage and the Carriage drawn, or the Engine Carriage carrying the passengers were generally to be four tons, what would you recommend to be the minimum breadth of tire to either of the Carriages?—In the present state of Steam Carriages, as applied to the working over turnpike roads, I should say you might limit them to not less than four inches for a few years. ”

“ If the Engine, instead of carrying the load draws one or more Carriages after it, the toil should be collected and charged on each Carriage, in a similar manner as it is charged on the Engine, that is in proportion to its wheels. ”

“ I think it would not be too much to allow the wear equal to four pounds per horse per month, which for 100 horses for ten weeks would give a wear of 1,000 lbs, of iron. The hind wheels of the Coaches are mostly font feet eight inches in diameter, and the front wheel three feet. The width of tire. I before stated is about two inches, and when new, the thickness of the iron is three quarters, of an inch. ”

“ When removed, the weight is on the fore wheels, 144 lbs.,, on the hind ditto 168 lbs., making 312 lbs.; wear in five months, 309 lbs. The number of miles travelled in this time is 6,048; the shoes that are put on the horses employed to draw this. Waggon, weigh when new from two pounds and a half to three pounds each; the average of a great many gave two pounds and three quarters, and when removed one pound and a quarter; they last from four to six weeks, according to the weather and state of the road ”