House of Commons, Great Britain

“ The saving of fuel in theory, by working with high steam, is 75 per cent, every time that the elasticity of the steam is doubled, because double the quantity of coals doubles the pressure, and increases the bulk three-eighths, and by working this steam expansively three-eighths more are gained, and not only theory but practice proves that gain on all the Cornish Engines; the usual height of steam is sixty pounds above the atmosphere, but if the boilers could be made safe against explosion and work with much higher steam, the advantages would almost exceed limit ”

“ I have no doubt, save four out of five, if not nine out of ten stones that are crushed at present, and reduce the road expences in the same proportion; but while the fancy of having carriage-wheels out of upright with crooked axles is continued, wide wheels would be a serious objection; the inside and outside of the wheel being of different diameters, and going different speeds, must cause an increase of load to the horses, because their rubbing on the road and tendency to twist move the stones out of their bed in the road, and, instead of bedding them firmly, has the contrary effect ”

“ If after boilers have been forced on their trial by a cold-water pressure, to stand ten times the pressure that they are to be worked at, and a boiler should happen to explode, the shock would be first received by the next surrounding tube, and so on for six successive surrounding tubes; each space between the tubes would admit the Steam to escape gently up the chimney, without harm, and the outside tube that encircles the whole, might be made of three quarters of an inch thick, 80 that it would put injury from explosion beyond possibility. ”

“ The boiler being considerably less, the strength and room will be increased, and, never getting hot, the Engine might be worked with much higher steam; if so high as the gasholders are charged with, the theory gives a saving of fuel, weight and room over low-pressure Engines of sixteen to one, without a supply of water. ”

“ The usual notion, that wheels grind the road, is wrong; if any difference, it is the roads grind the wheels, the road-material being generally the harder of the two; but the roads are injured by the wheels crushing the stone, by a narrow surface bearing on small points, or on single stones, the tenacity of which will not support the weight under narrow wheels ”

“ The unnecessary, resistance given to Carriages and wear of roads by narrow wheels far exceeds all conception. As a proof that locomotive wheels will not injure the roads by slipping round. I give you the copy of a Report printed on the performance of the locomotive Engines on the Manchester Road for the premium. ”

“ Thus, the calculated distance of the run, considering the wheel as a perambulator, agrees within five yards with the space actually passed over, and this difference might arise from the most trifling in accuracy of noting the time, a quarter of a second at each end being sufficient to produce this discrepancy, so that it might fairly be concluded there was no slip ping of the wheels at a velocity of nearly 22 miles an hour with a load. If wheels will not slip round on iron roads, there can be no doubt but that they will be firm on common roads. ”

“ Travelling on common turnpike roads would be by far the greatest national advantage, but which, on the present plan, never can be accomplished, because the difficulties of getting a supply of water, and the inequalities of the surface of the roads, will always, under these circumstances, prevent the limited power to ascend the hills ”

“ It would be advisable for the fore and hind wheels of Carriages to run about half the track out of a line from each other, because the bank that is formed by the fore wheel would be rebedded by the hind one, and the leveller the road is kept, the less the jolts, and of course the shoaler will be the ruts, while the surface of the road remains sound, and even the wear is scarcely any thing, and the crushing cannot take ”

“ To prevent the salt accumulating, a constant stream of boiling water is ejected from, and cold water in its stead injected into the boiler, which occasions a constant fluctuation in the height of water in the boiler, and requires a constant caution in the Engineer to prevent mischief. ”

“ At the present moment we have a proof of this, from the Engines travelling on common level roads being as nearly as possible in equilibrium, their power just capable of running their own weight at a fair speed, on a level surface ”

“ Another great national advantage will be gained, by the whole of the kingdom being abundantly supplied with fresh fish, as it will be in the power of every fishing-boat to get a small Engine, and bring fish to market all round the Coast while fresh, independent of wind,, this way be carried by locomotive Engines, in a few hours ”

“ The first locomotive Engine ever seen was one that I set to work in 1804, on a rail-road at Merthyr Tydvil, in Wales, which performed its work to admiration, a correct copy of which is now in general use on the rail-roads ”